Sir Joseph Austen Chamberlain, KG (October 16, 1863 – March 17, 1937) was a British statesman, politician, and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Peace Prize ( Swedish, Danish and Nobels fredspris is one of five Nobel Prizes Bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor The Postmaster General in the United Kingdom is a defunct ministerial position in HM Government. Events 2492 BC - Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and founder of the Armenian nation Year 1902 ( MCMII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Events 768 - Carloman I and Charlemagne are crowned Kings of The Franks. Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting Arthur James Balfour 1st Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, PC (25 July 1848 - 19 March 1930 was a British Conservative politician and Charles Stewart Vane-Tempest-Stewart 6th Marquess of Londonderry KG, GCVO, CB, PC, DL ( 16 July 1852 &ndash Edward George Villiers Stanley 17th Earl of Derby KG, GCB, GCVO, TD, PC (23 St The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all Economic and Financial Events 768 - Carloman I and Charlemagne are crowned Kings of The Franks. Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting "December 4th" redirects here For the song by Jay-Z, see December 4th (song. Year 1905 ( MCMV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Arthur James Balfour 1st Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, PC (25 July 1848 - 19 March 1930 was a British Conservative politician and Charles Thomson Ritchie 1st Baron Ritchie of Dundee ( 19 November 1838 &ndash 9 January 1906) was a British Politician Herbert Henry Asquith 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC ( 12 September 1852 &ndash 15 February 1928) served Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar David Lloyd George 1st Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor OM, PC (17 January 1863 &ndash 26 March 1945 was a British Statesman and the only Andrew Bonar Law (16 September 1858 &ndash 30 October 1923 was a Canadian -born British Conservative Party statesman and Prime Minister. Robert Stevenson Horne 1st Viscount Horne of Slamannan, GBE, PC, KC ( 28 February 1871 &ndash 3 September 1940 The office of Secretary of State for India or India Secretary was created in 1858 when Company rule in India ended and India was brought under direct British rule Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Herbert Henry Asquith 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC ( 12 September 1852 &ndash 15 February 1928) served David Lloyd George 1st Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor OM, PC (17 January 1863 &ndash 26 March 1945 was a British Statesman and the only Robert Offley Ashburton Crewe-Milnes 1st Marquess of Crewe KG ( 12 January 1858 – 20 June 1945) was a British Statesman Edwin Samuel Montagu ( February 6 1879 &ndash November 15 1924) was a British Liberal Jewish politician The Lord Privy Seal or Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom ranking beneath the The Leader of the House of Commons is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom who is responsible for arranging government business in the House of Commons Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. David Lloyd George 1st Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor OM, PC (17 January 1863 &ndash 26 March 1945 was a British Statesman and the only Andrew Bonar Law (16 September 1858 &ndash 30 October 1923 was a Canadian -born British Conservative Party statesman and Prime Minister. Edgar Algernon Robert Gascoyne-Cecil 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood CH, PC, QC ( 14 September 1864 &ndash 24 November The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, commonly referred to as the Foreign Secretary, is a member of the United Kingdom Government heading the Events 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim Caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina. Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Stanley Baldwin 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC (3 August 1867 &ndash 14 December 1947 was a British Conservative politician statesman and major James Ramsay MacDonald ( 12 October 1866 &ndash 9 November 1937) was a British politician and twice Prime Minister of the United Arthur Henderson (13 September 1863 – 20 October 1935 was a British union leader politician Disarmament advocate and the 1934 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty were the members of the Board of Admiralty, which exercised command over the Royal Navy. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. James Ramsay MacDonald ( 12 October 1866 &ndash 9 November 1937) was a British politician and twice Prime Minister of the United Albert Victor Alexander 1st Earl Alexander of Hillsborough, KG, CH, PC (1 May 1885&ndash11 January 1965 was a British Labour and Bolton Meredith Eyres-Monsell 1st Viscount Monsell, GBE, PC ( 22 February 1881 &ndash 21 March 1969) was a British The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an Order of chivalry, or Knighthood, originating in Medieval England, and presently bestowed on recipients Events 456 - Magister militum Ricimer defeats the Emperor Avitus at Piacenza and becomes master of the western Year 1863 ( MDCCCLXIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A statesman or stateswoman or statesperson is usually a Politician or other notable figure of State who has had a long and respected career in Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions The Nobel Peace Prize ( Swedish, Danish and Nobels fredspris is one of five Nobel Prizes Bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor
Contents |
Early career
Austen Chamberlain was educated first at the prestigious Rugby School, before passing on to Trinity College, Cambridge. Rugby School, located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, is a Co-educational Boarding school and one of the oldest public schools Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. Chamberlain made his first political address there in 1884 at a meeting of the Political Society of his university, and it would appear that from an early age his father had intended for politics to be his Austen's future path. He was Vice-President, but not President, of the Cambridge Union Society.
