Chamberlain war ministry

Last updated

Chamberlain war ministry
Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government, 1901-1952).svg
1939–1940
Neville Chamberlain by Walter Stoneman.jpg
Date formed3 September 1939 (1939-09-03)
Date dissolved10 May 1940 (1940-05-10)
People and organisations
Monarch George VI
Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain
Prime Minister's history 1937–1940
Total no. of members98 appointments
Member parties
  •   Conservative Party
  •   Liberal National Party
  •   National Labour
Status in legislature Majority (coalition)
428 / 615 (70%)



Opposition party  Labour Party
Opposition leader Clement Attlee
History
Legislature term(s) 37th UK Parliament
Outgoing formation Norway Debate
Predecessor Fourth National Government
Successor Churchill war ministry

Neville Chamberlain formed the Chamberlain war ministry in 1939 after declaring war on Germany. Chamberlain led the country for the first eight months of the Second World War, until the Norway Debate in Parliament led Chamberlain to resign and Winston Churchill to form a new ministry.

Contents

History

On 3 September 1939, Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, reconstructed his existing government so as to be suited for the Second World War. The most dramatic change to the ministerial line-up saw the return of Winston Churchill as First Lord of the Admiralty. Other changes included Lord Caldecote replacing Lord Maugham as Lord Chancellor, Sir John Anderson replacing Sir Samuel Hoare as Home Secretary (Hoare became Lord Privy Seal with a wide-ranging brief) and the return of Anthony Eden to the government as Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs. However, the administration was not a true national unity government as it was made up primarily of Conservatives with support from some National Labour and National Liberal members. There were no representatives from the Labour Party or Liberal Party [1]

The government was notable for having a small war cabinet consisting of only the principal and service ministers, with most other government positions serving outside the Cabinet. The War Cabinet included Chamberlain, Hoare, Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir John Simon, Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax, Churchill, Secretary of State for Air Sir Kingsley Wood, Minister for Coordination of Defence Lord Chatfield, Lord Hankey (as Minister without Portfolio), and Secretary of State for War Leslie Hore-Belisha. Oliver Stanley replaced Hore-Belisha in January 1940 while Chatfield left the war cabinet in April 1940.

The government ended on 10 May 1940 when Chamberlain resigned and was succeeded by Churchill who formed the War Coalition.

Cabinet

War Cabinet, September 1939 – May 1940

Chamberlain's War Cabinet in September 1939. From left to right: Standing: Wood, Churchill, Hore-Belisha, and Hankey. Front row: Halifax, Simon, Chamberlain, Hoare, and Chatfield. British-war-cabinet-1939-40-churchill-chamberlain.jpg
Chamberlain's War Cabinet in September 1939. From left to right: Standing: Wood, Churchill, Hore-Belisha, and Hankey. Front row: Halifax, Simon, Chamberlain, Hoare, and Chatfield.

Upon the outbreak of the war, Chamberlain carried out a fullscale reconstruction of the government and introduced a small War Cabinet who were as follows:

Changes

  • January 1940 – Oliver Stanley succeeds Leslie Hore-Belisha as Secretary of State for War.
  • April 1940 – Hoare swaps Lord Privy Seal with Wood for Secretary of State for Air. Lord Chatfield leaves the government and the office of Minister for Coordination of Defence is abolished.

Key office holders not in the Cabinet

Changes

  • October 1939 – The position of Minister of Shipping is created, with Sir John Gilmour the first holder.
  • November 1939 – Lord Winterton resigns as Paymaster General and no successor is appointed.
  • January 1940 – Oliver Stanley becomes Secretary of State for War and a member of the War Cabinet in succession to Leslie Hore-Belisha (resigned) (see above) and is succeeded as President of the Board of Trade by Andrew Duncan. Lord Macmillan resigns as Minister of Information and is succeeded by Sir John Reith.
  • April 1940 – Robert Hudson succeeds Sir John Gilmour (deceased) as Minister of Shipping. Lord De La Warr exchanges President of the Board of Education with Herwald Ramsbotham for First Commissioner of Works. William Shepherd Morrison swaps the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster for the Postmaster General with George Tryon and is succeeded as Minister of Food by Lord Woolton.
  • May 1940 – Sir Terence O'Connor dies and no new Solicitor General is appointed before the government falls.

List of ministers

Members of the Cabinet are in bold face.

