UK Parliamentary Archives

• Held At: Parliamentary Archives: GB-061
• Catalogue Reference: HL/PO/RO/1/155
• Accession Number: 4014
• Ref No: HL/PO/RO/1/155
• Date: 30 June 1931
• Level: File
• Extent: 2 folios
• Creator Name: Chamberlain; Sir; Joseph Austen (1863-1937) Statesman
• Administrative or Biographical History: In 1915, Asquith, then Prime Minister, had formed a coalition government to deal with the First World War; Chamberlain himself was Secretary of State for India. At the time, Asquith's politics at home and abroad met with fierce opposition from various quarters, which led in winter 1916 to an urgent request for a change in the direction of the War. A series of skillful manoeuvres on the part of Sir Edward Carson, Lord Beaverbrook and finally, though with some reluctance, Bonar Law, led to the Unionist members of the Cabinet to transfer their support from Asquith to Lloyd George. This resulted in the resignation of Asquith on 5 Dec 1916.
• Acquisition: Purchased from Roy Davids Ltd in March 2002. Accession No. 4014.
• Description: Although this letter was written in 1931, it relates to the intrigue surrounding the fall of the Asquith government in 1916. Chamberlain refers to his own position and denies that there was any intrigue on his part, nor from Cecil and Curzon. He refers to a misunderstanding between Bonar Law and Asquith which was never cleared up; at the time, he adds, no one had suspected Bonar Law of voluntarily concealing any information from Asquith; he does mention however 'that he did not give the actual terms of our resolution to Asquith'. He also states that it was Bonar Law who separated himself from them and went to seek counsel with Lloyd George, Beaverbrook, Carson and Derby, without informing Chamberlain, Cecil or Curzon. Numerous annotations are made on the letter by Chamberlain, putting great emphasis on the absence of any conspiracy on their part.
• Terms:
  • Politicians,
  • Political crises,
  • Political leadership,
  • First World War (1914-1918),
• Related Material: For other records relating to Sir Joseph Austen Chamberlain see the National Register of Archives via the National Archives website. For records relating to Beaverbrook see Parliamentary Archives list in BBK.
• Access Status: Open
• Physical Description: Typescript letter with manuscript annotations

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