The famous British politician and diplomat David Lloyd George passed away 70 years ago. He was a member of the United Kingdom for over half a century and from 1916 to 1922 he served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The story of his life path is quite instructive for those who believe that the lack of money and connections is an insurmountable obstacle to success in any area.

Biography of Lloyd George: childhood and adolescence

The future famous politician was born on January 17, 1863 in Manchester in the family of a teacher from Pembrokeshire. At the age of one, the boy lost his father, and his mother with three babies (David's sisters were 2 and 3 years old) moved to the village of Llanistamdvi, where her brother, a shoemaker, lived. Uncle played a huge role in the life of the orphans. Therefore, having become an adult, David George added to his and his last name - Lloyd.

After graduating from the parish school in Llanistamdvi, the young man passed 3 exams and received the right to hold the position of solicitor. He was active in character and soon established a law firm in Crichita.

At the age of 25, David married the daughter of a wealthy farmer, Maggie Owen, despite the fact that her father did not consider the aspiring lawyer to be a suitable match for his daughter. However, the marriage added solidity to the young jurist, and a few months after the marriage he was elected Alderman of the County of Cairnarvon. Moreover, after another 2 years, the young man was already a member of the Chamber of Deputies from the Liberal Party.

Work in the cabinet of ministers

In 1890, David Lloyd George moved with his family to London. The cocky, sarcastic and witty young man was able to prove himself an excellent orator and soon became the leader of the Welsh MPs from the Liberal Party.

It was this party that came to power in Great Britain in 1905. Lloyd George was invited to the government, but he stipulated his participation in 2 conditions: the expansion of self-government for his native Wales and a change in the current education law. His terms were accepted, and at the age of 32, David first became British Secretary of Commerce.

He was actively interested in the rational exploitation of the colonies and was a supporter of the expansion of the empire. In 1908, D. Lloyd George took over as Chancellor of the Exchequer, considered the second most important in the British cabinet.

World War I

Back in the years of the Anglo-Boer armed confrontation in Great Britain and abroad, Lloyd George built himself a reputation as a peacemaker. However, when at the beginning of World War I the leaders of Germany promised an early victory, he, speaking at a rally, called on the British to defend the independence of Belgium.

At the end of 1916, D. Lloyd George took over as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and headed the coalition government for almost 6 years. The beginning of the period of his reign was simply triumphant, and in those years the politician was very popular in his country and in many European states.

The end of the war

V last days before the signing of the truce, Lloyd George, in his speeches in parliament, did everything to give the British the impression that they were victorious. It is known that the politician even tried to delay the dissemination of information about the cessation of hostilities until he appeared in front of the deputies.

His tricks were successful, and the press even began to call the Prime Minister "the organizer of the victory." Moreover, Lloyd George organized a review of troops in London, which his associates hastened to call a "victory parade", and invited Clemenceau, Foch and Italian Prime Minister V. Orlando on this occasion. All this allowed him to stay in office, and in 1918 he formed a government for the second time.

Policy towards the USSR

In 1918, as prime minister, Lloyd George declared a crusade against the young Soviet state. His goal was to create a "zone of influence" that included the Baltic states and the oil-rich Caucasus. It was under him that the British invaders landed in Arkhangelsk and Baku. In addition, Lloyd George repeatedly made calls for support.However, by 1920, he took an active part in the preparation and signing of a trade agreement with the USSR, thereby recognizing Soviet power as the de facto government of Russia.

Versailles Treaty

Many historians consider David Lloyd George to be one of the initiators of the signing by which England received the German colonies and Mesopotamia. As a result, almost 75% of the world's oil resources, explored by the 20th year, were under the control of this country.

Under Lloyd George, England also consolidated its dominance in Persia, Arabia and Egypt, and gained Palestine and Iraq.

Retirement and subsequent years

In 1922, Lloyd George crashed. There were several reasons:

• the prime minister was unable to obtain concessions from the USSR;
• opportunities were not created to organize the export of coal to Northern Europe;
• Lloyd George's policy did not lead to the signing of an agreement on preferences for British goods when they were imported into the states of Central Europe.

After his resignation, Lloyd George continued to be active in politics and until the early 30s remained the most respected political figure in the West. In doing so, he hoped to return to the government. However, when the new cabinet was formed in 1931, he was not invited, which was partly due to his serious illness. Moreover, a few months later the Liberal Party split, and Lloyd George refused to lead it.

After a complete recovery, the politician began to write "War Memoirs", which brought him success with readers and huge fees.

The Second World War

During a visit to Germany in 1936, Lloyd George lavished praise on Hitler. However, after the events in Spain, he spoke in favor of a rapprochement between Great Britain and France and the USSR. When W. Churchill became prime minister, he offered the politician to become a member of his government, but Lloyd George rejected both this and the offer to take the post of Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the United States.

In the midst of the war, the wife of the politician died, with whom he had not lived for a long time. He married his longtime mistress Frances Stevenson. Shortly after the wedding, Lloyd George was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor that developed rapidly.

At the end of his life, the British monarchy highly appreciated his merits, awarding him the title of Earl, and on March 26, 1945, David Lloyd George passed away. According to his will, he was buried in the village where he spent his childhood.

Now you know who David Lloyd George was. The biography of this famous statesman today inspires many young people striving to reach the heights of a political career.