OfficeNamePartyDatesNotes
Prime Minister
First Lord of the Treasury
Leader of the House of Commons
Neville Chamberlain Conservative 3 September 1939 – 10 May 1940Member of the War Cabinet
Lord Chancellor The Viscount Caldecote Conservative3 September 1939
Lord President of the Council
Leader of the House of Lords
The Earl Stanhope Conservative3 September 1939
Lord Privy Seal Sir Samuel Hoare, Bt Conservative3 September 1939Member of the War Cabinet
Sir Kingsley Wood Conservative3 April 1940
Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir John Simon Liberal National September 1939Member of the War Cabinet
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury David Margesson ConservativeSeptember 1939
Financial Secretary to the Treasury Harry Crookshank ConservativeSeptember 1939
Lords of the Treasury James Stuart ConservativeSeptember 1939 – 10 May 1940
Thomas Dugdale ConservativeSeptember 1939 – 12 February 1940
Patrick Munro ConservativeSeptember 1939 – 10 May 1940
Stephen Furness Liberal NationalSeptember 1939 – 10 May 1940
Sir James Edmondson ConservativeSeptember 1939 – 13 November 1939
Patrick Buchan-Hepburn Conservative13 November 1939 – 10 May 1940
William Boulton Conservative12 February 1940 – 10 May 1940
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs The Viscount Halifax ConservativeSeptember 1939Member of the War Cabinet
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs R. A. Butler ConservativeSeptember 1939 – 10 May 1940
Secretary of State for the Home Department Sir John Anderson National 3 September 1939
Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department Osbert Peake ConservativeSeptember 1939
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Home Security Alan Lennox-Boyd Conservative6 September 1939
William Mabane Liberal National24 October 1939
First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill Conservative3 September 1939Member of the War Cabinet
Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty Geoffrey Shakespeare Liberal NationalSeptember 1939
Sir Victor Warrender, Bt Conservative3 April 1940
Civil Lord of the Admiralty Sir Austin Hudson, Bt ConservativeSeptember 1939
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Sir Reginald Dorman-Smith ConservativeSeptember 1939
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries The Lord Denham Conservative19 September 1939
Secretary of State for Air Sir Kingsley Wood ConservativeSeptember 1939Member of the War Cabinet
Sir Samuel Hoare, Bt Conservative3 April 1940Member of the War Cabinet
Under-Secretary of State for Air Harold Balfour ConservativeSeptember 1939
Secretary of State for the Colonies Malcolm MacDonald National Labour September 1939
Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies The Marquess of Dufferin and Ava ConservativeSeptember 1939
Minister for Coordination of Defence The Lord Chatfield Independent September 1939Member of the War Cabinet until 3 April 1940; Office abolished 3 April 1940
Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs Anthony Eden Conservative3 September 1939
Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs The Duke of Devonshire ConservativeSeptember 1939
Minister for Economic Warfare Ronald Cross Conservative3 September 1939
President of the Board of Education The Earl De La Warr National LabourSeptember 1939
Herwald Ramsbotham Conservative3 April 1940
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education Kenneth Lindsay National LabourSeptember 1939
Minister of Food William Morrison Conservative4 September 1939Combined with the Duchy of Lancaster
The Lord Woolton Conservative3 April 1940
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food Alan Lennox-Boyd Conservative11 October 1939
Minister of Health Walter Elliot ConservativeSeptember 1939
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health Florence Horsbrugh ConservativeSeptember 1939
Secretary of State for India and Burma The Marquess of Zetland ConservativeSeptember 1939
Under-Secretary of State for India and Burma Hon. Sir Hugh O'Neill Ulster Unionist 11 September 1939
Minister of Information The Lord Macmillan Conservative Party4 September 1939
Sir John Reith National5 January 1940
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Information Sir Edward Grigg Conservative Party19 September 1939Office vacant 3 April 1940
Minister of Labour and National Service Ernest Brown Liberal National3 September 1939
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour and National Service Ralph Assheton Conservative Party6 September 1939
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster William MorrisonConservative PartySeptember 1939From 4 September 1939 – 3 April 1940 combined with Minister for Food
George Tryon Conservative Party3 April 1940Lord Tryon
Paymaster General The Earl Winterton Conservative PartySeptember 1939
VacantNovember 1939
Minister of Pensions Sir Walter Womersley Conservative PartySeptember 1939
Minister without Portfolio The Lord Hankey Independent3 September 1939 – 10 May 1940Member of the War Cabinet
Postmaster-General George TryonConservative PartySeptember 1939
William MorrisonConservative Party3 April 1940
Assistant Postmaster-General William Mabane Liberal NationalSeptember 1939
Charles Waterhouse Conservative Party24 October 1939
Secretary of State for Scotland John Colville Conservative PartySeptember 1939
Under-Secretary of State for Scotland John McEwen Conservative Party6 September 1939
Minister of Shipping Sir John Gilmour, Bt Conservative Party13 October 1939
Robert Hudson Conservative Party3 April 1940
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Shipping Sir Arthur Salter Conservative Party13 November 1939
Minister of Supply Leslie Burgin Liberal NationalSeptember 1939
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Supply John Llewellin Conservative PartySeptember 1939
President of the Board of Trade Hon. Oliver Stanley Conservative PartySeptember 1939
Sir Andrew Duncan National5 January 1940
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade Gwilym Lloyd George Independent Liberal 6 September 1939
Secretary for Overseas Trade Robert Hudson Conservative PartySeptember 1939
Geoffrey Shakespeare Liberal National3 April 1940
Secretary for Mines Geoffrey Lloyd Conservative PartySeptember 1939
Minister of Transport Euan Wallace Conservative PartySeptember 1939
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport Robert Bernays Liberal NationalSeptember 1939
Secretary of State for War Leslie Hore-Belisha Liberal NationalSeptember 1939Member of the War Cabinet
Hon. Oliver StanleyConservative Party5 January 1940Member of the War Cabinet
Under-Secretary of State for War The Viscount Cobham Conservative19 September 1939
Financial Secretary to the War Office Sir Victor Warrender, Bt ConservativeSeptember 1939
Sir Edward GriggConservative3 April 1940
First Commissioner of Works Herwald RamsbothamConservativeSeptember 1939
The Earl De La Warr National Labour3 April 1940
Attorney General Sir Donald Somervell ConservativeSeptember 1939
Solicitor General Sir Terence O'Connor ConservativeSeptember 1939
Lord Advocate Thomas Cooper ConservativeSeptember 1939
Solicitor General for Scotland James Reid ConservativeSeptember 1939
Treasurer of the Household Charles WaterhouseConservativeSeptember 1939
Robert Grimston Conservative12 November 1939
Comptroller of the Household Charles Kerr Liberal NationalSeptember 1939
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household Robert GrimstonConservativeSeptember 1939
Sir James EdmondsonConservative12 November 1939
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms The Earl of Lucan ConservativeSeptember 1939
Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard The Lord Templemore ConservativeSeptember 1939
Lords-in-Waiting The Earl Fortescue ConservativeSeptember 1939 – 10 May 1940
The Earl of Birkenhead ConservativeSeptember 1939 – 10 May 1940
The Viscount Bridport ConservativeSeptember 1939 – 10 May 1940
The Lord Ebury ConservativeSeptember 1939 – 10 May 1940

