Arthur james balfour biography templates

With his subtle intellect and detached approach, however, he was well equipped for the role of elder statesman, into which he slipped with apparent ease during the First World War. In the spring of Balfour became private secretary to his uncle, Lord Salisbury.

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The new prime minister came into power practically at the same moment as the coronation of Edward VII and the end of the South African War. He showed little interest in developing a constructive programme in opposition. From to he was Chief Secretary for Ireland. He remained an important figure within the party, however, and when the Unionists joined Asquith's coalition government in May , Balfour succeeded Winston Churchill as First Lord of the Admiralty.

Wilson Company, He combined a strong emphasis on law and order with measures aimed at reforming the landowning system and developing Ireland's backward rural economy. He was president of the British Association in , and became a fellow of the Royal Society in Balfour's long career was facilitated by his privileged background as the product of a Scottish landowning family.

Hide this message. The phrase 'Bob's your uncle' derives from the fact that he was the nephew of Robert Cecil, Marquess of Salisbury, whom he succeeded as Prime Minister. Noted throughout his life for his sophistication and charm, he was happiest in his own family circle or with a select band of like-minded, well-born friends.

Education Act abolished school boards and handed over their duties to local borough or county council, as Local Education Authorities.

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Austen Chamberlain succeeds Ritchie at the Exchequer. He was sincere in his conservatism, mistrusting radical political and social change and believing deeply in the Union with Ireland, the Empire and the superiority of the British race. These offices, while having few opportunities for distinction, and prepared Balfour for apprenticeship better things.

New York: The H. When Asquith's government collapsed in December, , Balfour became Foreign Secretary in Lloyd George's new war cabinet, but was not included in the Cabinet, and was frequently left out of the loop. The House did not take him quite seriously. What went wrong? Exhausted, Balfour resigned as party leader after the crisis, and was succeeded by Andrew Bonar Law.

As Foreign Secretary during the First World War he issued the controversial Balfour declaration, which opened up the prospect of a 'national home' for the Jewish people in Palestine, with all that entailed for the future of the Middle East. Please fill in this survey opens in a new tab. With these achievements to his credit, why did Balfour's government end in failure?

Perhaps, too, the coalition politics of suited him better than the bitter party strife of the preceding decade. Chamberlain's retirement, following a stroke in July , removed his main rival from active political life. Released from his duties as private secretary by the general election of , he began to take a more active part in parliamentary affairs.

During the next twenty years Balfour held many senior posts, including Foreign Secretary , when he made the celebrated Balfour Declaration in to 'establish in Palestine a national home for the Jews'. A notable achievement of his government was the establishment of the Committee on Imperial Defence. The disclosures before the Parnell Commission, the O'Shea divorce proceedings, the downfall of Charles Stewart Parnell and the disruption of the Irish party assisted him in reducing crime in Ireland to a vanishing point.