1863-1945) British statesman and politician, diplomat. Member of the House of Commons (1890-1945). Prime Minister of Great Britain (1916-1922). Leader of the Liberal Party (1926-1931). He played an important role at the Paris Peace Conference (1919-1920) and in the preparation of the Versailles Peace Treaty (1919). Head of the British delegation to the Genoa Conference (1922). He actively supported the idea of ​​creating a collective security system in Europe. David George was born on January 17, 1863 in Manchester. His father, William - the son of a farmer from South West Wales - was educated in London and then taught. Returning to his homeland, in Pembrokeshire, he rented a plot of land. In 1864, William George died of pneumonia. Mrs. George with three small children (the eldest daughter Mary was not even three years old) moved to her brother in North Wales, in the village of Llanistamdwi. From that time on, David's fate for several decades was tied to the fate of his uncle, the shoemaker, Richard Lloyd. In honor of this man, who replaced his father, David adopted the double family name Lloyd George. He spent his childhood in the village of Llanistamdvi. After graduating from the parish school, he passed three exams and received the rights of a soloist - a solicitor or an intercessor on business. Lloy George founded his own law firm in Creekchita. In 1888, David married Maggie Owen, the daughter of a wealthy farmer. The father of the chosen one did not consider Lloyd George a suitable party, but he managed to insist on his own. Fifty years later, the couple celebrated a golden wedding, although their paths diverged long before that ... In the same 1888, Lloyd George was elected alderman (elder) of the municipal county of Cairnarvon. The first steps in politics led him to the Chamber of Deputies (1890). During this period, the Welsh MP took a seat on the left flank of the Liberal Party. In 1890 Lloyd George settled in London. However, until the beginning of the 20th century, he often traveled to Wales. David was not even thirty years old when he became one of the leaders of the Welsh nationalists. Lloyd George nevertheless believed that the Palace of Westminster played a major role in his political career. In 1898 he wrote to his uncle: "I took your motto - the ward first of all." Impudence, caustic ability to detect weak points in the enemy's motivation, wit allowed Lloyd George to become a notable parliamentarian. When the Liberals came to power in 1905, Lloyd George stipulated two conditions for his participation in government: a change in the education law and an increase in self-government for Wales. On December 12, 32-year-old David crossed the threshold of his Department of Commerce for the first time. The Liberal Party held on to power for about ten years. Lloyd George previously had little interest in colonial affairs. However, the course of rapprochement with the Boers aroused his enthusiasm. In 1906 he met with the South African politician and General Smuts, and later met with other leaders of the dominions. Lloyd George increasingly turned to various projects for the more rational exploitation of the colonies. He concluded that the transformation and expansion of the empire would help solve social problems inside the country. In the Asquith government, Lloyd George became Chancellor of the Exchequer (1908). This post was considered the second most important in the British cabinet. In 1911, Lloyd George turned forty-eight years old. By this time, the "lion's mane" and the "opera" cloak of the finance minister had become a London landmark. Often the minister could be seen at the Covent Garden Opera House. Bernard Shaw, Herbert Wales, the famous playwright J. Barry, G. Irving, Charles Chaplin and other figures of the English intelligentsia visited the house of Lloyd George. Since the time of the Boer War in England and abroad, Lloyd George has established a reputation for a peaceful resolution of international disputes. The Chancellor of the Treasury himself has diligently promoted such an assessment, repeating that he intends to "devote himself entirely to the problems of peace, progress and social reform." At the beginning of the First World War, German leaders promised to achieve victory "before the fall leaves." On September 19, 1914, the Lloyd George family, speaking at a rally, recalled that throughout his political life he had “treated the prospect of participating in a great war with disgust”. But now he is convinced: participation is necessary, because "our national honor" is affected, since England has signed two treaties obliging her "to protect the independence, freedom and inviolability of our little neighbor" - Belgium. In early December 1916, Lloyd George became Prime Minister of Great Britain. This "dynamic politician" headed the coalition government until October 1922. In the last days of the war, Lloyd George, in his speeches in parliament, emphasized major military successes, truces on various fronts or overthrowing governments in countries of a hostile coalition. He even tried to delay the spread of information about the armistice with the Germans until his appearance in the House ... Lloyd George staged a "victory parade" in London, which was attended by Clemenceau, Foch, Italian Prime Minister V. Orlando. The press enthusiastically wrote that Lloyd George was "the organizer of the victory." He brilliantly played out the "epilogue" of the war: he organized hasty elections and, at the head of the renewed coalition, strengthened his position as a "national" leader. At the end of December 1918, Lloyd George formed a new government and a few days later left for Paris, where the peace conference opened. The triumph of "armchair diplomacy" there was in full accord with the views of the British prime minister. In fact, all major issues at the conference were addressed by Lloyd George, Clemenceau and Wilson. ... Even on the eve of the conference, several important meetings of the leaders of the winning countries took place. Arriving in Europe at the end of the war, House, Wilson's top adviser, tried to get the Allies to agree to the President's Fourteen Points. The second point of this American program proclaimed the principle of the so-called "freedom of the seas." Fierce controversy flared up around this point. Lloyd George said: "Great Britain will spend every last guinea to maintain the superiority of its fleet over the United States fleet." House eventually yielded on the issue of "freedom of the seas," which must be attributed to Lloyd George's diplomatic success. However, the British Prime Minister understood that the main battles were ahead. He carefully studied the plans of the United States and France, tried to identify strong and weaknesses their leaders. The first weeks of the conference completely satisfied the British prime minister. At the end of February, when Wilson was in the United States, and Lloy George was in England, the latter said: “Wilson returned home with a bundle of banknotes. I came back with a pocket filled with a hard coin in the form of the German colonies, Mesopotamia, etc. To each according to his taste. " On June 28, 1919, exactly five years after the Sarajevo assassination, a peace treaty was signed in the Hall of Mirrors of the Palace of Versailles. Great Britain won the most. Germany ceased to be a rival as a colonial, commercial and naval power. The British expanded their sphere of influence to new territories rich in raw materials. In 1920, economists estimated that about 75 percent of the world's oil resources were under British control. In 1920, of the entire "Big Four" (England, France, USA, Italy), only Lloyd George remained in power and therefore occupied a special position among other political leaders. The press called him "the coachman of Europe." Lloyd George took particular pleasure in pursuing his foreign policy, having his own staff of unofficial diplomats (as well as his own informants in the Foreign Office). After Balfour, Curzon became foreign minister. But the prime minister often ignored the minister's opinion or acted behind his back. Poincaré said then that "England has two departments of foreign affairs, Lord Curzon and Lloyd George." Lloyd George can be considered the creator of the meeting system "on the highest level". In 1920-1922, more than 30 international conferences and meetings were held with the active participation of the British Prime Minister. On his initiative, many of them were convened in the most picturesque corners of Europe. In April 1920, he arrived in San Remo, where a conference was opened on the development of a peace treaty with Turkey and other international problems. All important decisions were made here after Lloyd George's confidential talks with French Prime Minister Millerand and other leaders. In San Remo, the fate of the Near and Middle East was discussed. Since 1919, England has consolidated its dominance in Arabia, Persia and Egypt, on the shores of the Bosphorus. The duel with France proceeded with an advantage for the British. Having broken the resistance of Millerand, Lloyd Jord forced him to finally cede Palestine and Iraq and Mosul to Great Britain. The Anglo-French oil deal was haunted to bar the American oil business from sharing production. England, France and Italy entered into a secret pact on the delimitation of spheres of influence and economic interests in the Middle East. A draft "peace treaty" was agreed with Turkey. The San Remo conference was called "the apogee of English power." "The East is Britishized," wrote publicist J. Kaiser, noting that all seas, economic, political, religious capitals, caliphate, Zionism, Eastern Catholicism, etc. are under the control of England. economic agreement. On November 18, 1920, Lloy George announced to the House that the project was ready. Having received his text and knowing Curzon's hostility, Krasin addressed the note directly to the prime minister. Lloyd George took over with Horn to negotiate. The changes agreed at the last minute were in line with Soviet wishes. On March 16, Horn and Krasin signed the trade agreement. On March 29, 1921, the prime minister said in the House that "the trade agreement recognizes the Soviet government as the de facto government of Russia, which it undoubtedly is." But gathered under New Year in Paris, the financiers recalled their claims to the Soviets, which were not going to pay the tsarist debts. The British prime minister quickly came to a formula: Moscow's consent to pay debts and compensation for nationalized enterprises is political recognition. A conference on this matter was scheduled to be held in Genoa. At the Genoa Conference, the British delegation, numbering 100, was the largest. The first meeting opened on 10 April at the San Giorgio Palace. After the speech of the presiding officer - Italian Prime Minister Fact - Lloyd George took the floor. He painted an impressive picture of an emaciated and disorganized Europe in need of "rest, peace and quiet." The establishment of the desired peace depends entirely on the outcome of the Genoa Conference ... At the same meeting, the British Prime Minister played his usual role of conciliator, seeking that the stubborn French delegates renounced discrimination against Soviet and German representatives when appointing the composition of the subcommittees. “We are participating in this meeting on the basis of ... absolute equality,” said Lloyd George. The conference approved the realistic position he took. On April 11, the Soviet delegation was presented with the text of the "London" memorandum. The Soviet side presented its answer. The amount of damage caused to Russia by the intervention was more than double its claims for debt. On the morning of April 14, discussion of controversial issues began. Lloyd George called the amount of Soviet counterclaims "completely incomprehensible" and agreed to only minor concessions. The British prime minister continued to insist on the payment of pre-war debts by Russia. However, the Soviet side did not concede either. As a result, the negotiations reached an impasse. At the end of April, Lloyd George attempted to reach an "oil" agreement with Soviet Russia. He wanted to get the right to exploit the Caucasian oil. But the Soviet delegation did not agree to this either. The unwillingness of the parties to change, their position doomed the conference to failure. However, Lloyd George was optimistic. He said that at the Hague Conference "the fight for peace will continue." But he did not go to The Hague, leaving the issues of official diplomacy to be resolved. In 1922, Llride George's beloved Francis Stevenson acquired the Devil estate in Sussex for him. Since 1923, he permanently lived here with Francis, only occasionally arriving in the capital. The fall of the coalition government of Lloyd George became inevitable after the head of the cabinet was unable to obtain concessions from the Soviets, to conquer the sales market for British coal in Northern Europe and the best opportunities for competition for the products of the British industry in Central Europe, etc. n. After receiving his resignation, Lloyd George in 1923 made a trip to the United States and Canada. In the United States, the "leader of old Europe" met with President Coolidge, lit a pipe of peace with the leaders of Indian tribes, made many speeches ... Until the early 1930s, Lloyd George remained the most famous political figure in the West. For a long time, the ex-prime minister was sure that "the country will call him." In August 1931, MacDonald formed a "national" government. Alas, Lloyd George was gravely ill; his name did not appear in the new office. In November 1931, after early elections and the split of the liberals into three groups, he resigned as party leader. Since the late 1920s, David made long journeys: to Brazil, Egypt, India and Ceylon, he was treated in Jamaica. In 1932, his health was fully recovered. Lloyd George, with the help of his staff of secretaries, wrote memoirs of the war and the post-war settlement. "War Memoirs" brought the author record fees and readership success. In September 1936, Lloyd George paid a visit to Germany. He spoke highly of Hitler. And only the invasion of the Nazis into Spain made him change his mind. Lloyd George criticized Chamberlain's "Munich" course, vigorously advocating rapprochement not only with France, but also with the USSR. During a foreign policy debate in March 1939, he called for an agreement with Russia. Lloyd George most recently played a significant role in political life May 8, 1940, when in the House of Commons the deputies demanded the departure of Chamberlain. He remained calm and spoke about the need, "sacrifices" on the part of each and every one. Chamberlain "calls for sacrifice," Lloyd George exclaimed then, let him "set an example" and retire - "nothing will help victory." Two days later, Churchill led the new coalition. He invited Lloyd George to join the government. He refused, as he rejected the offer to become an ambassador to the United States ... In early 1941, Lloyd George received the news that Margaret, who had long lived in Brichita, was dying. He went to her, but was late - Maggie was no longer alive ... Until 1944, Lloyd George lived almost without a break in the Deck. After the German attack on the USSR, he immediately spoke out for the unity of action between Britain and the Soviet Union. In October 1943, Lloyd George's wedding to Francis Stevenson took place without witnesses. Soon, doctors discovered he had a cancerous tumor. The disease developed rapidly ... In the fall of 1944, Lloyd George and his wife moved to a farm near Llanistamdwi. On New Year's Eve, he participated in children's party... The famous speaker Lloyd George, addressing children, was no longer able to connect a few words. He also listened to the reading of Dickens's novels, rejoiced at the victories of the Allies, wanted to make a speech about peace. No longer in the lower chamber, but in the chamber of peers. The longtime enemy of the lords took the title of count ... But life was quickly fading away. On March 26, 1945, the "little Welshman" was gone. David Lloyd George was buried on the banks of the Dwifor River - where he spent his childhood.