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stanley Baldwin</span> British statesman (1867–1947)

Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, was a British statesman and Conservative politician who dominated the government of the United Kingdom between the world wars, serving as prime minister on three occasions, from May 1923 to January 1924, from November 1924 to June 1929, and from June 1935 to May 1937.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leslie Hore-Belisha</span> British politician

Leslie Hore-Belisha, 1st Baron Hore-Belisha, PC was a British Liberal, then National Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) and Cabinet Minister. He later joined the Conservative Party. He proved highly successful in modernising the British road system in 1934–1937 as Minister of Transport. As War Secretary, 1937–1940, he feuded with the commanding generals and was removed in 1940. Some writers believe anti-semitism played a role in both his dismissal and in blocking his appointment as Minister of Information. One historian compares his strong and weak points:

He was a brilliant speaker, a warm and engaging personality, a go-getter and a persistent driver, a master of the unconventional or indirect approach, a patriot and a man of moral and physical courage, not a great intellect but an original with a flair for imaginative gestures and for public relations. He also had personal weaknesses. He was extremely self-centred and had a fine conceit of himself. At times he was accused of sharp practice. ... Sharp practitioner or not, [his] quickness of mind and tongue, and transparent ambition to be seen to succeed, made him vulnerable to smears. ... His over-assertiveness ... led him to appear inconsiderate of the feelings and views of others.

A war cabinet is a committee formed by a government in a time of war to efficiently and effectively conduct that war. It is usually a subset of the full executive cabinet of ministers, although it is quite common for a war cabinet to have senior military officers and opposition politicians as members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingsley Wood</span> British politician (1881–1943)

Sir Howard Kingsley Wood was a British Conservative politician. The son of a Wesleyan Methodist minister, he qualified as a solicitor, and successfully specialised in industrial insurance. He became a member of the London County Council and then a Member of Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Inskip, 1st Viscount Caldecote</span> British Conservative politician (1876–1947)

