Chamberlain war ministry
1939–1940
Date formed	3 September 1939 (1939-09-03)
Date dissolved	10 May 1940 (1940-05-10)
People and organisations
Monarch	George VI
Prime Minister	Neville Chamberlain
Prime Minister's history	1937–1940
Total no. of members	98 appointments
Member parties	Conservative Party   Liberal National Party   National Labour
Status in legislature	Majority (coalition) 428 / 615 (70%)
Opposition party	Labour Party
Opposition leader	Clement Attlee
History
Legislature term(s)	37th UK Parliament
Outgoing formation	Norway Debate
Predecessor	Fourth National Government
Successor	Churchill war ministry

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

History

On 3 September 1939, Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, reconstructed his 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 Lord Caldecote replacing Lord Maugham as Lord Chancellor, Sir John Anderson replacing Sir Samuel Hoare as 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 and National Liberal members. There were no representatives from the Labour Party or 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 Sir John Simon, Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax, Churchill, Secretary of State for Air Sir Kingsley Wood, Minister for Coordination of Defence Lord Chatfield, Lord Hankey (as Minister without Portfolio), and Secretary of State for War 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 Churchill who formed the War Coalition.

Cabinet

War Cabinet, September 1939 – May 1940

Chamberlain's War Cabinet in September 1939. From left to right: Standing: Wood, Churchill, Hore-Belisha, and Hankey. Front row: Halifax, Simon, Chamberlain, Hoare, and Chatfield.

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 and Leader of the House of Commons
• Sir Samuel Hoare – Lord Privy Seal
• Sir John Simon – Chancellor of the Exchequer
• Lord Halifax – Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
• Leslie Hore-Belisha – Secretary of State for War
• Sir Kingsley Wood – Secretary of State for Air
• Winston Churchill – First Lord of the Admiralty
• Lord Chatfield – Minister for Coordination of Defence
• Lord Hankey – 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.

List of ministers

Members of the Cabinet are in bold face.

References

• D. Butler and G. Butler, Twentieth Century British Political Facts 1900–2000.