Minister of Munitions: Difference between revisions

The '''Minister of Munitions''' was a British government position created during the [[World War I|First World War]] to oversee and co-ordinate the production and distribution of munitions for the war effort. The position was created in response to the [[Shell Crisis of 1915]] when there was much newspaper criticism of the shortage of artillery shells and fear of sabotage. The agencyMinistry was created by the [[Munitions of War Act 1915]] passed on 2 July 1915 to safeguard the supply of artillery munitions. Under the very vigorous leadership of Liberal party politician [[David Lloyd George]], the Ministry in its first year set up a system that dealt with labour disputes and fully mobilized Britain's potentialcapacity for producing a massive outpouringincrease in the production of munitions.

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 rosearose 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 by 'dilution' of skilled labour, 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 greatly contributed to his political ascent to [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] in late 1916 and leader of the five man War Cabinet. Many 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"/>