1914-1922

• undermined beleifs
• shell shortage 1915 - greater state power
• LG - take extensive action
• 1916 - LG prime minister

Asquith vs LG:

• LG - conscription and war cabinet
• Dec 1916 - liberals split and 100 supporting LG and war coalition

Cons:

• energies in war effort
• 1915 - asquith joined coalition
• coalition worked well - patriotism

Labour:

• almost split over war 1914
• Henderson in cabinet 1916
• 1918 labour committed to socialist ideas

• Sinn Fein overtook in 1918
• 73% irish seats
• easter rising 1916
• violent suppression led voters to switch to sinn fein

• government could react quickly
• control of information
• protection if important centres of communication e.g. railways and docks
• regulation of all aspects of peoples lives
• increased powers to detain without trial
• used at various intervals during the war

• asqutih/LG rivalry
• LG promised peacetime coalition
• voters had to choose between two rival Liberal parties

Results:

• representation of the people act 1918 had passed extending vote
• coupon Liberals 133 seats
• Asquith Liberals 28 seats
• Labour 63 seats
• mainly due to coupon and nationalistic mood

The government gained unprecidented powers:

• conscription
• censorship
• rationining
• fixed wages and profits

Voluntarism:

• 250,000 war volunteers 1914
• 2 million additional 1918

• 1918 - shell production 197 million
• machine guns by 1918 - 120,000
• increase food provisions
• DORA needed extending - LG head of munitions
• 1918 - managed 250 state factories
• homegrown food stuffs
• women to work at home

• 1913 - 200 million
• 1918 - 2600 million
• balanced budget abandonned
• national debt 1200%
• 1915 - income tax extended 

trade cost:

• 5000 million dollar loan
• economic heavy debt
• vital cargo lost at sea

working class:

• full employment
• limited rationing
• poverty reduced

Middle and upper class:

• reduction living standards
• higher death rate
• tax rose
• 25% land england sold in war years

class divisions broke down

• 6 million men served and 700,000 died, 2 million wounded
• women main workforce
• society loosened
• education disrupted - 300,000 fatherless children
• conscientious objectors sentenced to do non-combative work

• 1919 - sex discrimination act
• 1912-1914 - womens suffrage extreme = burning LGhouse
• 1913 - cat and mouse act
• 1913 - emily davidson suicide for womens vote
• 1914 - NUWSS 500,000 members
• WSPU - national impact

suffrage:

• 1918 - representation of the people - women over 30 if married could vote
• 1929 - women same rights

ww1 impact:

• irish problem
• weak economy
• strengthened socialism

• victory was a huge cost e.g. casulties and war debts
• coalition depended on Cons - prime minister of wrong party
• LG man who won the war - weak position

• 2 million unemployed 1921
• failure of staples industry
• Sankey reccommended nationalisation but Cons refused
• membership trade unions increased to 8 million 1918
• amalgamation of unions - Bevin
• 1921 emergency powers act

social reforms:

• 1919 Addisons Housing - 200,000 homes
• 1918 - Fisher education - leaving age 14 and part-time education 18
• old age pensions extended and war widows introduced

Geddes Axe:

• proposed cuts 86 million
• LG reduced 64 million
• limited post war reform
• Land fit for heroes portrayed 

• 1919 - Anglo-Irish war
• Lloyd George deployed 'black and tans' to fight IRA
• 1920 - Government of Ireland Act (preserve unionist rule in north and autonomy in Catholic Nationalist south)
• Sinn Fein rejected the act as they wanted complete independance, so
• 1921 - Anglo irish Treaty (self-governing dominion of the British empire known as the Free state)
• Sinn Fein signed on the basis ulster would soon be united, Valera rejected deal, 'pro' and 'anti' treaty factions followed until 1922
• victory for Valera, partition was confirmed and borders between ulster and irish free state fixed 

• Bonar Law resigned 1921
• Honours Scandal 1922 - LG fund selling knighthoods
• Chanak Affair - accused of acting high handedly without consulting coalition
• Cons voted to fight election alone and LG resigned

Election 1922:

• Cons 330 seats
• LG and Asquith Liberals 116 seats
• Labour 142 seats
• LG career virtually over.