With this in mind, Austen was dispatched first to France, where he studied at the Paris Institute of Political Studies (best known as the Sciences Po). Sciences Po is a French abbreviation of sciences politiques, or Political science, which is a division of the Social sciences. Whilst there, Austen developed a lasting admiration (some would say love) for the French people and their culture. For nine months, he was shown the brilliance of Paris under the Third Republic, and met and dined with the likes of Georges Clemenceau and Alexandre Ribot. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Georges Benjamin Clemenceau ( Mouilleron-en-Pareds ( Vendée) 28 September 1841 24 November 1929 was a French statesman physician and Journalist Alexandre-Félix-Joseph Ribot (7 February 1842 13 January 1923 was a French politician four times Prime Minister.
From Paris, Austen was sent to Berlin for twelve months, there to imbibe the political culture of the other great European power, Germany. Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Though in his letters home to Beatrice and Neville he showed an obvious preference for France and the lifestyle he had left behind there, Chamberlain undertook to learn German and learn from his experience in the capital of the Kaiserreich. Among others, Austen met and dined with the “Iron Chancellor” Otto von Bismarck, an experience which was to hold a special place in his heart for the duration of his life. Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen Duke of Lauenburg Prince of Bismarck ( April 1, 1815 July 30, 1898)
While attending the University of Berlin, Austen also developed a suspicion for the pronounced nationalism then arising in the German Empire. This was based upon his experience of the lecturing style of Heinrich von Treitschke, who opened up to Austen "a new side of the German character - a narrow-minded, proud, intolerant Prussian chauvinism", the consequences of which he was later to ponder during the First World War, and the crises of the 1930s. thumb Heinrich Gotthard von Treitschke ( September 15, 1834 &ndash April 28, 1896) was a nationalist German
Though he was again upset to leave his newfound friends and return to the constraints of life under his father’s roof, Austen returned to the United Kingdom in 1888, lured largely by the prize of a parliamentary constituency.
He was first elected to parliament as a member of his father's own Liberal Unionist Party in 1892, sitting for the seat of East Worcestershire. The Liberal Unionists were a British political party that split away from the Liberals in 1886 and had effectively merged with the Conservatives by the Year 1892 ( MDCCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year East Worcestershire was a County constituency in the county of Worcestershire, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Owing to the prominence of his father and the alliance between the anti-Home Rule Liberal Unionists and Conservative Party, Chamberlain was returned unopposed on 30th March, and at the first sitting of the new session, Austen walked up the floor of the house flanked by his father and his uncle Richard. Home rule refers to a demand that constituent parts of a state be given greater self-government within the greater administrative purview of the central government The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Richard Chamberlain ( c 1840 &ndash 1899 was a Liberal and later Liberal Unionist politician in the United Kingdom.
Owing to the dissolution of parliament and the August general election, Chamberlain was unable to make his maiden speech until April of 1893. Results |} The totals above exclude two Irish candidates whose party affiliation was unclear to F This speech, when delivered, was acclaimed by the four-time Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone as “one of the best speeches which has been made”. That Chamberlain was speaking against Gladstone’s Second Home Rule Bill does not seem to have dampened the enthusiasm of the Prime Minister, who responded by publicly congratulating both Austen and his father Joseph on such an excellent performance. Home rule refers to a demand that constituent parts of a state be given greater self-government within the greater administrative purview of the central government This was highly significant, given the bad blood existing between Joseph Chamberlain and his former leader.
