Neville Chamberlain

The Right Honourable Arthur Neville Chamberlain (18 March 1869–9 November, 1940) was a British politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1937–1940.

Overview

Chamberlain is perhaps the most ill-regarded British Prime Minister of the 20th century, largely due to his policy of appeasement towards Nazi Germany regarding the abandonment of Czechoslovakia to Hitler at Munich in 1938.

Related Topics:
20th century - Appeasement - Nazi Germany - Czechoslovakia - Hitler - Munich - 1938

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After working in business and local government, and a short spell as Director of National Service in 1916 and 1917, Chamberlain followed his father, Joseph Chamberlain, and older half-brother, Austen Chamberlain becoming a Member of Parliament in the 1918 general election aged 49. He declined a junior ministerial position, remaining a back-bencher until he was appointed Postmaster General after the 1922 general election. He was rapidly promoted in 1923 to Minister of Health and then Chancellor of the Exchequer, but presented no Budget before the government fell in 1924.

Related Topics:
Director of National Service - Joseph Chamberlain - Austen Chamberlain - Member of Parliament - 1918 general election - Postmaster General - 1922 general election - Minister of Health - Chancellor of the Exchequer - Budget

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He returned as Minister of Health, introducing a range of reforming measures from 1924 to 1929. He was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer in the coalition National Government in 1931, and spent six years reducing the war debt and the tax burden. Stanley Baldwin retired after the abdication of Edward VIII and the Coronation of George VI, and Chamberlain took his place as Prime Minister in 1937.

Related Topics:
Chancellor of the Exchequer - National Government - Stanley Baldwin - Abdication - Edward VIII - Coronation - George VI

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Chamberlain's political legacy is defined by his dealings with and appeasment of Nazi Germany. He signed the Munich Agreement with Adolf Hitler in 1938 which effectively allowed Germany to annex the Sudetenland, leaving Czechoslovakia vulnerable to German attack, one of the steps on the road to World War II. Chamberlain remained in office during the Phony War, from September 1939 to May 1940, but resigned the premiership immediately after Germany invaded the Netherlands, Belgium and France, and died of cancer within 6 months.

Related Topics:
Appeasment - Nazi Germany - Munich Agreement - Adolf Hitler - Sudetenland - Czechoslovakia - World War II - Phony War - Netherlands - Belgium - France - Cancer

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