Neville Chamberlain formed the Chamberlain war ministry in 1939 after United Kingdom declaration of war on Germany (1939), declaring war on Germany. Chamberlain led the country for the Timeline of World War II, first eight months of the Second World War, until the Norway Debate in Parliament led Chamberlain to resign and Winston Churchill to form a Churchill war ministry, new ministry.

History

On 3 September 1939, Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, reconstructed his Fourth National Government 1937-1939, existing government so as to be suited for the Second World War. The most dramatic change to the ministerial line-up saw the return of Winston Churchill as First Lord of the Admiralty. Other changes included Thomas Inskip, 1st Viscount Caldecote, Lord Caldecote replacing Frederic Maugham, 1st Viscount Maugham, Lord Maugham as Lord Chancellor, John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley, Sir John Anderson replacing Samuel Hoare, 1st Viscount Templewood, Sir Samuel Hoare as Secretary of State for Home Affairs, Home Secretary (Hoare became Lord Privy Seal with a wide-ranging brief) and the return of Anthony Eden to the government as Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs. However, the administration was not a true national unity government as it was made up primarily of Conservatives with support from some National Labour Organisation, National Labour and National Liberal Party (UK, 1931), National Liberal members. There were no representatives from the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party or Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party. The government was notable for having a small War Cabinet consisting of only the principal and service ministers, with most other government positions serving outside the Cabinet. The War Cabinet included Chamberlain, Hoare, Chancellor of the Exchequer John Simon, 1st Viscount Simon, Sir John Simon, Foreign Secretary Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax, Lord Halifax, Churchill, Secretary of State for Air Kingsley Wood, Sir Kingsley Wood, Minister for Coordination of Defence Ernle Chatfield, 1st Baron Chatfield, Lord Chatfield, Maurice Hankey, 1st Baron Hankey, Lord Hankey (as Minister without portfolio (United Kingdom), Minister without Portfolio) and Secretary of State for War Leslie Hore-Belisha, 1st Baron Hore-Belisha, Leslie Hore-Belisha. Oliver Stanley replaced Hore-Belisha in January 1940 while Chatfield left the war cabinet in April 1940. The government ended on 10 May 1940 when Chamberlain resigned and was succeeded by Winston Churchill who formed the Coalition Government 1940-1945, War Coalition.

Cabinet

War Cabinet, September 1939 – May 1940

Upon the outbreak of the war, Chamberlain carried out a fullscale reconstruction of the government and introduced a small War Cabinet who were as follows: *Neville Chamberlain – Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister and Leader of the House of Commons *Sir Samuel Hoare, 1st Viscount Templewood, Samuel Hoare – Lord Privy Seal *Sir John Simon, 1st Viscount Simon, John Simon – Chancellor of the Exchequer *Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax, Lord Halifax – Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs *Leslie Hore-Belisha, 1st Baron Hore-Belisha, Leslie Hore-Belisha – Secretary of State for War *Sir Kingsley Wood – Secretary of State for Air *Winston Churchill – First Lord of the Admiralty *Ernle Chatfield, 1st Baron Chatfield, Lord Chatfield – Minister for Coordination of Defence *Maurice Hankey, 1st Baron Hankey, Lord Hankey – Minister without portfolio (United Kingdom), Minister without Portfolio

Changes

*January 1940 – Oliver Stanley succeeds Leslie Hore-Belisha as Secretary of State for War. *April 1940 – Hoare swaps Lord Privy Seal with Wood for Secretary of State for Air. Lord Chatfield leaves the Government and the office of Minister for Coordination of Defence is abolished.

Key office holders not in the Cabinet

*Thomas Inskip, 1st Viscount Caldecote, Lord Caldecote – Lord Chancellor *James Stanhope, 7th Earl Stanhope, Lord Stanhope – Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Lords *Sir John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley, John Anderson – Secretary of State for the Home Department *Malcolm MacDonald – Secretary of State for the Colonies *Anthony Eden – Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs *Lawrence Dundas, 2nd Marquess of Zetland, Lord Zetland – Secretary of State for India, Secretary of State for India and Burma *John Colville, 1st Baron Clydesmuir, John Colville – Secretary of State for Scotland *Oliver Stanley – President of the Board of Trade *Herbrand Sackville, 9th Earl De La Warr, Lord De La Warr – Secretary of State for Education and Skills, President of the Board of Education *Sir Reginald Dorman-Smith – Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Minister of Agriculture *Ernest Brown (British politician), Ernest Brown – Secretary of State for Employment, Minister of Labour and National Service *Walter Elliot (Scottish Unionist MP), Walter Elliot – Secretary of State for Health, Minister of Health *Euan Wallace – Secretary of State for Transport, Minister of Transport *Leslie Burgin – Minister of Supply *William Morrison, 1st Viscount Dunrossil, William Shepherd Morrison – Minister of Food (United Kingdom), Minister of Food and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster *Herwald Ramsbotham, 1st Viscount Soulbury, Herwald Ramsbotham – First Commissioner of Works *Hugh Pattison Macmillan, Baron Macmillan, Lord Macmillan – Ministry of Information (United Kingdom), Minister of Information *Sir Ronald Cross, 1st Baronet, Ronald Cross – Minister of Economic Warfare *Sir Walter Womersley – Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Minister of Pensions *George Clement Tryon, 1st Baron Tryon, George Tryon – United Kingdom Postmaster General, Postmaster General *Edward Turnour, 6th Earl Winterton, Lord Winterton – Paymaster-General *Sir Donald Bradley Somervell, Baron Somervell, Donald Somervell – Attorney General for England and Wales, Attorney General *Sir Terence O'Connor – Solicitor General for England and Wales, Solicitor General *David Margesson, 1st Viscount Margesson, David Margesson – Chief Whip

Changes

*October 1939 – The position of Minister of Shipping is created, with Sir Sir John Gilmour, 2nd Baronet, John Gilmour the first holder. *November 1939 – Edward Turnour, 6th Earl Winterton, Lord Winterton resigns as Paymaster-General and no successor is appointed. *January 1940 – Oliver Stanley becomes Secretary of State for War and a member of the War Cabinet in succession to Leslie Hore-Belisha, 1st Baron Hore-Belisha, Leslie Hore-Belisha (resigned) (see above) and is succeeded as President of the Board of Trade by Andrew Rae Duncan, Andrew Duncan. Hugh Pattison Macmillan, Baron Macmillan, Lord Macmillan resigns as Minister of Information and is succeeded by Sir John Reith, 1st Baron Reith, John Reith. *April 1940 – Robert Hudson, 1st Viscount Hudson, Robert Hudson succeeds Sir Sir John Gilmour, 2nd Baronet, John Gilmour (deceased) as Minister of Shipping. Herbrand Sackville, 9th Earl De La Warr, Lord De La Warr exchanges Secretary of State for Education and Skills, President of the Board of Education with Herwald Ramsbotham, 1st Viscount Soulbury, Herwald Ramsbotham for First Commissioner of Works. William Morrison, 1st Viscount Dunrossil, William Shepherd Morrison swaps the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster for the United Kingdom Postmaster General, Postmaster General with George Clement Tryon, 1st Baron Tryon, George Tryon and is succeeded as Minister of Food (United Kingdom), Minister of Food by Frederick Marquis, 1st Earl of Woolton, Lord Woolton. *May 1940 – Sir Terence O'Connor dies and no new Solicitor General for England and Wales, Solicitor General is appointed before the government falls.

List of ministers

Members of the Cabinet are in bold face.

References

*D. Butler and G. Butler, ''Twentieth Century British Political Facts 1900–2000''. {{Neville Chamberlain 1930s in the United Kingdom 1939 establishments in the United Kingdom 1940 disestablishments in the United Kingdom 1940s in the United Kingdom British ministries Cabinets disestablished in 1940 Cabinets established in 1939 Coalition governments of the United Kingdom Grand coalition governments History of the Conservative Party (UK), Government Ministers in the Chamberlain wartime government, 1939–1940, Ministries of George VI Neville Chamberlain, Ministry 2 United Kingdom in World War II-related lists United Kingdom in World War II