Minister of Munitions: Difference between revisions

David Lloyd George gained a heroic reputation with his energetic work as Minister of Munitions, from 1915–1916, setting the stage for his political rise.<ref name="Adams">[[R. J. Q. Adams]], "Delivering the Goods: Reappaising the Ministry of Munitions: 1915–1916." ''[[Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies]]'' (1975) 7#3 pp: 232–244. a basic overview [https://www.jstor.org/stable/4048178 in JSTOR]</ref> When the [[Shell Crisis of 1915]] dismayed public opinion, with the news that the Army was running short of artillery ammunition, demands rose for a strong leader to take charge of munitions production. A new coalition ministry was formed in May 1915 and Lloyd George was made Minister of Munitions, in a new department created to solve the munitions shortage.<ref>{{cite journal |last= Fraser|first= Peter|date= 1983|title= The British 'Shells Scandal' of 1915|url= http://utpjournalsreview.com/index.php/CJOH/article/download/6659/5564|journal= [[Canadian Journal of History]]|publisher= [[University of Toronto Press]]|volume= 18|issue= 1|pages= 69–86|issn= 0008-4107}}</ref>

In this position David Lloyd George addressed labour disputes on the Clyde (Glasgow, Scotland), concerning lowering of wages, and he called for an enquiry into the conditions of munitions workers that led to labour intelligence services being transferred to his Ministry, under Colonel Arthur Lee, Parliamentary Military Secretary.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hiley|first=Nicholas|date=1986|title=Internal Security in Wartime: the rise and fall of P.M.S.2 1915-1917|url=https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/fint20|journal=Intelligence and National Security|volume=1:3|pages=|via=}}</ref> He received acclaim for a big rise in output of munitions, which formedgreatly thecontributed basis forto his political ascent to [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] in late 1916. AllMany historians agree that he boosted national morale and focused attention on the urgent need for greater output but many also say the increase in munitions output from 1915–1916, was due largely to reforms already decided, though not yet effective, before he arrived. American historian [[R. J. Q. Adams]] provided details that showed that the Ministry broke through the cumbersome bureaucracy of the [[War Office]], resolved labour problems, rationalized the supply system and dramatically increased production. Within a year it became the largest buyer, seller and employer in Britain.<ref name="Adams"/>