Appointed a junior Whip of the Liberal Unionists after the general election, Austen’s main role was to act as his father’s “standard bearer” in matters of policy. Upon the massive Conservative and Unionist landslide win in the election of 1895, Chamberlain was appointed a Civil Lord of the Admiralty, holding that post until 1900, when he became Financial Secretary to the Treasury. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty were the members of the Board of Admiralty, which exercised command over the Royal Navy. Financial Secretary to the Treasury is a junior Ministerial post in the UK Treasury. In 1902, following the retirement of Prime Minister Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, Chamberlain was promoted to the position of Postmaster General by the new premier, the Conservative Arthur James Balfour. "Lord Salisbury" redirects here For other holders of the title see Marquess of Salisbury. The Postmaster General in the United Kingdom is a defunct ministerial position in HM Government. Arthur James Balfour 1st Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, PC (25 July 1848 - 19 March 1930 was a British Conservative politician and
In the wake of the struggle between his father and Balfour, Austen Chamberlain became Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1903. The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all Economic and Financial Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting Austen's appointment was largely a compromise solution to the bitter division of the two Unionist heavyweights, which threatened to split the coalition between supporters of Chamberlain's free-trade campaign and Balfour's more cautious advocacy of protectionism. While Austen supported his father’s programme, his influence within the cabinet was diminished following the departure of the senior Chamberlain to the back benches. Facing a resurgent Liberal opposition and the threat of an internal party split, Balfour eventually took the Unionists into opposition in December 1905, and in the ensuing rout in the election of 1906, Austen Chamberlain found himself one of the few surviving Liberal Unionists in the House of Commons. The United Kingdom general election of 1906 was held from 12 January to 8 February 1906 The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords
Following his father's stroke and enforced retirement from active politics a few months later, Austen became the effective leader of the Tariff Reform campaign within the Unionist Party, and thus a contender for the eventual leadership of the party itself.
Leadership questions
With the Unionists in disarray after the two successive electoral defeats of 1910, Arthur James Balfour was forced from his position as party leader in November 1911. Arthur James Balfour 1st Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, PC (25 July 1848 - 19 March 1930 was a British Conservative politician and Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Chamberlain was one of the leading candidates to succeed as Conservative leader - even though he was still technically only a member of the Liberal Unionist wing of the coalition (the two parties merged formally in 1912). The Liberal Unionists were a British political party that split away from the Liberals in 1886 and had effectively merged with the Conservatives by the Chamberlain was opposed by Canadian-born Andrew Bonar Law, Walter Long and the Irish Unionist Sir Edward Carson, though given their standing in the party, only Chamberlain and Long had a realistic chance of success. Andrew Bonar Law (16 September 1858 &ndash 30 October 1923 was a Canadian -born British Conservative Party statesman and Prime Minister. Walter Hume Long 1st Viscount Long ( 13 July 1854 - 26 September 1924) the son of Richard Penruddocke Long, was a British Edward Henry Carson Baron Carson, PC, Kt, KC (often known as Sir Edward Carson or Lord Carson) ( Though Balfour had intended Chamberlain to succeed him, it became clear from an early canvass of the sitting MPs that Long would be elected by a slender margin. After a short period of internal party campaigning, Chamberlain determined to withdraw from the contest for the good of the still-divided party. He succeeded in persuading Long to withdraw with him, in favour of Bonar Law, who was subsequently chosen by unanimous vote as a compromise candidate.
Chamberlain's action, though it prevented him from attaining the party leadership, and arguably ultimately the premiership, did a great deal to maintain unity within the Conservative and Liberal Unionist parties at a time of great uncertainty and strain.
Mr. Austen Chamberlain (as Sidesman). "The threepenny-bit is economical, perhaps; but a desirable coin, from my point of view, it is not. ".
Cartoon from Punch magazine Vol. Punch was a British weekly Magazine of Humour and Satire published from 1841 to 1992 and from 1996 to 2002 158, February 25th, 1920, after a debate in the House of Commons in which Chamberlain spoke in favour of continuing to mint the threepenny-bit, against the objections of others who cited the displeasure of churchwardens with the coin. Events 138 - The Emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius, effectively making him his successor Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords A mint is an industrial facility which manufactures Coins for Currency.
