From 1916 to 1922, David Lloyd George was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, serving as a British Liberal politician. In the midst of the First World War, he became Prime Minister, assuming enormous duties during a period of considerable turmoil. Prior to becoming Prime Minister, he served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in Prime Minister H. H. Asquith’s administration, when he assisted the Prime Minister in enacting a number of progressive social welfare reforms. Lloyd George was named Minister of Munitions after the British Empire entered the First World War, a new department created in response to a munitions shortfall. As the new department’s minister, he assisted in the resolution of labor issues, the rationalization of the supply system, and the expansion of production. In 1916, he was appointed Secretary of State for War, and he was hailed as a hero for his wartime efforts. By this time, he had grown increasingly critical of the Asquith administration and, with the assistance of the Conservative and Labour leaders, had succeeded in deposing Asquith as Prime Minister. He was a popular Prime Minister during the war, and he remained so long after the conflict. However, in 1922, he was embroiled in a controversy involving the sale of knighthoods and peerages, which, along with the Chanak crisis, resulted in a drop in his popularity, prompting him to retire.
Childhood and Adolescence
On January 17, 1863, he was born in England as David George. William George, a teacher, and his wife Elizabeth were his parents. His father was a sickly man who died when David was a small toddler.
Richard Lloyd, his mother’s brother, took the children and moved in with them. As the youngster grew up, his uncle had a huge effect on him, and David later took his uncle’s surname to become “David Lloyd George.”
In 1884, he completed his studies to become a lawyer and passed his final examination.
David Lloyd George established his own law firm and became a successful lawyer. During the late 1880s, he became politically involved and was elected to Parliament in 1890 after winning a by-election in Caernarvon Boroughs.
His law firm prospered, and in 1897 he combined it with Arthur Rhys Roberts’ to form Lloyd George, Roberts, and Co.
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, the Liberal Prime Minister, named him as President of the Board of Trade in 1905.
H.H. Asquith became Prime Minister after Campbell-death Bannerman in 1908, and Lloyd George was named Chancellor of the Exchequer in H. H. Asquith’s ministry.
As Chancellor of the Exchequer, he assisted the Prime Minister in drafting the 1909 budget, dubbed the “People’s Budget” because it included new welfare programs that would be funded by raising taxes on land, high salaries, luxury, booze, and tobacco.
When the Shell Crisis of 1915 occurred, the news that the army was running out of arms and munitions shocked the nation. Following a weapons shortfall, Lloyd George was appointed Minister of Munitions in a newly constituted department. In this position, he was effective in increasing munitions output and received significant praise for it.
Citizens were getting more disgruntled with H.H. Asquith’s administration by the mid-1910s, despite the fact that he was a fine leader in peacetime but not a successful wartime Prime Minister.
In 1916, Asquith was compelled to retire, and Lloyd George took over as Prime Minister on December 6, 1916. Lloyd George showed to be a capable wartime leader after assuming such a high role in turbulent times.
To debate war options, he formed a War Policy Committee including himself, Curzon, Milner, Law, and Smuts (with Maurice Hankey as secretary). He also formed a Manpower Committee, which included numerous of the same people.
The War Cabinet was a huge success, and after extensive deliberation, the members made key political, military, economic, and diplomatic choices. Rationing was established for meat, sugar, and fats, and the new system functioned well.
Lloyd George had reached the pinnacle of his popularity as the war drew to a close. At the end of the war, he passed several important laws, the most notable of which were the Representation of the People Act 1918, the Education Act 1918, the Housing and Town Planning Act 1919, and the Workmen’s Compensation (Silicosis) Act of 1918, all of which were aimed at improving people’s social welfare.
Despite being a popular Prime Minister for the majority of his term, he became embroiled in a series of issues in 1922, which caused his popularity to plummet and prompted him to quit. Even after standing down as Prime Minister, he remained involved in politics, but he never achieved the same level of success.
David’s Major Projects
His appointment as Minister of Munitions in 1915 marked a watershed moment in his political career. In this capacity, he assisted in increasing munitions output, thereby boosting national morale, which had plummeted following the Shell Crisis of 1915.
He gained a lot of respect and affection as Prime Minister for the social programs he implemented near the end of the war. He was instrumental in the passage of several acts, including the Representation of the People Act 1918, the Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act 1918, the Education Act 1918, and the Housing and Town Planning Act 1919, all of which were aimed at rebuilding the war-torn nation through social welfare programs.
Achievements & Awards
He has been awarded the Grand Cordon of the Legion of Honour (France), the Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold (Belgium), and the Grand Cordon of the Order of St Maurice and St Lazarus (Belgium) (Italy).
Personal History and Legacy
As a young man, David Lloyd George was extremely attractive and engaging. Before marrying Margaret Owen in 1888, he had a number of love affairs. Their marriage lasted until his wife’s death in 1941, and they had five children together.
At the age of 80, he married for the second time in 1943. Frances Stevenson, his longstanding mistress whom he had first met in 1910, was his new wife.
At the age of 82, he died of cancer on March 26, 1945.
Estimated Net worth
His estimated Net worth is $1.1 Million.