- Title Pages
- Preface
- List of Contributors
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 Churchill and the Pitfalls of Family Piety
- 2 Churchill and Germany
- 3 Churchill and France
- 4 Churchill and Social Reform
- 5 Churchill’s Economic Ideas, 1900–1930
- 6 Churchill and Lloyd George
- 7 Churchill and the Labour Movement
- 8 Churchill and the First World War
- 9 Churchill and Zionism
- 10 Churchill and the British Empire
- 11 Churchill and the Monarchy
- 12 Churchill and Appeasement
- 13 Churchill, Radio, and Cinema
- 14 Churchill in 1940: The Worst and Finest Hour
- 15 How Churchill Became Prime Minister
- 16 Churchill, Japan, and British Security in the Pacific 1904–1942
- 17 Wheel Within a Wheel: Churchill, Roosevelt, and the Special Relationship
- 18 Churchill and Stalin
- 19 Churchill’s Strategy
- 20 Churchill and the Defence Chiefs
- 21 Churchill and the Navy
- 22 Churchill and Eisenhower in the Second World War
- 23 Churchill and the Use of Special Intelligence
- 24 Churchill and Science
- 25 Churchill and Europe
- 26 Churchill and India
- 27 Churchill and Egypt 1946–1956
- 28 Churchill: The Government of 1951–1955
- 29 Churchill the Parliamentarian, Orator, and Statesman
- Index
How Churchill Became Prime Minister
How Churchill Became Prime Minister
- Chapter:
- (p.257) 15 How Churchill Became Prime Minister
- Source:
- Churchill
- Author(s):
Robert Blake
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Winston Churchill was 54 when the Conservative Party narrowly lost the general election of June 1929 to a combination of Labour and Liberals. He had held all the principal offices of state except those of Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary. No man had more experience in public life, and he had every reason to expect high office when Stanley Baldwin returned to power — an event expected soon in light of the fragile position of the second Labour Cabinet under Ramsay MacDonald, 1929–1931. Churchill resigned on January 27, 1931 from the Conservative ‘Business Committee’, the equivalent of the modern Shadow Cabinet, because Baldwin supported the tentative moves by Lord Irwin (later Viscount Halifax) towards Indian self-government. Churchill believed that the Irwin-MacDonald-Baldwin policy would be a disaster for Britain, India, and the Empire. Churchill's outlook on foreign policy and defence has been given a retrospective consistency that the facts hardly warrant. Churchill became Prime Minister by default against the wishes of his own party and with only tepid acquiescence by the others.
Keywords: Winston Churchill, Britain, Conservative Party, Stanley Baldwin, Ramsay MacDonald, India, Lord Irwin, foreign policy, Prime Minister
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- Title Pages
- Preface
- List of Contributors
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 Churchill and the Pitfalls of Family Piety
- 2 Churchill and Germany
- 3 Churchill and France
- 4 Churchill and Social Reform
- 5 Churchill’s Economic Ideas, 1900–1930
- 6 Churchill and Lloyd George
- 7 Churchill and the Labour Movement
- 8 Churchill and the First World War
- 9 Churchill and Zionism
- 10 Churchill and the British Empire
- 11 Churchill and the Monarchy
- 12 Churchill and Appeasement
- 13 Churchill, Radio, and Cinema
- 14 Churchill in 1940: The Worst and Finest Hour
- 15 How Churchill Became Prime Minister
- 16 Churchill, Japan, and British Security in the Pacific 1904–1942
- 17 Wheel Within a Wheel: Churchill, Roosevelt, and the Special Relationship
- 18 Churchill and Stalin
- 19 Churchill’s Strategy
- 20 Churchill and the Defence Chiefs
- 21 Churchill and the Navy
- 22 Churchill and Eisenhower in the Second World War
- 23 Churchill and the Use of Special Intelligence
- 24 Churchill and Science
- 25 Churchill and Europe
- 26 Churchill and India
- 27 Churchill and Egypt 1946–1956
- 28 Churchill: The Government of 1951–1955
- 29 Churchill the Parliamentarian, Orator, and Statesman
- Index