Years of crisis and the First World War
In the last years before the outbreak of the Great War, Chamberlain was concerned with one issue above all others: Home Rule for Ireland. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Home rule refers to a demand that constituent parts of a state be given greater self-government within the greater administrative purview of the central government Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world The issue which had prompted his father to split the Liberal Party in the 1880s now threatened to spill over into outright civil war, with the government of Herbert Henry Asquith committed to the passage of a Third Home Rule Bill. Herbert Henry Asquith 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC ( 12 September 1852 &ndash 15 February 1928) served The Home Rule Act of 1914, also known as the ( Irish) Third Home Rule Act (or Bill) and formally known as the Government of Ireland Act 1914 Chamberlain was resolutely opposed to the dissolution of the Union with Ireland, and to the strain of these years was added the death of his father in July 1914, only a few days after the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand began the train of events which led to the First World War. Franz Ferdinand ( December 18, 1863 &ndash June 28, 1914) was an Archduke of Austria-Este, Prince Imperial of World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All
Pressure from the Conservative opposition, in part led by Chamberlain eventually resulted in the formation of the wartime coalition government, in 1915. A coalition government, or coalition cabinet, is a Cabinet of a parliamentary Government in which several parties cooperate Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Chamberlain joined the cabinet as Secretary of State for India. The office of Secretary of State for India or India Secretary was created in 1858 when Company rule in India ended and India was brought under direct British rule Chamberlain remained at the India Office after Lloyd George succeeded Asquith as Prime Minister in late 1916, but following the failure of various British campaigns in Mesopotamia (undertaken by the separately-administered Indian Army), Chamberlain resigned his post in 1917. David Lloyd George 1st Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor OM, PC (17 January 1863 &ndash 26 March 1945 was a British Statesman and the only Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year The Mesopotamian campaign was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of the Great War fought between Allied Powers represented by the British Empire See Indian Army for the post-independence (and post- partition) army of the Republic of India. Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year This was despite any wrongdoing on his part, and it is widely believed that Austen acted according to his principles: he was the minister ultimately responsible; therefore the fault lay with him. He was widely acclaimed for such a selfless act. [1]
Later he returned to government and became a member of the War Cabinet in 1918. A War Cabinet is a committee formed by a government in time of war Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Following the victory of the Lloyd George coalition in the elections of 1918, Chamberlain was again appointed to the position of Chancellor of the Exchequer. The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom Chamberlain immediately faced the huge task of restoring Britain’s finances after four disastrous years of wartime expenditure.
Leadership
Citing ill health, Bonar Law retired from the leadership of the Conservative branch of the Lloyd George government in the spring of 1921. Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar Due to his seniority and the general dislike of Lord Curzon, his counterpart in the House of Lords, Chamberlain succeeded Bonar Law as leader of the party in the House of Commons and also took over in the office of Lord Privy Seal. George Nathaniel Curzon 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, KG, GCSI, GCIE, PC ( 11 January 1859 &ndash 20 March The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords" The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords The Lord Privy Seal or Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom ranking beneath the He was succeeded at the Exchequer by Sir Robert Horne, and it seemed that after ten years of waiting, Austen would again be given the opportunity of succeeding to the premiership. The Lloyd George coalition was beginning to falter, following numerous scandals and the unsuccessful conclusion of the Anglo-Irish War, and it was widely believed that it would not survive until the next general election. The Irish War of Independence (or Tan War, or Anglo-Irish War, Irish: Cogadh na Saoirse) from January 1919 to July 1921 was a guerrilla Strangely, though he had had little regard for Lloyd George in preceding years, the opportunity of working closely with the “Welsh Wizard” gave Chamberlain a new insight into his nominal superior in the government (by now, the Conservative party was by far the largest partner in the government).
This was an unfortunate change of allegiance for Chamberlain, for by late 1921 the Conservative rank-and-file was growing more and more restless for an end to the coalition and a return to single-party (and therefore Conservative) government. Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar Conservatives in the House of Lords began to publicly oppose the coalition, and disregarded calls for support from Chamberlain. In the country at large Conservative candidates began to oppose the coalition at by-elections and this discontent spread to the House of Commons. In the autumn of 1922, Chamberlain faced a backbench revolt (largely led by Stanley Baldwin) designed to oust Lloyd George, and at a meeting of the Carlton Club in October of that year, Chamberlain resigned the party leadership rather than act against what he believed to be his duty. Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Stanley Baldwin 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC (3 August 1867 &ndash 14 December 1947 was a British Conservative politician statesman and major The Carlton Club is a gentlemen's club in London. It was founded in 1832 by Tory Peers, MPs and Gentlemen, as a place Chamberlain was succeeded by Andrew Bonar Law, whose views and intentions he had divined the evening before the vote at a private meeting. Bonar Law formed a government shortly thereafter, but Chamberlain was not given a post nor, it would seem, would have he accepted a position had it been offered. Chamberlain therefore was the only Commons leader of the Conservative Party in the twentieth century not to attain the post of Prime Minister until William Hague. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. William Jefferson Hague (born 26 March 1961 is a British Politician. [2]
Foreign Secretary and the triumph of Locarno
At the second resignation of Bonar Law in May 1923 (Law would die from throat cancer later the same year), Chamberlain was passed over again for the leadership of the party in favour of Stanley Baldwin. Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Stanley Baldwin 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC (3 August 1867 &ndash 14 December 1947 was a British Conservative politician statesman and major Baldwin offered Chamberlain the post of Lord Privy Seal, but Chamberlain insisted that other former ministers from the Coalition should be included as well and Baldwin refused. However Chamberlain did return to government when Baldwin formed his second ministry following success in the election of October 1924, serving in the important office of Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs from 1924 to 1929. Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, commonly referred to as the Foreign Secretary, is a member of the United Kingdom Government heading the Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In this office, Chamberlain was largely allowed a free hand by the easygoing Baldwin.
