Chamberlain war ministry

British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain arrives at Munich, 29 September 1938
Chamberlain arrives at Munich, 29 September 1938.

Neville Chamberlain formed the Chamberlain War Ministry in the United Kingdom in 1939.

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.

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 Winston Churchill who formed the War Coalition.

Cabinet

War Cabinet, September 1939 – May 1940

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

Key office holders not in the Cabinet

Changes

List of Ministers

Members of the Cabinet are in bold face.

OfficeNamePartyDatesNotes
Prime Minister,
First Lord of the Treasury
and Leader of the House of Commons
Neville ChamberlainConservative3 September 1939 – 10 May 1940Member of War Cabinet
Lord ChancellorThe Viscount CaldecoteConservative3 September 1939 
Lord President of the Council
and Leader of the House of Lords
The Earl StanhopeConservative3 September 1939
Lord Privy SealSir Samuel Hoare, BtConservative3 September 1939Member of War Cabinet
Sir Kingsley WoodConservative3 April 1940 
Chancellor of the ExchequerSir John SimonLiberal NationalSeptember 1939Member of War Cabinet
Parliamentary Secretary to the TreasuryDavid MargessonConservativeSeptember 1939 
Financial Secretary to the TreasuryHarry CrookshankConservativeSeptember 1939 
Lords of the TreasuryJames StuartConservativeSeptember 1939 – 10 May 1940 
Thomas DugdaleConservativeSeptember 1939 – 12 February 1940 
Patrick MunroConservativeSeptember 1939 – 10 May 1940 
Stephen FurnessLiberal NationalSeptember 1939 – 10 May 1940 
Sir James EdmondsonConservativeSeptember 1939 – 13 November 1939 
Patrick Buchan-HepburnConservative13 November 1939 – 10 May 1940 
William BoultonConservative12 February 1940 – 10 May 1940 
Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsThe Viscount HalifaxConservativeSeptember 1939Member of War Cabinet
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsR. A. ButlerConservativeSeptember 1939 – 10 May 1940 
Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentSir John AndersonNational3 September 1939 
Under-Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentOsbert PeakeConservativeSeptember 1939 
Ministry of Home SecurityAlan Lennox-BoydConservative6 September 1939 
William MabaneLiberal National24 October 1939 
First Lord of the AdmiraltyWinston ChurchillConservative3 September 1939Member of War Cabinet
Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the AdmiraltyGeoffrey ShakespeareLiberal NationalSeptember 1939 
Sir Victor Warrender, BtConservative3 April 1940 
Civil Lord of the AdmiraltySir Austin Hudson, BtConservativeSeptember 1939 
Minister of Agriculture and FisheriesSir Reginald Dorman-SmithConservativeSeptember 1939 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and FisheriesThe Lord DenhamConservative19 September 1939 
Secretary of State for AirSir Kingsley WoodConservativeSeptember 1939Member of War Cabinet
Sir Samuel Hoare, BtConservative3 April 1940Member of War Cabinet
Under-Secretary of State for AirHarold BalfourConservativeSeptember 1939 
Secretary of State for the ColoniesMalcolm MacDonaldNational LabourSeptember 1939
Under-Secretary of State for the ColoniesThe Marquess of Dufferin and AvaConservativeSeptember 1939
Minister for Coordination of DefenceThe Lord ChatfieldNoneSeptember 1939Member of War Cabinet until 3 April 1940; Office abolished 3 April 1940
Secretary of State for Dominion AffairsAnthony EdenConservative3 September 1939 
Under-Secretary of State for Dominion AffairsThe Duke of DevonshireConservativeSeptember 1939 
Minister for Economic WarfareRonald CrossConservative3 September 1939 
President of the Board of EducationThe Earl De La WarrNational LabourSeptember 1939 
Herwald RamsbothamConservative3 April 1940 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of EducationKenneth LindsayNational LabourSeptember 1939 
Minister of FoodWilliam MorrisonConservative 4 September 1939Combined with Duchy of Lancaster
The Lord WooltonConservative3 April 1940 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of FoodAlan Lennox-BoydConservative11 October 1939 
Minister of HealthWalter ElliotConservativeSeptember 1939
