The Transformation of British Government - Book Report/Review Example

College: A review of War and The Transformation of British Government, 1914-1919 by Kathleen Burke (Ed Kathleen Burke’s book “A review of War and State: The Transformation of British Government, 1914-1919” comprises of seven essays authored by different individuals. It is the first attempt to document events of the British government after the First World War. The essays in the book explore the effects of World War I on British government, its economic and social policy. The book also explores the major reasons of how and why the British administration changed and the resultant effects of the change. Further, the book also tries to trace the changes brought by World War I that remained after the end of the war. It is imperative to take into consideration that the book’s thematic concerns lie in the development of state involvement policies in Britain’s social life, industries and the economic life during World War I and how various administrative aspect of the government were fabricated to cater for the new emergence. Burke revels in the insider analysis of various British government ministries like the Ministry of Munitions, Treasury, Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Food and insights of how the cabinet and different subcommittees set for the war functioned in a rather surprising way. The book provides the little known inter cabinet wars and interdepartmental wars within the British government that delayed then mobilization of Britain to go to war. The book also provides crucial insights into the history of the war as a war not in the field but a war that was fought between the various departments and ministries of the government. The results of these wars marked the results of the real physical war in the battlefield. One of the most disturbing facts detailed in the book is the realization that the cabinet meetings kept no minutes for reference. The cabinet seemed to suffer from an organizational disease as it lacked the organizational means to pass important decisions due to lack of formal records that could detail the prevailing events, except for the letters sent to the King by the Prime Minister. The book details the hidden elements of the division that existed in the Asquith government between ‘business as usual’ supporters and supporters of total war. The article; The Rise and Fall of Business as Usual by David French explores the facts behind the eruption of war. The author delves into the transition that saw the British and the Germans shift from a peaceful coexistence to engage in war. Further, the author also looks at the major tenets that made the British government dictate the change to state control of the economy. French also delves into the military strategies which were utilized by the British in the first year of the war. The writer accentuates on the fact that there was misunderstanding over the military strategy rather than the ideological obligation, which acted as the main obstacles to mobilization of both people and resources to go to war. The article is dominated by David Lloyd George and other principal players in the British government whose influence in the politics of the Britain government helped shape the British government during and after the war. George as represented in the article was a transformative leader whose abilities to adapt to changes of military and industrial requirements and situations helped save Britain during the war. From a ‘business as usual’ leader, George transformed to a war believer who advocated for preparedness of the British army in anticipation of a long war with Germany. The article also cites the intervention of Lord Kitchener who saw the need to raise a big army to combat the war in the German front. The phrase Business as usual was coined by George to assure businessmen that everything was going as it had been. However, behind this reassurance lie an immediate need to realign the British people to react to a war that needed much organization. Wrigley’s essay looks at the Ministry of Munitions formed in 1915 and headed by Lloyd George. Wrigley describes George as a witty character who kept the war going on in the battle field with his manpower policies. However, Kitchener had sensed that the machinery at the war office could not adapt to total war. Kitchener therefore resulted to inept efforts to manipulate of the administration, the military and the British citizens. The failure of Kitchener’s tactics left George at the helm and despite his initial reluctance; he proved his worth in using pragmatic policies to drive the battle forward. Turner’s ‘Cabinets, Committees and Secretariats: the higher direction of war’ essay discredits George achievements and credits Asquith decision at the 19-14-1915 council to form a secretariat and circulate minutes from cabinet conventions among the cabinet members. Sir Maurice Hankey of the War Council was placed at the helm of ensuring that information was circulated under orders from Lloyd George. They ensured a steady flow of decisions outward and of problems inwards (Burke 72). This enabled George and Hankey to have an upper hand over strategic planning during the war. However, the two developed an antagonistic relationship between the War Council and war departments which would prove a defect in the post-1916 government system. Lowe and Harris analyze the functioning of the Labor and Food ministries. They state that Lloyd George’s creation of line departments were unsuccessful in their bid to achieve autonomy and authority. In addition, the failure of the Labor ministry to gain support from trade unions and Labor party implied that the government could not control manpower, industrial relations and thus the failure on postwar demobilization and restoration. The Food ministry under Lord Devonport rallied but was submissive to agricultural and business interests of the businessmen. Lord Rhondda succeeded Devonport and created a national food policy which controlled prices and rationing. However, the ministry was full of different businessmen; some propelled by self-interests, while others were inventive swashbucklers (Burke 76). Cline’s ‘Winding Down the War Economy: the British Plans for Peacetime Recovery’ essay disagrees with the assertion that Lloyd George failed to understand planning and controls which eventually which resulted to an overrun by enemies of state intervention. Cline asserts that the expected stalemate after 1918 forced the government to consider the use of economic warfare to lead Germany into submission. These considerations included potential shortage of war materials and postwar controls, which could have been used if the war would have persisted. Burke’s article; ‘The Treasury: from Impotence to Power’ argues that the war necessitated the treasury administrators to regulate government spending to reduce wastage of public funds in case of such wars. After the war, ‘anti-waste’ campaigns by the treasury gave it veto power to regulate government spending and recruitment, which was used in both World Wars. Works cited Burke, Kathleen (Ed.). War and the State: The Transformation of the British Government, 1914-1919. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1982. Print. Read More