Memories of a Soviet diplomat (1925-1945) Maisky Ivan Mikhailovich

David Lloyd George

David Lloyd George

Lloyd George's name has been known to me since my youth. I knew that he was the son of a teacher and made an absolutely enchanting career, going from a small provincial lawyer to the Prime Minister of Great Britain. I knew Lloyd George was an excellent orator and clever strategist in the intricate labyrinth of British politics. I knew that Lloyd George was the main organizer of the victory over Germany in the First World War and one of the creators of the unkind memory of the Treaty of Versailles. I knew that Lloyd George was a great master of social demagoguery and as such had rendered many services to the English bourgeoisie before and after the First World War. It is no accident that V. I. Lenin called him "an expert in fooling the masses." I knew that Lloyd George was the first statesman of the West who broke the political blockade of Soviet Russia and de facto recognized the Soviet government in 1921. I knew, finally, that Vladimir Ilyich characterized Lloyd George as one of the most experienced, extremely skillful and skillful leaders capitalist government and that on the first page of Vladimir Ilyich's well-known work "Infantile Illness of" Leftism "in Communism" there are the following ironic lines:

“I dedicate this pamphlet to the highly esteemed Mr. Lloyd George in an expression of gratitude for his almost Marxist and in any case extremely useful speech for communists and Bolsheviks all over the world on 18.III. 1920 ".

In 1922, Lloyd George ceased to be prime minister and from then until the end of his life (1945) was simply a member of parliament. The Liberal Party, of which he was the leader, during this period quickly rolled down, split up, weakened and lost its former influence. Lloyd George, thus, at that time was already a "retired lion" - and yet he remained one of the largest political figures in England. Any government was afraid of him, constantly looked back at him, for the personal authority of Lloyd George in the ruling circles of the country, despite all his weaknesses and mistakes (of which there were many), stood very high, and his tongue was sharp as a razor. All this taken together aroused in me a great interest in the personality of Lloyd George, and on November 30, 1932, I drove with special feeling to the huge building on Mill Bank, where at that time, among many other offices and institutions, Lloyd George's office was located.