It is as Foreign Secretary that Chamberlain’s place in history was finally assured. In a difficult period in international relations, Chamberlain not only faced a split in the Entente Cordiale occasioned by the French invasion of the Ruhr, but also the controversy over the Geneva Protocol, which threatened to dilute British sovereignty over the issue of League of Nations economic sanctions. Flag of the United Kingdomsvg|right|70px]] The Entente cordiale is a series of agreements signed on 8 April 1904 between the United Kingdom The Ruhr is a medium-size River in western Germany ( North Rhine-Westphalia) a right tributary (east-side of the Rhine. The League of Nations was an International organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920
Despite the importance to history of these pressing issues, Chamberlain’s reputation chiefly rests on his part in the negotiations over what came to be known as the Locarno Pact of 1925. The Locarno Treaties were seven agreements negotiated at Locarno, Switzerland on 5 October &ndash 16 October 1925 and formally signed Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Seeking to maintain the post-war status quo in the West, Chamberlain responded favourably to the approaches of the German Chancellor Gustav Stresemann for a British guarantee of Germany’s western borders. ( May 10, 1878 &ndash October 3, 1929) was a German liberal politician and statesman who served as Chancellor and Foreign Minister Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Together with Aristide Briand of France, Chamberlain and Stresemann met at the town of Locarno in October 1925 and signed a mutual agreement (together with representatives from Belgium and Italy) to settle all differences between the nations by arbitration and never resort to war. Aristide Briand (28 March 1862 – 7 March 1932 was a French statesman who served several terms as Prime Minister of France and won the Nobel Peace Prize This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Locarno is the capital of the Locarno district, located on the northern tip of Lake Maggiore ( Lago Maggiore) in the Swiss canton of The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest For his services, Chamberlain was not only awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, but was made a Knight of the Order of the Garter. The Nobel Peace Prize ( Swedish, Danish and Nobels fredspris is one of five Nobel Prizes Bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an Order of chivalry, or Knighthood, originating in Medieval England, and presently bestowed on recipients Chamberlain also secured Britain's accession to the Kellogg-Briand Pact, which theoretically outlawed war as an instrument of policy. The Kellogg-Briand Pact, also known as the Pact of Paris, after the city where it was signed on August 27, 1928, was an international treaty "providing Chamberlain famously said that Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was "a man with whom business could be done".