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of HealthFlorence HorsbrughConservativeSeptember 1939
Secretary of State for India and BurmaThe Marquess of ZetlandConservativeSeptember 1939
Under-Secretary of State for India and BurmaHon. Sir Hugh O'NeillUlster Unionist11 September 1939
Minister of InformationThe Lord MacmillanConservative4 September 1939 
Sir John ReithNational5 January 1940
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of InformationSir Edward GriggConservative19 September 1939Office vacant 3 April 1940
Minister of Labour and National ServiceErnest BrownLiberal National3 September 1939
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and National ServiceRalph AsshetonConservative6 September 1939 
Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterWilliam MorrisonConservativeSeptember 1939From 4 September 1939 – 3 April 1940 combined with Minister for Food
George TryonConservative3 April 1940Lord Tryon
Paymaster GeneralThe Earl WintertonConservativeSeptember 1939 
Vacant November 1939 
Minister for PensionsSir Walter WomersleyConservativeSeptember 1939 
Minister without PortfolioThe Lord HankeyNone3 September 1939 – 10 May 1940Member of War Cabinet
Postmaster-GeneralGeorge TryonConservativeSeptember 1939 
William MorrisonConservative3 April 1940 
Assistant Postmaster-GeneralWilliam MabaneLiberal NationalSeptember 1939 
Charles WaterhouseConservative24 October 1939 
Secretary of State for ScotlandJohn ColvilleConservativeSeptember 1939 
Under-Secretary of State for ScotlandJohn McEwenConservative6 September 1939 
Minister of ShippingSir John Gilmour, BtConservative13 October 1939 
Robert HudsonConservative3 April 1940 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for ShippingSir Arthur SalterConservative13 November 1939 
Minister of SupplyLeslie BurginLiberal NationalSeptember 1939 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of SupplyJohn LlewellinConservativeSeptember 1939 
President of the Board of TradeHon. Oliver StanleyConservativeSeptember 1939 
Sir Andrew DuncanNational5 January 1940 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of TradeGwilym Lloyd GeorgeIndependent Liberal6 September 1939 
Secretary for Overseas TradeRobert HudsonConservativeSeptember 1939 
Geoffrey ShakespeareLiberal National3 April 1940 
Secretary for MinesGeoffrey LloydConservativeSeptember 1939 
Minister of TransportEuan WallaceConservativeSeptember 1939 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of TransportRobert BernaysLiberal NationalSeptember 1939 
Secretary of State for WarLeslie Hore-BelishaLiberal NationalSeptember 1939Member of War Cabinet
Hon. Oliver StanleyConservative5 January 1940Member of War Cabinet
Under-Secretary of State for WarThe Viscount CobhamConservative19 September 1939 
Financial Secretary to the War OfficeSir Victor Warrender, BtConservativeSeptember 1939 
Sir Edward GriggConservative3 April 1940 
First Commissioner of WorksHerwald RamsbothamConservativeSeptember 1939 
The Earl De La WarrNational Labour3 April 1940 
Attorney GeneralSir Donald SomervellConservativeSeptember 1939 
Solicitor GeneralSir Terence O'ConnorConservativeSeptember 1939 
Lord AdvocateThomas CooperConservativeSeptember 1939 
Solicitor General for ScotlandJames ReidConservativeSeptember 1939 
Treasurer of the HouseholdCharles WaterhouseConservativeSeptember 1939 
Robert GrimstonConservative12 November 1939 
Comptroller of the HouseholdCharles KerrLiberal NationalSeptember 1939 
Vice-Chamberlain of the HouseholdRobert GrimstonConservativeSeptember 1939 
Sir James EdmondsonConservative12 November 1939 
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-ArmsThe Earl of LucanConservativeSeptember 1939 
Captain of the Yeomen of the GuardThe Lord TemplemoreConservativeSeptember 1939 
Lords-in-WaitingThe Earl FortescueConservativeSeptember 1939 – 10 May 1940 
The Earl of BirkenheadConservativeSeptember 1939 – 10 May 1940 
The Viscount BridportConservativeSeptember 1939 – 10 May 1940 
The Lord EburyConservativeSeptember 1939 – 10 May 1940 

References

Preceded by
Fourth National Ministry
Government of the United Kingdom
1939–1940
Succeeded by
Churchill War Ministry
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, March 11, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.