His secretary met me at the elevator and greeted me in Russian. In response to my surprised look, the secretary hastened to remark that, on the instructions of his boss, he had studied our language and was transmitting the contents of Izvestia to him every day. Lloyd George's Bureau was located in one of the upper floors, and while the secretary went to report my arrival, I cast a cursory glance out the window. The picture was striking: the openwork towers of the parliament; The Thames with thin strands of bridges and hundreds of barges and steamers; further, beyond the Thames, the boundless sea of ​​stone houses; and over it all - a light haze of fog.

With a low bow, the secretary invited me to enter Lloyd George's office. I stepped over the threshold and stopped for a moment. To meet me from the table, the owner rose briskly, almost jumped up and greeted me warmly with a heartfelt handshake. Before me was a man of short stature, but strong build, standing firmly on the ground. The first thing that struck him was bright blue shiny eyes and a huge cap of snow-white, slightly tousled hair. This hair surrounded the head like a magical radiance. The same snow-white mustache was trimmed in Russian. Lloyd George was dressed in a light gray suit with a bluish tint (to match the color of the eyes!), A gold pince-nez hung on a long black cord, which the owner manipulated very skillfully during the conversation. For silver hair and age (70 years!) Lloyd George should be classified as an old man. However, the word "old man" somehow did not fit well with his appearance: there was still so much strength and energy in Lloyd George's voice, in his gestures and movements, and there was still so much freshness and health in his ruddy-tanned face! I knew that not long before Lloyd George was seriously ill: they even feared for his life. But now no trace of the disease could be seen.

It instantly flashed through my head: "In the past, Lloyd George was often called the" little Welsh wizard "... Does he look like a wizard?" I somehow took a fresh look at Lloyd George, and by itself the conclusion came: "Yes, it looks like!" Dress him in animal skins, ruffle his snow-white mane even more, put the staff in your hands, throw him into the thicket of forests - what is not a magician from the old folk tale? .. This image suddenly stood in front of me with such brightness that the real Lloyd George had to invite me twice to sit down before I returned to the business, prosaic bureau in Mill Bank.

Lloyd George spoke first. He began with questions - quick, sharp, piercing, restless. He wanted to know what was happening in the Soviet Union now.

Tell me everything in detail, - he exclaimed almost imperiously, - I am interested in everything!

In a few words, I tried to state everything I could about our achievements and our difficulties. That was the end of the first five-year plan, and then there were more difficulties than achievements. We were, however, cheerful and full of hope for the future. I assured Lloyd George that we would soon get out of the hardest test and deal with food and other problems, if, of course, the international situation does not interfere.

Lloyd George listened to me very lively and attentively. He interrupted often and asked additional questions. I understood everything perfectly. From my messages, he was particularly struck by the fact that by that time literacy in the USSR had reached 80%. He did not think this figure was so high. He was also very interested in our road construction and wanted to find out everything on what we are now relying on: railways or highways?

When I finished, Lloyd George suddenly asked:

Who is your Minister of Agriculture?

I named a comrade who at that time held the post of People's Commissar. Lloyd George asked again:

Is he a good organizer?

And then, without giving me an answer yet, he explained:

You have mastered the industry. If you still have some difficulties here, it doesn’t matter. They will get rid of. A village is a completely different matter. This is your weak point. It is not enough to build collective and state farms. They still need to be adjusted, put into operation.

I replied that we, too, perfectly understand the importance of establishing a new form of Soviet agriculture. And we not only understand, but also do our best for this.

Lloyd George took the number of the Daily Telegraph from the table in front of him and, pointing his finger at it, exclaimed:

Here Martin Moore assures that your five-year plan has failed. This is generally a fashionable topic in Europe now. What nonsense! The worst thing that can happen to you is that you will not finish your five-year plan at five, but at seven or eight years. Unpleasant, of course, but not fatal. The five-year plan will nevertheless be implemented, and Russia will turn into a great industrial power.

And then, after a moment's thought, Lloyd George added:

Your five-year plan is the most important thing that is being done in the world right now. Its outcome will be of colossal importance for humanity. Remember, if the five-year plan is successful, you will have a ton of imitators everywhere, including England. And if the five-year plan fails (which I do not believe in), then socialism and communism will be thrown back at least a whole generation.

I noticed that no one here doubts the triumph of the five-year plan, unless war interferes.

Lloyd George somehow got close and thought about it. Then he spoke:

You say: war ... But where can war come from? From Europe? I do not think. Who will fight with you? England? No, this is completely incredible. England now has enough trouble: India, Ottawa, unemployment, war debts, the fall of the pound, a colossal reduction in foreign trade ... And besides, the British workers will never allow a war against Russia! .. France? But France also has enough worries of its own. Germany, military debts, vassals who are constantly pulling money from her ... And besides, do you really think that a French soldier will go to die across the Polish borders? Never! The French soldier, perhaps, will still oppose the German, but to fight for Poland? Why on earth? .. Who else can threaten you? Poland? But what is she able to do alone, and even in the midst of desperate internal difficulties? In addition, Poland is now much more afraid of a collision with Germany than with you ... No, I do not see who in Europe could attack you. True, I did not mention Germany in my listing, but ... Germany's own troubles will be enough for at least two generations ... You see, the entire West suffers from the consequences of the war of 1914-1918. Who would think to start a new war here? ..

Events are known to have diverged from Lloyd George's expectations. Germany, which soon became Hitler's Germany, unleashed only seven years after our conversation the Second World War, during which it attacked the USSR. The policy of Britain, France and Poland during these seven years only encouraged the imperialist aggressiveness of Germany. Even then, we, the Soviet people, had a presentiment of the possibility of such events. Lloyd George's optimism seemed to me insufficiently substantiated.

I expressed this idea to him and then added that the tremendous increase in armaments that is taking place in Europe in last years and about which such an unworthy comedy is now being played at the disarmament conference in Geneva, makes us wary. And besides, besides Europe, there is also the Far East ...

Yes, yes, ”Lloyd George responded sympathetically,“ Japan is a great danger.

I confirmed this and told Lloyd George some of my own observations of the then tendencies of Japanese foreign policy.

Upon learning that I had worked for two years in Tokyo, Lloyd George again bombarded me with questions. Most of all he was interested in personalities: what is Emperor Hirohito like? What kind of man is General Tanaka? Will he be able to become the dictator of Japan or not? How do people in Japan view the Japanese ambassador in London Matsudaira? Are they reckoned with or not? Etc. I tried to satisfy Lloyd George's curiosity to the best of my ability. And when the topic of Japan was finally settled, I summed up:

Now you see, Mr. Lloyd George, that our fears about the possibility of war are not so unfounded. '' Lloyd George objected:

I see! But I also see that they are exaggerated. However, I understand your psychology well: having experienced the intervention of 1918-1920. you certainly cannot think or feel otherwise.

