Neville chamberlain when was he born

Elected to Parliament in , he then held a series of public posts, such as postmaster general, minister of health, and chancellor of the Exchequer. In , Chamberlain became Prime Minister. His major goal seemed to be the prevention of a war in Europe. He practiced a policy of appeasement toward Germany that resulted in the Munich Pact, signed in September of As a result of the pact, Czechoslovakia was forced to cede the Sudetenland, a part of Czechoslovakia with a large ethnic German population, to Germany without compensation.

Although, in , David Dutton provided a more attractive portrait of Chamberlain the paternalistic reformer, Robert Self's biography is the first attempt to provide a new, complete account in one volume. In his own bold words, Self set out to fill a 'lacuna in our historical understanding', believing that the case for revisiting the life and achievements of Chamberlain is 'so compelling as to be absolutely overwhelming' p. This strikes me as an overstatement. Nevertheless, this rather bulky new biography provides full, dispassionate, and balanced coverage both of Chamberlain's long rise to power and of his quick demise.

As such, it is likely to become a widely used text in undergraduate courses on interwar British history. Self is the editor of the four volumes of The Neville Chamberlain Diary Letters and, as would be expected, his biography shows a formidable grasp of the primary sources. In view of the controversial nature of the book, it is a bit surprising that the volume contains only a short historiographical discussion at the beginning and a guide to sources at the end, but no bibliography.

One can only assume that this omission was caused by space constraints, as the notes and references take up 85 pages. In any case, this is clearly a scholarly work, based on extensive research, and, according to the blurb, on the study of more than archival collections. What makes this book original, however, is not necessarily the use of primary sources.

The structure of the book clearly reflects the author's intention to separate the legacy of Munich and the early war years from the much longer and more fruitful formative period of Chamberlain's political life. Consequently, only Chapters twelve to eighteen less than half of the text deal with his premiership.

Apart from a brief discussion of the young Chamberlain's family background, modest education, and other formative influences, such as an abortive business venture at 'a Godforsaken backwater of Empire' in the Bahamas p. The discussion of Chamberlain's early ministerial career shows not only his administrative skill and political ambitions, but also his commitment to social reform. He is likened to his father, acting both in local politics and in government like 'a late-Victorian reformer motivated by genuine humanitarian impulses' p.

His role in the Treasury during the Great Depression is identified by the author as 'the most neglected and the most in need of reassessment' p.

According to the biographer, the Tory Chancellor deserves to be considered amongst the founders of a species of 'managed economy' p. Challenging the prevailing view that the national government had no unemployment policy, or that Chamberlain was waiting out the slump with a policy of passivity, Chapter 10 hails the Chancellor's small-scale policy innovations and piecemeal attempts to buttress and 'renovate the system of private enterprise' p. However, the comparison between the visions of Keynes and Chamberlain is likely to startle any economic historian.

The story of Chamberlain's involvement in defence preparations and foreign affairs is more familiar to the student of modern history. The author admits the fundamental flaws in Chamberlain's diplomacy, but defends the record of his premiership.

As for his wartime role, Chamberlain is credited with introducing a 'new vigour into the home front'. After all, Churchill himself referred to his predecessor, acting briefly as Lord President, as 'the best man he had-head and shoulders over the average man in the administration' p. The picture of Chamberlain that emerges from the book is complex, at times recognizable, but always full of ambiguities. Factories Act limited hours worked by women and children.

Housing Act aimed to encourage slum clearance and maintain rent controls. Neville Chamberlain was born to a political family, being the youngest son of Joseph Chamberlain, a Victorian Cabinet minister, and the half-brother of Austen, a Chancellor of the Exchequer.

He was educated at Rugby and Mason College, Birmingham. When he was 21 Chamberlain left for the Bahamas to manage a 20, acre estate. The venture eventually failed, but he gained a reputation for being a hands-on manager, taking a strong interest in the day-to-day running of affairs.

On his return he became a leading manufacturer in Birmingham, where he was elected a councillor in and Lord Mayor in Then, in , David Lloyd George appointed him Director General of the Department of National Service, but personal bitterness between them led to his resignation within a year. In he became Postmaster General under Andrew Bonar Law , where he proved his judgement and ability. Search for: 'Neville Chamberlain' in Oxford Reference ». All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single entry from a reference work in OR for personal use for details see Privacy Policy and Legal Notice.

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