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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 October 2009
Participation in the first brief National Government had disabused Chamberlain of many of his fondest illusions. Before the crisis he believed he still had a uniquely valuable role to play in foreign affairs and that others recognised such a claim to the Foreign Office. He also believed his voice carried considerable weight in party councils. The crisis and its aftermath appeared to suggest that this was not so. Or at least, it showed him that Baldwin and MacDonald had other ideas. While not entirely the same thing, such a realisation hurt him more rather than less. By the time the initial crisis had passed, Chamberlain had come to recognise that his ministerial career was at an end. Secure in a seat he intended to hold for only one more Parliament, he felt he could now ‘sing [his] Nunc Dimittis politically’. Many felt that this spelt the end of Chamberlain's political influence as well as his ministerial career. Even before the 1929 election, critics like Amery had believed that his proper role was as ‘the obvious successor to Balfour as principal Elder Statesman in a non-administrative office’ Certainly Chamberlain gave every outward appearance of being more rooted firmly in the parliaments of the late nineteenth than in the twentieth century. In his dress, manner and parliamentary conduct he seemed to many observers to be a charming anachronism. Yet such appearances were deceptive. For the next eighteen months Chamberlain was plunged into the depths of depression as he sought to accommodate himself to these new circumstances and to find a new role for himself — or even to discover whether there still remained a useful role for him to fulfil.
1 See Chamberlain, A. to Ida, , 11 10 1931, AC5/1/560.Google Scholar
2 Chamberlain, A. to Ivy, , 28 10 1931, AC6/1/847.Google Scholar
3 Amery, to Baldwin, , 11 03 1929, Baldwin MSS 36/90.Google Scholar
4 House of Commons Debates, 5 Series, 261 col. 296. For his full speech see cols. 279–296.
5 Chamberlain, N. to Carnegie, Mary, 6 02 1932Google Scholar, NC1/20/1/156; to Ida, 6 February 1932, NC18/1/769.
6 Chamberlain, A. to Chamberlain, N., 5 11 1931, NC1/27/99.Google Scholar
7 Carnegie, Mary to Chamberlain, A., 5 02 1932Google Scholar, AC4/2/277.
8 Chamberlain, N. to Chamberlain, A., 28 12 1931Google Scholar, AC39/3/53.
9 Chamberlain, A. to Ida, , 22 07 1933Google Scholar, AC5/1/626.
10 Chamberlain, A. to Ivy, , 4 11 1931Google Scholar, AC6/1/856.
11 Chamberlain, A. to Ida, , 8 11 1931Google Scholar, AC5/1/563.
12 Chamberlain, A. to Chamberlain, N., 27 12 1931Google Scholar, NC1/27/103.
13 Chamberlain, A. to Ida, 28 02 1932Google Scholar, AC5/1/576.
14 Chamberlain, A. to Hilda, , 11 09 1932Google Scholar, AC5/1/596.
15 Chamberlain, A. to Carnegie, Mary, 31 05 1929Google Scholar, AC4/1/1297; to Hilda, 18 December 1932, AC5/1/604. ‘New Homes for this New Britain’, Sunday Chronicle, 4 11 1934, 10Google Scholar; Hilda Memoir, BC5/10/1 fol.11.
16 Chamberlain, A. to Ida, , 28 02 1932Google Scholar, AC5/1/576.
17 Chamberlain, A. to Ivy, , 2–3 10 1931Google Scholar, AC6/1/820–1.
18 Chamberlain, A. to Hilda, , 5 06 and 5 11 1932Google Scholar, AC5/1/584, 599.
19 Chamberlain, A. to Ida, , 15 04 1932Google Scholar, AC5/1/580. The trip was cancelled when the Agency organising the tour experienced financial problems.
20 Chamberlain, A. to Ida, , 10 03 1932Google Scholar and to Hilda, 23 May 1932, AC5/1/578, 582.
21 Chamberlain, A. to Ida, , 25 06 1932Google Scholar, AC5/1/587.
22 Chamberlain, A. to Ida, , 9 10 1932Google Scholar, AC5/1/597.
23 Chamberlain, A. to Ida, , 7 10 1933Google Scholar, AC5/1/634.
24 Chamberlain, A. to Ivy, , 21 02 1934Google Scholar, AC6/1/1027.
25 Heinrich Brüning (1885–1970). Member of Reichstag 1924–33; Reich Chancellor 1930–2; Professor of Government, Harvard, 1937–52 and Cologne 1952–5.
26 The ‘agreement to differ’ suspending collective Cabinet responsibility over the tariff question was accepted at Cabinet on 22 January 1932.
27 Freeman Freeman-Thomas (1866–1941) Liberal MP for Hastings 1900–1905; Bodmin 1906–10. Lord-in-Waiting 1911–13; Governor of Bombay 1913–18 and of Madras 1919–24; Governor-General of Canada 1926–31; Viceroy of India 1931–36; Lord Warden of Cinque Ports 1936–41. Created Baron Willingdon 1910, Viscount 1924, Earl 1931, Marquis 1936.
28 At Bingley Hall, Joseph Chamberlain's final words to a public meeting contained the ‘hope I may be able to live to congratulate you upon our common triumph, but in any case I have faith in the people … I look forward to the future with hope and confidence, and “Others I doubt not, if not me, the issue of our toil shall see”.’ C.W Boyd, Mr Chamberlain's Speeches, (1914).Google Scholar
29 The World Disarmament Conference opened in Geneva on 2 February 1932 under Henderson just after the Japanese attack on China itself.
30 John Waller Hills (1867–1938). Conservative MP for Durham 1906–22; Ripon 1925–38. Financial Secretary to Treasury, 1922– March 23 when defeated at Edge Hill by election.
31 William Ewart Berry (1879–1954). With his brother, James Gomer Berry, Lord Kemsley, purchased a number of newspapers and periodicals after 1924 including Daily Sketch and Daily Telegraph (1927)Google Scholar Founded Advertising World 1901Google Scholar. Editor-in-Chief, Sunday Times 1915–1936Google Scholar and Daily Telegraph from 1928 until his death. Chairman of Financial Times Ltd and Associated Press. Advisor to Ministry of Information 1939. Created Baronet 1921, Baron Camrose 1929; Viscount 1941.
32 Charles Stewart Henry Vane-Tempest-Stewart (1878–1949) Conservative MP for Maidstone 1906–15. Under-Secretary for Air 1920–21; Leader of the N. Ireland Senate and Minister of Education 1921–26; First Commissioner of Works 1928–9, 1931; Secretary for Air 1931–35; Lord Privy Seal and Conservative Leader of Lords 1935. Styled Vt. Castlereagh 1884–1915. Succeeded as 7th Marquess of Londonderry 1915. Created K.G.
33 Published as Down the Years, (Cassell, 1935)Google Scholar
34 Lausanne Conference June–July 1932. Agreed three year moratorium and then reduced German reparations to a nominal final payment in return for US waiving war debts. The US refused and France defaulted in December 1932 followed by Britain in 1933.
35 Wilioughby Hyett Dickinson (1859–1943) Liberal MP for St Pancras N. 1906–18. Joined Labour Party, 1930 and National Labour 1931. Member, Speaker's Conference on Electoral Reform 1916–17. Vice-President League of Nations Union 1924; British Delegate (Substitute) to League Assembly 1923. Created Baron Dickinson 1930.
36 Marian Emily Ellis. From 1919 second wife of Charles Alfred Cripps, first Baron Parmoor (1852–1941). Active Christian, pacifist, supporter of the League. International Committee of the World Alliance for Promoting International Friendship; Executive, British Council and LNU; World President, YMCA 1924–8. British Representative at the League 1924.
37 (James Clerk) Maxwell Garnett (1880–1958) Mathematician; Fellow of Trinity and Principal, Manchester College of Technology. Secretary, LNU 1920–38.
38 Blanche Elizabeth Campbell (“Buffy”) Dugdale (1880–1948) Balfour's niece and biographer. Naval intelligence 1915–17; Permanent staff of LNU 1920–28; member of British delegation to World Disarmament Conference at Geneva 1932. Lifelong Zionist.
39 André Pierre Gabriel Amédée Tardieu (1876–1945) Journalist and French politician. Founder and leader of Republican Centre party almost continuously in office 1926–32. Prime Minister 1929, 1930, 1932.
40 (Richard) Stafford Cripps (1889–1952) Labour MP for Bristol East 1931–50; Bristol SE 1950. Expelled from Labour Party 1939–45. Solicitor-General 1930–31; Ambassador to Russia 1940–42; Lord Privy Seal and Leader of House 1942; Minister of Aircraft Production 1942–5; President Board of Trade 1945–7; Minister of Economic Affairs 1947; Chancellor of Exchequer 1947–50. Knighted 1930.
41 On 30 June 1932 Neville Chamberlain announced the conversion of the War Loan. The operation was a great success with 92 per cent of the £2,084 millions of outstanding 5 per cent War Loan 1929–47 converted to a 3½ per cent War Loan 1952 and after. Bank Rate was also reduced to 2 per cent on the same day and it remained there until August 1939, House of Commons Debates, 5 Series, cols. 2121–6, 30 06 1932.Google Scholar
42 Dino Grandi (1895–1988) Italian Count and diplomat. Member of Fascist Grand Council; Foreign Minister 1929–32; Ambassador to London 1932–39; Minister of Justice and President of Fascist Chamber 1939–43. Brought about Mussolini's fall in 1943 and condemned to death by Verona rump in 1944.
43 (Harry) Warden Stanley Chilcott (1871–1942) Businessman. Conservative MP for Liverpool Walton 1918–1929. Special foreign missions for Government 1917–22; Foreign Political Secretary, Law Officers 1918–22. Kt 1922.
44 (George) Gilbert Aimé Murray (1866–1957) Professor of Greek, Glasgow University 1889–1899 and Regius Professor Oxford 1908–36. Delegate to League of Nations for South Africa 1921–3 and member of League Committee on Intellectual Cooperation from 1922. Chairman LNU Executive 1923–38 and President 1938–40. President United Nations Association 1945–9.
45 Colin Mark Patrick (1893–1942) Diplomat 1919–30. Conservative MP for Tavistock 1931–42. P.P.S. to Hoare at India Office and F.O. 1933–December 1935 and to Lord Cranborne when Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs 1935–38.
46 On 10 November 1932 in a short but sensational speech Baldwin warned ‘the bomber will always get through. The only defence is in offence, which means you have to kill more women and children more quickly than the enemy if you want to save yourselves’.
47 Geoffrey Hithersay Shakespeare (1893–1980) Liberal MP for Wellingborough 1922–3; Norwich 1929–45 (National Liberal from 1931), Private Secretary to Lloyd George 1921–3; Liberal National Chief Whip 1931–2; Parliamentary Secretary to Health 1932–6 and to Education 1936–7; Financial Secretary, Admiralty 1937–40; Secretary, Board of Overseas Trade 1940; Under Secretary, Dominions 1940–3; Director and later Deputy Chairman Abbey National 1943–77. Created Bart 1942.
48 Berkeley George Andrew Moynihan (1865–1936) Surgeon. Kt 1912. Created Baron Moynihan 1922.