This English politician became famous due to the war. An attempt to continue the hostilities led to his collapse. Until the end of his life, he could not forgive himself for defeat in Russia and continued to plot against her.
Today, some of the ideas of this statesman may seem insane. At the time when he lived, such considerations were based on the real state of affairs. He was a friend of Winston Churchill and taught him to be unprincipled when it comes to the interests of the Fatherland.
early years
David was born in January 1863 in Manchester. In addition to him, there was another boy in the family. His father began as a school teacher, and by the time his son was born, he had risen to the position of director of an educational institution. When the baby was 3 years old, his parent died, leaving the widow with two children in her arms. The unhappy woman was forced to turn to her relatives for help. An older brother, a Baptist pastor from North Wales, took over to take care of her.
Our hero after school received the profession of a lawyer. He trained in one of the notary offices of the city of Porthmadog and dreamed of moving to London. In the capital, it was easier to make a career, and earnings there made it possible to provide for relatives. The lawyer managed to find his wife Margaret and have a child. His uncle helped the guy get to his feet. The old man liked to chat about politics. Another tempting prospect arose before his pupil - people earned big money and high positions in government offices. Young Lloyd did not stand aside, he joined the Liberal Party.
Parliament
In the 1890 elections, Wales supported David Lloyd George. This debutant presented a program that took into account the interests of the local population. In Parliament, the youth did not temper his ardor, he proposed bold reforms and waited for the hour when the government would be ready for reforms. In 1905, Prime Minister Henry Campbell-Bannerman invited him to his office. After 3 years, he sent Lloyd to work in the Treasury. His tax reforms angered conservatives and provoked a parliamentary crisis, and the common people respected their patron.
In 1910, an event occurred that affected the personal life of a parliamentarian. For his children, he hired a teacher, Frances Stevenson. This person was not a Puritan, she seduced David. Several years later, he appointed her as his secretary. The lovers were able to marry only after the death of Lloyd George's first wife in 1943.
Warrior
The active and unrestrained politician showed what he was capable of when the First World War began. David Lloyd was appointed Minister of Armaments. He combined this position with the post of head of the Ministry of Finance. Our hero was an opponent of colonial wars, but here it was about the security of the Motherland. His successes in increasing the military equipment of the army were so obvious that in 1916 he was made Minister of War. To usurp power, the sly man stripped many of his party members from office and became the prime minister of the coalition government.
The revolution in Russia made the British patriot happy, because a formidable and powerful state could disappear from the map. At Lloyd's initiative, intervention and assistance to the White movement was launched. The schemer ordered several groups led by monarchists to contribute to the cause. He wanted to see the great country split into several appanage principalities. When this plan was defeated, England began a trade blockade of the USSR. For such feats, Vladimir Mayakovsky brought out the British prime minister in a caricature in his work.
After the war
Our hero demanded war until the complete defeat of Germany. When this happened, he was presented with another chance to show his fighting qualities. In 1919 the Irish revolted. Punitive expeditions were not successful; Great Britain had to recognize the independence of the new country. To forget about the painful blow, Lloyd decided to support Greece in the war against the Turks in 1922. The old man again faced failure. The campaign failed, Athens made peace with the enemy on unfavorable terms.
Outrage with the prime minister grew among his colleagues. By betraying the liberals for the sake of rank, he made a grave mistake. In 1922, realizing the criticality of the situation, David Lloyd resigned. The famous intriguer had to return to his former associates, to convince them of the goodness of his intentions in order to continue to influence the course of the country. He no longer held high posts, but his opinion was listened to.
last years of life
The pensioner was tormented by a thirst for revenge. He could not forgive himself for the Russian loss. When Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany, David Lloyd George spoke about the fact that the dictatorship of the NSDAP was not dangerous for Britain, but it would deal a strong blow to the positions of the Bolsheviks. This was not the most radical opinion among British politicians at the time. The very first German bombs dropped on London sobered our hero.
In 1940, David Lloyd assisted Winston Churchill in his fight against Neville Chamberlain. Having received the first post in the country, the cigar lover invited his elderly comrade to take a seat in his cabinet. He refused. Perhaps he didn't want his difficult biography to cast a shadow over his friend's government, perhaps he just felt bad. In 1944, David Lloyd George was diagnosed with cancer. He died the following March.