Later career
Following his less-satisfactory engagement in issues in the Far East and Egypt, and the resignation of Baldwin’s government after the election of 1929, Chamberlain resigned his position as Foreign Secretary and went into retirement. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He briefly returned to government in 1931 as First Lord of the Admiralty in Ramsay MacDonald's first National Government, but soon retired after having been forced to deal with the unfortunate Invergordon Mutiny. Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty were the members of the Board of Admiralty, which exercised command over the Royal Navy. James Ramsay MacDonald ( 12 October 1866 &ndash 9 November 1937) was a British politician and twice Prime Minister of the United In the United Kingdom the term National Government is in an abstract sense used to refer to a coalition of some or all UK major political parties. The Invergordon Mutiny was an Industrial action by around a thousand Sailors in the British Atlantic Fleet, that took place on 15 September -
Over the next six years as a senior backbencher he gave strong support to the National Government but was critical of their foreign policy. In the United Kingdom the term National Government is in an abstract sense used to refer to a coalition of some or all UK major political parties. In 1935 the government faced a parliamentary rebellion over the Hoare-Laval Pact and Austen’s opposition to the vote of censure is widely believed to have been instrumental in saving the government from defeat on the floor of the House. Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Hoare-Laval Pact was a December 1935 proposal by British Foreign Secretary, Samuel Hoare and French Prime Minister Chamberlain was again briefly considered for the post of Foreign Secretary, but it is safe to assume that he would have refused if ever asked. Instead his advice was sought as to the suitability of Parliamentary Private Secretary Anthony Eden for the post. A Parliamentary Private Secretary ( PPS) is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament (MP by a senior minister in government or shadow Robert Anthony Eden 1st Earl of Avon, KG, MC, PC (12 June 1897 &ndash 14 January 1977 was a British Conservative Politician Winston Churchill claims in his memoirs that had this crisis ended differently Chamberlain may have been called upon as a respected statesman to form a government of his own, but this view is not widely supported, and may be in part due to Chamberlain’s position as the first public champion of what later became Churchill’s great cause – opposition to the German Nazi government of Adolf Hitler. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately
Last great service
During the period 1934 to 1937, Chamberlain was, with Winston Churchill, Roger Keyes and Leo Amery, the most prominent voice calling for British rearmament in the face of a growing threat from Nazi Germany. Admiral of the Fleet Roger John Brownlow Keyes 1st Baron Keyes, Bt GCB KCVO CMG DSO RN ( 4 October Leopold Charles Maurice Stennett Amery CH, PC ( 22 November 1873 – 16 September 1955) usually known as Leo Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German In addition to speaking eloquently in Parliament on the matter, he was the chairman of two Conservative parliamentary delegations in late 1936 which met with the Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin, to remonstrate with him about his government’s delay in rearming the British defence forces. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Stanley Baldwin 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC (3 August 1867 &ndash 14 December 1947 was a British Conservative politician statesman and major More respected in this period than the largely discredited Churchill, Chamberlain became something of an icon to young Conservatives, as the last survivor of the Victorian Age of high politics.
Though he never again served in a government, Sir Austen Chamberlain survived in good health until March 1937, dying just ten weeks before his half-brother Neville Chamberlain finally became the first (and only) member of the distinguished Chamberlain dynasty to become Prime Minister. Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Arthur Neville Chamberlain (18 March 1869 &ndash 9 November 1940 was a British Conservative Politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Chamberlain died on March 17, 1937 aged 73.
His estate was probated at 45,044 pounds sterling, a relatively modest sum for such a famous public figure. Much of his father's fortune had been lost in an attempt to grow sisal in the West Indies in the early 1890s, and unlike his younger brother, Neville, Austen never went into business to make money for himself.
Chamberlain owned a country home with the unfortunate name of "Twytts' Ghyll".
The personal and political papers of Sir Austen Chamberlain are housed in the Special Collections of the main library of the University of Birmingham. The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a British red brick University located in the city of Birmingham
Further reading
For such a prominent historical figure, Chamberlain has had very little attention from academics. The official biography, by Sir Charles Petrie is still quite readable, though the most recent work – by David Dutton – is a far more balanced account. Sir Charles Alexander Petrie 3rd Baronet ( September 28, 1895 - December 13, 1977) was a popular historian Dutton is widely regarded as the expert in the field, though he disagrees somewhat with Richard Grayson’s assessment of Sir Austen’s views on France and Germany respectively. Some current work is being undertaken on the Chamberlain family by Peter Marsh - author of the most recent biography of Joseph Chamberlain - and Richard Scully is currently working on Sir Austen’s year in Germany and its subsequent effect on his opinions and politics.
- David Dutton, Austen Chamberlain – Gentleman in Politics, Bolton: R. Anderson, 1985.
- Richard Grayson, Austen Chamberlain and the Commitment to Europe: British Foreign Policy, 1924-1929, London: Frank Cass, 1997.
- Sir Charles Petrie, The Chamberlain Tradition, London: Lovat Dickson Limited, 1938. Sir Charles Alexander Petrie 3rd Baronet ( September 28, 1895 - December 13, 1977) was a popular historian
- Sir Charles Petrie, The Life and Letters of the Right Hon. Sir Austen Chamberlain, London: Cassell & Co. , 1939.
