What qualities are essential in a wartime leader?

Lloyd George’s role in the war. K: The politics of government 1916-18. U: The strengths and weaknesses of Lloyd George as a wartime leader S: Reaching judgements and developing a strong conclusion

Lloyd George’s role in the war. All can describe how Lloyd George seized control in 1916 and the positive and negative features of his leadership. Most can explain the strengths and weaknesses of Lloyd George’s style of leadership. Some can assess and judge the effectiveness of Lloyd George as a wartime Prime Minister.

Lloyd George’s role in the war.   Work in pairs using Rees, pp.74-75 to make a list of bullet points on the strengths and weaknesses of his style of leadership and its results. Add to your notes using Lynch, pp.58-60

Strengths Weaknesses Conscription was introduced and the army was able to maintain its fight on the Western Front.   The conduct of the war became ‘invigorated’. Lloyd George brought dynamism and a will to win that lifted Britain in days of crisis. Lloyd George’s cabinet was a smaller one than Asquith’s and it met almost daily. Lloyd George insisted on changes to the conduct of the war that had a positive effect, e.g. the convoy system. Lloyd George managed to maintain a coalition of Liberals, Conservatives and Labour MPs that had split under Asquith. Britain won the war. Lloyd George’s suggestion of a war cabinet led by him but excluding Asquith led to the split of the Liberal Party which was never healed. Lloyd George took control of tactics and strategy of the war from the military high command. This caused friction between politicians and the military. Lloyd George rarely attended Parliament from December 1916 to the end of the war. He governed through the cabinet and faced accusations of abandoning democracy and even of becoming a dictator. Experts appointed by Lloyd George were not accountable to Parliament. Lloyd George’s ‘mis-statement’ over the number of troops on the Western Front led to the Maurice Debate which further damaged the Liberal Party.

What are the features of a strong conclusion? b) How successful were the Liberal governments, in the years 1909 to 1914, in bringing about political and constitutional reform? The Liberals experienced short-term success in meeting two of their main political aims – maintaining a working majority in the House of Commons and limiting the power of the Conservatives in the House of Lords. The former was achieved through coalitions with Labour and the Irish Nationalists which enabled the Liberals to pass landmark reforms such as the Payment of MPs Act. The latter aim was achieved through the Parliament Act which reformed the powers of the House of Lords. Although not as far-reaching as reforms made to the House of Lords in 1999, the Liberals did progress the political system in a radical way for their time. Despite these immediate victories of the Liberals in 1909-10, in the longer-term Liberal success would be limited. The reforms and coalitions they necessitated weakened the party to an extent where it could not survive World War One. What are the features of a strong conclusion?

Write you own conclusion for this question b) How effective was David Lloyd George as the wartime leader of Britain between 1916 and 1918? Write you own conclusion for this question