The mention of intervention immediately threw Lloyd George's thought back to the distant past. A sly grin crossed his lively face, and he exclaimed:

Intervention! .. Did you know that even in 1918-1920. in England, in fact, no one seriously wanted her? I myself strongly objected to the intervention. Bonar Lowe was also against it. Balfour was more against than in favor. Our liberals and Labor did not want to hear about the intervention. Even our military did not regard her with any enthusiasm, especially the then Chief of General Staff Sir Henry Wilson. The military believed that Russia could not be conquered and that even if foreign troops temporarily managed to occupy Petrograd and Moscow, then, after these troops left home, chaos would reign in Russia again. Therefore, the military did not sympathize with the plans for intervention.

I thought, “Yes, now, many years later, you want to absolve yourself of responsibility for the intervention, but what about the memorandum from Fontainebleau?” And how to assess the fact that during 1918-1920. you headed the government that carried out the intervention? .. "

Aloud I said:

You say that no one in England wanted intervention, and yet it happened. How can this be explained?

Winston Churchill is to blame for everything! Lloyd George exclaimed even more fervently. - It cannot be denied that the anti-Bolshevik sentiment at that time in England was strong, but if they had not found an organizer and leader of a large scale, everything would probably have been limited to newspaper noise and loud speeches. But then Churchill spoke. He is a man of strong will and great energy. Moreover, he is indomitable if he takes something into his head. From January 1919 I was at the Paris Peace Conference and spent almost seven months outside England. It was possible to come home only in fits and starts and for a short time, Churchill took advantage of this position and, together with the most irresponsible elements of the Conservative Party, made all the mess. When I returned to England in the fall of 1919, I began to extinguish the fire, but I did not succeed right away: the intervention machine had already been set in motion.

Lloyd George sank into memories. A smile crossed his face again, and he said bitterly:

How stubborn Churchill is! I remember this case: at the very end of 1920, when it was already clear that the intervention had died, Churchill once brought Savinkov to me at Checkers. Churchill was still running around with plans then crusade against the Bolsheviks and after the defeat of Yudenich, Denikin, Wrangel, he was now looking for a new "leader" for your white movement. He took a liking to Savinkov, summoned him to London and began to introduce him into political circles. So Savinkov ended up in Checkers. I had the Snowdens that evening. Mrs. Snowden sat down at the piano, and Savinkov sang Russian songs to her accompaniment ... However, Savinkov did not become the "leader" of the white. Nothing came of Churchill's idea. The era of intervention is over.

So, the whole thing, it turns out, was Churchill's stubbornness!

Lloyd George was silent for a moment and then continued:

We made many mistakes during the war era because we did not have the correct information from Russia ... At the beginning of the war, Knox was sent to you as a representative of our general staff ...

Is it not the same one who was later under Kolchak, - I asked, - and now, as a member of parliament, specialized in tireless advice?

He, he is! Lloyd George responded with a laugh. - In the interests of justice, I must, however, say that in those years Knox truthfully told us, sparing no pains, about devastation, corruption, the inability of officials, etc. in old Russia. He was also indignant at the fact that the tsarist government, which does not have weapons for the front, finds them to shoot the strikers in the rear. Knox's reports were so harsh that Kitchener, then Secretary of War, removed him from his post. I intervened and Knox was reinstated, but he was forbidden to write reports on the grounds that they contributed to an overly pessimistic view of Russia ... What ?! Our War Department simply did not want to know the truth.

Lloyd George paused for a moment and then continued:

I still remember this episode. At the beginning of 1917, we sent a special mission to Petrograd, led by Lord Milner, one of our best people, in order to find out on the spot: what is happening in Russia? symptoms, but we didn’t really know anything ... So we decided to send Milner. Milner was an intelligent man, but a bureaucrat to the core. The people, the masses did not exist for him. He did not see them, did not understand ... Milner arrived in Petrograd on January 29, 1917, stayed there for three weeks, met with representatives of government circles and the Petrograd high society, returned to England on March 2 and confidently declared: “Everything is all right, no revolution will take place until the end of the war! " And exactly 13 days later the revolution broke out! .. Here is the price of official examinations, - Lloyd George suddenly made a sly face, and his eyes flashed. “I confess, I didn't really believe Milner,” he chuckled, “my instinct told me that a storm was brewing in Petrograd ... My countryman Davis, now Lord Davis, traveled with Milner as one of the secretaries, a young Valian, intelligent, lively, observant. When he returned to London, I called him and asked what he thought about the situation in Russia. Davis gave an assessment that is exactly the opposite of Milner's. Davis met his distant relative in Petrograd, who lives there permanently. This relative had nothing to do with high society, but he knew the Russian people. He took Davis to the bazaars, to factories, introduced him to students, to the intelligentsia ... And Davis told me bluntly: "Expect a revolution in Russia from day to day." And so it happened ...

From memories of the past, Lloyd George moved on to a related topic - he said that he was now writing his memoirs about the war, the first volume of which will be published in 1933. He has great amount materials, including very sensational ones.

When the book appears, - added Lloyd George with a satisfied laugh, there will be a howl ... not only in England, but also in other countries. Well, I'm ready for this! It’s not the first time for me to go out to battle with enemies.

In his memoirs, Lloyd George intended to devote a special section to Russia. However, he lacked some important data regarding the war on the Eastern Front, and he said that he would be very grateful to me if I could help him obtain this data.

I promised Lloyd George my cooperation and kept my word. In connection with the request of the liberal leader, I have repeatedly turned to the People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs and received from there the materials he needed. The old man was very pleased. In the fall of 1933, he presented me with the first volume of his memoirs with the author's inscription, which read: “To Mr. Maisky with gratitude for the valuable information about the situation of the Russian army during the campaigns of 1914-15 and 1916. D. Lloyd George. September 10, 1933 "

Listening to Lloyd George was very interesting, but I had my own questions as well. Chief among them was the upcoming negotiations on a new trade agreement. We talked a lot about this. My goal, I told Lloyd George, is to help in every possible way to improve relations between the USSR and Britain now specifically in the field of trade. The Soviet side really wants such an improvement and is ready to meet its partner halfway to achieve this goal. Well, what about the English side? Does she want the same? Is it capable of approaching the problem of Anglo-Soviet relations soberly and coolly, in a spirit of common sense, and not in a ferocious political hatred? Is it able to appreciate the fact that the USSR has existed for 15 years and has become a permanent factor in world politics and economics? Is she able to draw all the necessary practical conclusions from this? It would be important for me to know Lloyd George's opinion on this matter. Lloyd George replied:

I think that the ruling classes of our country as a whole have not yet fully comprehended the significance of the fact that Soviet Russia has existed and has been developing successfully for 15 years, but they are moving rather quickly in this direction. Our merchants and industrialists, for example, are already fully prepared for the policy of common sense on the "Russian question": they just want to trade with you. Our bankers still retain their old hostility towards you (even a smart banker like the liberal McKenna), but some shifts are noticeable here too. There is a split in the Conservative party: the "die-hard" still would like to set Russia on fire from all four sides, but the growing majority of this party wants profitable trade relations with the USSR. The current government, despite the dominance of the conservatives, is still different from the one that broke off relations with you in 1927: it does not have such mad council-eaters as Jix (Joynson Hicks) or Lord Birkenhead were. The only resemblance of these "die-hard" heroes in the MacDonald cabinet is Lord Hailsham, but, firstly, he is not nearly as influential as Jix or Birkenhead, and, secondly, he occupies the post of War Minister, harmless to you. Among conservatives, two figures generally deserve the most attention: Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain. Baldwin is undoubtedly a man of common sense, and, of course, will stand for strengthening relations with Russia, but the trouble is that by nature Baldwin is very lazy and does not have much energy. In the end, he doesn't care about anything, as long as he can sit by the fireplace in his dressing gown and smoke his pipe. Chamberlain is a much more strong-willed person, but also much more reactionary ...

Lloyd George thought for a moment, as if mentally once again weighing all the pros and cons of the Secretary of the Treasury, and then continued:

His horizons are limited ... According to his psychology, Chamberlain is ... this ... - Lloyd George pretended that he could not immediately find fitting comparison, and then suddenly blurted out, bursting out laughing, - this is a provincial manufacturer of iron beds! .. But all the same, I hope that Chamberlain will have enough practical sense not to quarrel with Russia, but to trade with her ... MacDonald? - then Lloyd George shrugged his shoulders and made such a movement with his hands, which meant: neither fish nor meat ... Then he noted that there was no need to worry about the liberals and Labor: they are all supporters of rapprochement between England and the USSR.

Ultimately, - Lloyd George summed up, - I believe that if the ruling classes of our country are not yet fully prepared for the policy of common sense in the "Russian question", then in any case the time when they will understand the inevitability of such a policy is not far off.

Then Lloyd George began asking me about the state of the negotiations on a new trade agreement. I told him about conversations with Simon, Chamberlain and Rensiman on this topic. When Lloyd George heard that the British government was going to remove the most-favored-nation principle from the new agreement, he exclaimed:

But it is absolutely impossible to trade on such conditions!

I have confirmed that this is indeed the case.

I recognize Bennett! Lloyd George continued. - The British delegation, going to Ottawa, was not going to denounce the Anglo-Soviet trade agreement. But there she met with Canadian Prime Minister Bennett. Bennett is an extremely strong, dexterous and unceremonious person. He is now the most dangerous man in the empire. Bennett is a much more strong-willed figure than Baldwin or even Chamberlain, And so he intimidated the British delegation. But I still hope that you have not heard the last word from Chamberlain. Demand Most Favored Nation! Don't give in! I hope that in the end you will be able to agree on some acceptable compromise. Keep me informed of the negotiations. If necessary, it will be possible to raise this issue in parliament ... One more remark: during negotiations, try to have as little business with Simon as possible. Simon is not a human being, but a law-making lawyer. In addition, he is extremely unreliable: today he says one thing, and tomorrow is completely different. Better to be guided by the Minister of Commerce Rensimena. True, he is not a genius at all, but more practical: he will not sacrifice trade because of legal philosophizing.

I thanked Lloyd George for his advice and promised to keep in constant contact with him.

In connection with the question of the trade negotiations, Lloyd George again burst into reminiscences:

I knew Krasin - he was a very smart, educated and honest person. He was a man of common sense, and I always believed his word. It is a pity that Krasin died so prematurely. I met Chicherin in Genoa, where he showed himself to be a good diplomat. Chicherin's position was not easy; he alone had to oppose all of us. But he coped with his difficult task perfectly: he always knew how to hit the enemy's weak point and firmly defend his weak point. By the way, how is Chicherin doing? What he is doing now?

I told Lloyd George about Chicherin's illness. Lloyd George expressed regret and then said:

You now have a commissioner for foreign affairs Litvinov is a good choice... Litvinov is a very intelligent person and, moreover, he is not a fantasy. Stands with his feet on solid ground.

When I got up and began to say goodbye to the owner, Lloyd George exclaimed:

We must meet with you again. Remember, you can always count on me.

Indeed, in the trade negotiations that followed, the liberal leader was very helpful to us.

This is how my acquaintance with Lloyd George began. It lasted during all 11 years of my work as the Soviet ambassador to England.

There were two things that struck me most about Lloyd George's personality.

First, his amazing, kind of almost superhuman liveliness. All his perceptions, reactions, feelings, thoughts, even gestures and movements were truly lightning-fast, as if a capacitor of the highest intellectual tension was placed in his brain, which, at the slightest irritation from the outside, scattered around a thousand brilliant sparks.

Secondly, at Lloyd George I was always amazed at the level of his thinking. He understood the interlocutor immediately, answered instantly and, moreover, brightly, sharply, completely. The more ordinary a person is, the less he is able to rise to an understanding of the basic, paramount things, which ultimately decide everything. An ordinary person too often does not see the forest because of the trees. Lloyd George was not like that. Of course, class limitations set a certain framework for his insight (until the end of his life he could not, for example, understand that humanity had entered the era of socialism), however, within the limits set free by his position and history, Lloyd George in his judgments about people, events, phenomena always knew how to sweep aside everything temporary, accidental, unimportant and see the main and the main. That is why on all such judgments of Lloyd George there was an imprint of extraordinary simplicity - that simplicity that is given only by great intelligence and great knowledge.

However, Lloyd George also had major shortcomings, which sometimes stemmed from his merits. Of course, flexibility is a great virtue for politics. But with Lloyd George, flexibility often turned into a lack of resilience. This was the case in the past, especially in the first years after the war of 1914-1918. This was the case during my work in England. There have been significant fluctuations in the position and mood of Lloyd George over these 11 years, and in this regard, there has been an ebb and flow in our relations.

Let me give you one typical example. In the summer of 1936, Ribbentrop, then Hitler's foreign policy adviser (he only became ambassador to England at the end of that year), invited Lloyd George to visit Germany and learn about the measures that Hitler had taken to combat unemployment. It was a clever move, for Lloyd George considered himself "the father of the fight against unemployment in England" (after all, he passed the unemployment insurance law in 1911) and therefore could most easily accept Ribbentrop's invitation under this pretext. And so it happened in reality.

In September 1936, Lloyd George, accompanied by a small group of companions, including his eldest son Gwilym and his daughter Megan, spent about ten days in Germany. Of course, the Nazis tried to earn as much political capital as possible from Lloyd George's visit. Therefore, when the liberal leader was on their territory, they turned the visit into a pompous political sensation. They drove Lloyd George to various cities of the country, showed him dozens of factories, factories, agricultural camps, demonstrated in front of him the formations of the “new”, Hitler’s army and, most importantly, arranged for him two magnificent meetings with the “Fuhrer”.

During these meetings, the discussion was no longer about the fight against unemployment, but about the fundamental problems of international politics. In conversations with Lloyd George, Hitler portrayed himself as almost a pacifist, swearing that he had no plans of conquest and that his only goal was to restore Germany's equality with other great powers and to ensure its safety from an attack from "Bolshevik Russia."

Believe it or not, Lloyd George was impressed by Hitler's “dove cooing”. Returning home, he gave interviews and articles in the English press, which could not be interpreted other than as an apology for Hitlerism. For example, on September 17, 1936, in the Beaverbrook Daily Express, Lloyd George wrote:

“Those who imagine that Germany has returned to her old imperialism have no idea of ​​the nature of the change that has taken place. The idea of ​​Germany as a threat to Europe, with a powerful army ready to step over the borders of other states, is alien to its new program ... The Germans will fight to the death against any invasion of their own country, but they themselves have no desire to invade any other country ".

That is to what extent Lloyd George was blinded by Hitler's hypocrisy!

The turnaround in the liberal leader’s mood worried me greatly. Politically, it would be very unprofitable if such a major figure went to the camp of Hitler's "appeasers". Therefore, after waiting for a while, I, as if nothing had happened, went to visit Lloyd George at his estate. Of course, our conversation immediately turned to political topics, and during it I, with all the necessary tact, but nevertheless with complete certainty, expressed my surprise at the host's recent speeches. Lloyd George boiled over and began to prove that the "anti-Hitler propaganda" greatly exaggerated the aggressiveness of the "Fuehrer". He is not a fool at all and understands perfectly well that he is beyond his power to seize Europe, and therefore does not strive for this. All Hitler wants is the recognition of Germany's equality of rights with other great powers, which can hardly be argued.

I disagreed with Lloyd George and objected that aggressiveness is the essence of Hitler and German Nazism in general.

Where is the proof? Lloyd George exclaimed defiantly.

I can cite two, ”I replied. - First, look at what is being done in Spain now.

When Lloyd George was traveling in Germany, the war in Spain was just beginning and the Nazi intervention on Franco's side was still small and well-veiled. But by the time of our conversation, the German intervention had already taken such obvious forms that the world press every now and then reported the arrival of huge transports of German weapons to Franco and the landing of thousands of Nazi "volunteers" in Cadiz and other Franco ports. Not surprisingly, my mention of Spain caused Lloyd George to be somewhat uneasy. However, he began to argue that this is "a trifle that should not be taken too tragically," and that the "Fuehrer" is smart enough not to get stuck in it too deeply.

Let's wait and see, ”I objected and then continued:“ And now the second proof of Hitler’s organic aggressiveness: are you familiar with his book “My Struggle” - this bible of German Nazism?

Familiar, ”Lloyd George replied.

So, in this book, Hitler writes in black and white that his goals are the defeat and conquest of France and the seizure of the so-called living space in the east, i.e. in Poland, in the Baltics, in the USSR, especially in Ukraine. As you can see, Hitler does not even hide his aggressiveness.

There is nothing of the kind there! Lloyd George exclaimed passionately. - You prove once again how unfair propaganda hostile to Hitler is.

How is there nothing like this? - I was indignant. - All this is there and in very specific terms.

Lloyd George jumped up and ran to the bookcase, pulled out Hitler's book in English translation,

Here, here, look! - he thrust a book into my hands. - There is nothing like that!

I took the book and started flipping through it ... What the hell! In the place where it was said about Hitler's aggressive plans against France and the East, there were no pages well known to me.

This is a fake edition! I exclaimed. - The Nazis removed the most controversial places from it, so as not to frighten the British.

Can not be! - Lloyd George was surprised.

How can it not be? I read "My Struggle" in the original. I will send you an exact translation of the missing pages in the English edition. See for yourself.

A few days later, I fulfilled my promise. Lloyd George was stunned and outraged. I am stunned and indignant (as he explained to me at our next meeting) not so much by the content of the confiscated pages, but by the fact that they were hidden from the English reader.

Meanwhile, the German intervention in Spain was taking more and more definite forms ...

All this could not but have an impact on Lloyd George. In 1937 and the following years, he already firmly held a course against the fascist dictators and turned into an ardent supporter of the Anglo-French-Soviet front as a barrier against their aggressive aspirations.

What was the reason for Lloyd George's friendliness to the USSR? Above all, his position in the English political world. ”Since 1922 (when the last coalition, in which Lloyd George was in charge, collapsed), he was not in power. On the contrary, the liberal leader was constantly in opposition to the conservatives, and since among the bourgeois parties, mutual competition plays a very important role, Lloyd George used every opportunity to strike his political opponents. The struggle of the Soviet government against the British Conservatives, which so brightly colored Anglo-Soviet relations in those years, seemed to Lloyd George such an opportunity. And he willingly used it for his political purposes, especially since the Soviet position in the international arena often aroused a feeling of sympathy in Lloyd George.

There was another, additional consideration, acting in the same direction. Lloyd George considered himself the "father" of the Anglo-Soviet rapprochement: was it not he who concluded the first trade agreement with the Soviet country in 1921? Then the conservatives came to power and ruined everything.

Now Lloyd George took particular pleasure in attacking the Conservatives for their mistakes in the field of Anglo-Soviet relations, thereby constantly refreshing the memory of the wise step he took in 1921.

Whatever Lloyd George's motives were, however, his position was undoubtedly in our favor.

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LLOYD GEORGE, DAVID(Lloyd George, David) (1863-1945), British statesman and prime minister. Born in Manchester on January 17, 1863, his father, headmaster in Wales, died when David was 3 years old, and the family (mother and two sons) was assisted by his mother's brother, Baptist Pastor Richard Lloyd of North Wales. David, aspiring to a legal career, was an intern at one of the offices in Porthmadoc. Taking an active part in local political life, in 1890 he was elected as a Liberal MP in the House of Commons for Carnarvon County in northwest Wales. Lloyd George soon became known for his vigorous attacks on conservatives and advocacy for Welsh non-conformists and nationalists. During the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902, he sharply opposed the policy of Great Britain, as a result of which some attributed to him a probur position, while others called him a supporter of "Little England". In the eyes of public opinion, he looked like an adherent of decisive action and a person, ways to take on decision-making. In 1905–1908 Lloyd George was the Minister of Commerce in the Cabinet of H. Campbell-Bannerman, and in 1908 he became the Minister of Finance in the government of H. Asquith. In 1909 he presented his famous "people's" budget, which established higher taxes on luxury goods, income and vacant land of landlords. Lloyd George delivered a brilliant speech in defense of the conservative-criticized budget, and in a speech at the Limehouse section of London's docks, he attacked conservatives and the well-to-do. The House of Commons' adopted budget was voted down by a conservative majority in the House of Lords. When the Liberal government won electoral support in 1910, the budget was eventually passed. The adoption of the budget was followed by a reform law social sphere Home Rule Bill for Ireland; the “veto” that the House of Lords had (1911) was significantly restricted. In 1911, Lloyd George passed the National Insurance Act, which gave entitlement to sickness and disability coverage, and the Unemployment Insurance Act. Both were sharply criticized, but they greatly helped England in the difficult post-war years.

When the First broke out World War Lloyd George remained the Minister of Finance for another year, however, when the insufficient supply of arms to the army was revealed, and in May 1915 the cabinet was reorganized into the first coalition government, he became the head of the newly created Ministry of Armaments. Despite his successes in this post, Lloyd George was not satisfied with the way the hostilities were conducted. At the end of 1915 he became an ardent champion of universal military service, and in 1916 he passed a law on military service. In June, after the death of Kitchener, he was appointed Minister of War. The fall of Romania intensified Lloyd George's dissatisfaction with the course of hostilities and the adopted strategy, which found expression in his proposal to reorganize the cabinet. Following Asquith's resignation on December 5, 1916, Lloyd George became prime minister of the coalition government, although many Liberals refused to support the cabinet and resigned along with former prime minister... Formed by Lloyd George, a small military committee of five members, a kind of "cabinet within an cabinet", has significantly accelerated the process of making operational decisions. In addition, trying to influence the change in strategy, Lloyd George sought the creation of a unified military command of the allied forces, which was implemented only in April 1918. The unified command, as well as the arrival of American units somewhat earlier than the appointed date, played a significant role in the successful conclusion of the war.

Before the Paris Peace Conference of 1919-1920, Lloyd George strengthened his position by winning the so-called. "Khaki-elections" (in which the military took part) in December 1918 in the atmosphere of bitterness and worship of heroes, characteristic of the last period of the war. The Versailles Peace Treaty was signed by Lloyd George, Woodrow Wilson and Georges Clemenceau in 1919, and Lloyd George showed restraint and compliance during the negotiations. In 1919-1922, the government's popularity began to gradually decline: a number of strikes, including railroad workers, took place, budget spending provoked indignation and criticism of conservatives, strict austerity measures - the dissatisfaction of radicals. The situation in Ireland remained deplorable, and at the same time, few people were satisfied with the 1921 treaty, which granted most of Ireland the status of dominion.

Despite all the conservatives' discontent, the ruler of foreign policy led to Lloyd George's defeat. The pro-Greek policy turned out to be unsuccessful: in 1922 Turkey won the war, and the Chanak incident almost drew England into the war. In October 1922, Lloyd George was forced to resign. Bonar Lowe became prime minister. Lloyd George's activities as the leader of the opposition (1926-1931) cannot be called successful. This was partly due to the gradual withering away of the Liberal Party, partly the dislike of the Asquite liberals for Lloyd George, partly because the Liberal program of benefits and reforms was intercepted by the Laborites.

Nevertheless, during the economic crisis of the 1930s, Lloyd George was the only political leader to come up with fresh ideas for measures to combat unemployment. In foreign policy, he supported the course of pacifying the Axis powers. Lloyd George twice refused to enter Churchill's war office. In 1944 he was awarded the title of 1st Earl of Lloyd by George Dwiforsky. Among his writings - Military memoirs (War Memoirs, 1933–1936); The truth about peace treaties (The truth About the peace Treaties, 1938). Lloyd George died at Tynewid near Llanstamday (Carnarvon County, North Wales) on March 26, 1945.

David Lloyd George short biography and Interesting Facts from the life of the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Earl and leader of the Liberal Party are outlined in this article.

David Lloyd George short biography

The future politician was born in Manchester on January 17, 1863 in the family of a school teacher. He practiced law, worked as a lawyer in London. After joining the Liberal Party, he was elected to Parliament in 1890, and Lloyd began to advocate for Welsh nationalists, criticizing the country's policies during the Boer War of 1899-1902.

David Lloyd George's political activities began in 1905 when he became Secretary of Commerce. After 3 years, he took up the post of Minister of Finance. The activist was the most active member of the government, the main inspirer of reforms. He presented a budget that set higher taxes on luxury goods, vacant land, and landlord income. Reforms of David Lloyd George concerned the social sphere, unemployment insurance and state insurance. On the initiative of the statesman, laws were passed on pensions from 70 years old, labor conflicts and compensation for workers in case of accidents, on social insurance for disability, unemployment and illness, and labor exchanges were created.

Lloyd George in 1909 through parliament passed a "people's budget", which increased spending on social needs. In 1911, the powers of the House of Lords were limited, it was deprived of the right to approve the budget. Thanks to his efforts, the miners' working day became 8-hour. After the miners' strike in 1912, a minimum wage was set. Lloyd George was appointed Secretary of War in June 1916, and by the end of the year he became head of the British government. The Prime Minister was a co-sponsor of the Versailles Peace Treaty of 1919, which allowed England to expand its influence in territories rich in raw materials.
The popularity of George's government in 1919 began to gradually diminish. Soon after the failure of foreign policy, he resigns (1922).

Until the 30s of the twentieth century, Lloyd George continued active political activity, becoming the most respected political figure in the West. In 1931, the Liberal Party split and he refused to lead it. During the economic crisis, the former prime minister was the only political leader who proposed real measures to combat unemployment. Also, the politician began to write the famous "War Memoirs", which brought him success and large fees.

In 1940 he refused to join the Churchill government. Until 1944 he lived in the Line, after he moved to North Wales. In 1944 he was awarded the title of Count of Dvaiforsky. The great politician is gone March 26, 1945 at Llanistamdvi.

David Lloyd George Interesting Facts:

The first wife of the politician was Maggie Owen, the daughter of a wealthy farmer, whom he married in 1888. They had 5 children. After her death, Lloyd George married his longtime mistress Frances Stevenson 2 years later, despite the fierce protest of the children from his first marriage.

The motto of his whole life is "Chamber first".

He was described as a sarcastic, witty person who can spot weaknesses in his opponent in a matter of seconds.

David loved traveling. Since the 1920s he traveled to distant countries: Jamaica, Ceylon, India, Brazil, Egypt.

Doctors found him cancerous tumor which developed very quickly. In 1944, Lloyd George moved with his wife to the Llanistamdwi farm. On New Year's Eve I took part in a holiday for children. At that time, the great speaker of Great Britain could not connect even a few words.

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