- Robert C. Self (ed. ), The Austen Chamberlain Diary Letters: The Correspondence of Sir Austen Chamberlain with his Sisters Hilda and Ida, 1916-1937, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
References
- ^ "Chamberlain out of India Office", The New York Times, 1917-07-13. Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 1174 - William I of Scotland, a key rebel in the Revolt of 1173-1174, is captured at Alnwick by forces loyal to Retrieved on 2008-01-20. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome.
- ^ "The only other Tory leader who failed to make it to Number 10", The Guardian, 2001-06-08. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable Retrieved on 2008-01-20. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome.
External links
Offices held
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories George Woodyatt Hastings (1825 &ndash 21 October 1917) was a politician in the United Kingdom. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. East Worcestershire was a County constituency in the county of Worcestershire, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Joseph Chamberlain ( 8 July 1836 &ndash 2 July 1914) was an influential British businessman politician and statesman A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Birmingham West is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary Constituency. Charles Stewart Vane-Tempest-Stewart 6th Marquess of Londonderry KG, GCVO, CB, PC, DL ( 16 July 1852 &ndash The Postmaster General in the United Kingdom is a defunct ministerial position in HM Government. Edward George Villiers Stanley 17th Earl of Derby KG, GCB, GCVO, TD, PC (23 St Charles Thomson Ritchie 1st Baron Ritchie of Dundee ( 19 November 1838 &ndash 9 January 1906) was a British Politician The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all Economic and Financial Herbert Henry Asquith 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC ( 12 September 1852 &ndash 15 February 1928) served Robert Offley Ashburton Crewe-Milnes 1st Marquess of Crewe KG ( 12 January 1858 – 20 June 1945) was a British Statesman The office of Secretary of State for India or India Secretary was created in 1858 when Company rule in India ended and India was brought under direct British rule Edwin Samuel Montagu ( February 6 1879 &ndash November 15 1924) was a British Liberal Jewish politician Andrew Bonar Law (16 September 1858 &ndash 30 October 1923 was a Canadian -born British Conservative Party statesman and Prime Minister. The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all Economic and Financial Robert Stevenson Horne 1st Viscount Horne of Slamannan, GBE, PC, KC ( 28 February 1871 &ndash 3 September 1940 Andrew Bonar Law (16 September 1858 &ndash 30 October 1923 was a Canadian -born British Conservative Party statesman and Prime Minister. The Lord Privy Seal or Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom ranking beneath the Edgar Algernon Robert Gascoyne-Cecil 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood CH, PC, QC ( 14 September 1864 &ndash 24 November Leaders of the UK Conservative Party since 1834 Background Until 1922 there was no formal "Leader of the Conservative Party" Andrew Bonar Law (16 September 1858 &ndash 30 October 1923 was a Canadian -born British Conservative Party statesman and Prime Minister. Leaders of the UK Conservative Party since 1834 Background Until 1922 there was no formal "Leader of the Conservative Party" George Nathaniel Curzon 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, KG, GCSI, GCIE, PC ( 11 January 1859 &ndash 20 March James Ramsay MacDonald ( 12 October 1866 &ndash 9 November 1937) was a British politician and twice Prime Minister of the United The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, commonly referred to as the Foreign Secretary, is a member of the United Kingdom Government heading the Arthur Henderson (13 September 1863 – 20 October 1935 was a British union leader politician Disarmament advocate and the 1934 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Albert Victor Alexander 1st Earl Alexander of Hillsborough, KG, CH, PC (1 May 1885&ndash11 January 1965 was a British Labour and The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. Bolton Meredith Eyres-Monsell 1st Viscount Monsell, GBE, PC ( 22 February 1881 &ndash 21 March 1969) was a British Frederick Edwin Smith 1st Earl of Birkenhead, GCSI, PC ( 12 July 1872 – 30 September 1930) was a British The position of Lord Rector of the University of Glasgow is elected every three years by the students at the University of Glasgow. Stanley Baldwin 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC (3 August 1867 &ndash 14 December 1947 was a British Conservative politician statesman and major James Herbert Benyon (alias James Herbert Fellowes) MA (1849&ndash1935 was an early 20th century Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire. The University of Reading is a University in the English town of Reading Berkshire Samuel John Gurney Hoare 1st Viscount Templewood GCSI, GBE, CMG, PC ( 24 February 1880 &ndash 7 May 1959Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic