Decline of Lloyd George 1918-1922

Socio-Economic Problems
1. 5 million men returning from the war had to be demobilized. Health facilities, unemployment pay and pensions were to be improved. However by 1922, the government had to cut back rather than expand upon social welfare with the Geddes Axe, cutting the army, education, hospitals, housing, etc.
2. Lloyd George campaigned to provide "homes fit for heroes." Addison, the minister of health, introduced the Housing and Town Planning Act 1919. This would clear slums and build council houses. However, Addison was paying £910 for each built unit when the building cost was only £385. By 1922, only 200,000 houses had been built leaving a shortage of 800,000.
3. Coal was increasingly difficult to mine profitable as wartime blockade had greatly reduced foreign orders. Mining unions demanded that mining should be renationalised but Lloyd George was unable to satisfy them on this.
4. Unemployment rose above one million.
Foreign Policy
1. The Easter Rising 1916 occurred in retaliation to the suspension of the Irish Home Rule act. INP members seized the General Post Office in Dublin and announced the establishment of the Irish Republic. British forces tried and shot the seven leaders and eight others involved. In 1918 Sinn Fein beat INP in election and formed IRA, dedicated to guerilla warfare. Lloyd George sanctioned force, "Black and Tans," to deal with situation, who were accused of terrorising civilians of Ireland and INP turned against him.
  1. Anglo-Irish Treaty 1921 partitioned Ireland into independent South and North remained part of UK. All Irish parties split and civil war broke out between pro-treaty Nationalists and anti-treaty Nationalists. Unionists felt betrayed by Lloyd George; regarded treaty as republican terrorism and could not forget his use of Black and Tans. Giving away part of empire also caused tensions with Conservatives, who supported Unionists.
2. Treaty of Versailles caused tensions with Conservatives, who wanted Lloyd George to "squeeze Germany until the pips squeaked."
3. The Chanak Affair was the threat of war between the Greeks and Turks who wanted to take back lost territories. Lloyd George ordered British reinforcements to Chanak. Luckily, diplomacy prevailed and the Turks withdrew, but Conservatives condemned Lloyd George's actions as irresponsible and unnecessary.
Scandals and Personality
1. Sold honours and titles on commission basis - 90 peerages and 20,000 OBEs were purchased.
2. Marconi scandal occurred pre-war when it was suggested that he used inside knowledge as Chancellor of Exchequer to buy and sell shares of the Marconi company for large profit.
3. Known to have affairs with women - cheated on both his wife and mistress. The Conservatives also found him arrogant and dishonest.
Conservatives
1. Bonar Law, the "lynchpin" of the coalition, resigned and weakened relationship of Lloyd Geoge and Conservatives.
2. Baldwin urged other Conservatives to abandon Lloyd George in next election as he "shattered the Liberal party and was well on his way to do that same to the Conservative party."

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Decline of Lloyd George 1918-1922

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