Lloyd George Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Lloyd George - Case Study Example So, why did the Lloyd George Coalition fall The answer to this can ironically be found within his greatest triumphs. In the beginning of Lloyd George's career, he was a Liberal. It was a time when the Welsh were trying to regain national identity and confidence. He became a council member on the Caernarfon County Council in 1890. This was a seat he held for fifty-five years. He was a very active campaigner and supporter of land reform. Also, he was the youngest member of the House of Commons as a Liberal. In 1908, he was promoted to Chancellor of the Exchequer by Henry Asquith, the new prime minister. He was a very high profile politician, strongly opposing the Boer War. Even before becoming Prime Minister, George was innovatively creating ways to give support to Europe. He oversaw the Merchant Shipping Act of 1906, the Patient Act of 1907, and the Port of London Authority in 1908. He then became chancellor for the Asquith administration. In 1909, he created the 'People's Budget.' In 1911, he introduced Great Britain's National Health Insurance Program and made his famous speech. His speech warned Germany that they would not stand for intrusion in international affairs. He then became the first Minister of Munitions in 1915, further paving his way to becoming Prime Minister. .. He was often called "The man who won the war." Upon winning the war, in 1918, the coalition was formed between the conservatives and part of the Liberal party. They took a huge majority in the elections that year. However, there were some differences in opinion regarding the leadership within Liberal party and as Chris Cook argues, the conservatives wanted to see the Liberal party remain split between the followers of Lloyd George and the followers of Herbert Henry Asquith (the former prime minister.) 2 The conservatives readily carried on with the coalition after the war, since they had not won an election on their own in over a decade. They took the election with 70 percent of the votes. Noted, this was the 'coupon election' and the first election that allowed women over 30 to vote. The conservatives later decided that George owed his win to them and that they could take it back from him at any time. This left Lloyd George, in idea at least, without a party officially supporting him. George was a well-respected wartime leader, but the devastation from the war could prove to be the primary factor that cost him his position as prime minister. After all, he was the one to promise, "A land fit for heroes." After the war, Great Britain was left in a pitiful state of despair and heading towards a depression. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers died and over a million soldiers were left unable to work. Now Britain had to pay millions in war pension on top of the debt they had accumulated due to the war. This great economic decline was too big of a feat to overcome even for the 'Welsh Wizard.' Britain over invested in staple industries due to the war. This caused a boom in