First World War War cabinet

the 1916 war cabinet

during first world war, lengthy cabinet discussions came seen source of vacillation in britain s war effort. in december 1916 proposed prime minister h. h. asquith should delegate decision-making small, three-man committee chaired secretary of state war david lloyd george. asquith agreed (provided retained right chair committee if chose) before changing mind after being infuriated article in times portrayed proposed change defeat him. political crisis grew point until asquith forced resign prime minister; succeeded david lloyd george thereupon formed small war cabinet. original members of war cabinet were:

david lloyd george
lord curzon of kedleston (lord president of council)
andrew bonar law (chancellor of exchequer)
arthur henderson (december 1916 – august 1917)
lord milner (december 1916 – april 1918)

lloyd george, curzon , bonar law served throughout life of war cabinet. later members included:

jan smuts (june 1917 – january 1919)
george barnes (may 1917 – january 1919)
edward carson (july 1917 – january 1918)
austen chamberlain (april 1918 – october 1919)
sir eric geddes (january 1919 – october 1919)

unlike normal peacetime cabinet, few of these men had departmental responsibilities – bonar law, , chamberlain, served chancellors of exchequer, rest had no specific portfolio. among others, foreign secretary, arthur balfour, never member of war cabinet, nor service ministers lord derby , sir edward carson (the latter did join, after leaving admiralty).

from spring (in northern hemisphere) of 1917, imperial war cabinet formed. had representation dominions. members were:

lloyd george
sir robert borden, prime minister of canada
louis botha, prime minister of south africa
billy hughes, prime minister of australia
william massey, prime minister of new zealand
jan smuts
the british secretary of state india , other senior ministers britain , dominions.




^ edward carson joins cabinet after reshuffle - century ireland . rte.ie. retrieved 23 october 2017.