Thomas Walker Hobart Inskip, 1st Viscount Caldecote, was a British politician who served in many legal posts, culminating in serving as Lord Chancellor from 1939 until 1940. Despite legal posts dominating his career for all but four years, he is most prominently remembered for serving as Minister for Coordination of Defence from 1936 until 1939.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oliver Stanley</span> British politician (1896–1950)

Oliver Frederick George Stanley was a prominent British Conservative politician who held many ministerial posts before his relatively early death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernest Brown (British politician)</span> British politician

Alfred Ernest Brown was a British politician who served as leader of the Liberal Nationals from 1940 until 1945. He was a member of Parliament and also held many other political offices throughout the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minister for Co-ordination of Defence</span> British Government position (1936–40)

The Minister for Co-ordination of Defence was a British Cabinet-level position established in 1936 to oversee and co-ordinate the rearmament of Britain's defences. It was abolished in 1940.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Margesson, 1st Viscount Margesson</span> British politician

Henry David Reginald Margesson, 1st Viscount Margesson, PC was a British Conservative politician, most popularly remembered for his tenure as Government Chief Whip in the 1930s. His reputation was of a stern disciplinarian who was one of the harshest and most effective whips. His sense of the popular mood led him know when to sacrifice unpopular ministers. He protected the appeasement-supporting government as long as he could.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Grigg</span> British politician (1890–1964)

Sir Percy James Grigg, KCB, KCSI, PC, often referred to as P J Grigg and later better known as Sir James Grigg, was a British civil servant who was unexpectedly moved, at the behest of then-Prime Minister Winston Churchill, from being the Permanent Under-Secretary of State at the War Office to become Secretary of State for War, the political head of the same department during the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herwald Ramsbotham, 1st Viscount Soulbury</span> British Conservative politician (1887–1971)

Herwald Ramsbotham, 1st Viscount Soulbury was a British Conservative politician. He served as a government minister between 1931 and 1941 and served as Governor-General of Ceylon between the years 1949 and 1954.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Government (1937–1939)</span> UK government, 1937–1939

The National Government of 1937–1939 was formed by Neville Chamberlain on his appointment as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom by King George VI. He succeeded Stanley Baldwin, who announced his resignation following the coronation of the King and Queen in May 1937.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lloyd George ministry</span> Government of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922

Liberal David Lloyd George formed a coalition government in the United Kingdom in December 1916, and was appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom by King George V. It replaced the earlier wartime coalition under H. H. Asquith, which had been held responsible for losses during the Great War. Those Liberals who continued to support Asquith served as the Official Opposition. The government continued in power after the end of the war in 1918, though Lloyd George was increasingly reliant on the Conservatives for support. After several scandals including allegations of the sale of honours, the Conservatives withdrew their support after a meeting at the Carlton Club in 1922, and Bonar Law formed a government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conservative government, 1922–1924</span> Government of the United Kingdom

The Conservative Government of the United Kingdom that began in 1922 and ended in 1924 consisted of two ministries: the Law ministry and then the first Baldwin ministry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Baldwin ministry</span> Government of the United Kingdom

Stanley Baldwin of the Conservative Party formed the second Baldwin ministry upon his reappointment as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom by King George V after the 1924 general election. His second ministry ended following the so-called "Flapper Election" of May 1929.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Third Churchill ministry</span> UK government, 1951–1955

Winston Churchill formed the third Churchill ministry in the United Kingdom following the 1951 general election. He was reappointed as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom by King George VI and oversaw the accession of Queen Elizabeth II in 1952 and her coronation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Churchill war ministry</span> UK government during World War II

The Churchill war ministry was the United Kingdom's coalition government for most of the Second World War from 10 May 1940 to 23 May 1945. It was led by Winston Churchill, who was appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom by King George VI following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain in the aftermath of the Norway Debate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberal government, 1905–1915</span>

The Liberal government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland that began in 1905 and ended in 1915 consisted of two ministries: the first led by Henry Campbell-Bannerman and the final three by H. H. Asquith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pillbox affair</span>

The Pillbox affair, also known as the Pillbox incident, was a military and political episode which occurred in Britain between November 1939 and January 1940 during the Second World War which resulted in the January 1940 dismissal of Leslie Hore-Belisha from the post of British War Minister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Government (1931–1935)</span> Multi-party coalition government formed by Ramsay MacDonald

The National Government of 1931–1935 was formed by Ramsay MacDonald following his reappointment as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom by King George V after the general election in October 1931.

References

  1. Liberal MP Gwilym Lloyd George accepted the post of Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade. He doesn't appeared to have officially resigned from the party or was expelled at this tine.
Preceded by Government of the United Kingdom
1939–1940
Succeeded by