H. H. Asquith

The Richt Honourable The Earl of Oxford and Asquith KG PC KC
Prime Meenister o the Unitit Kinrick
In office 5 Aprile 1908 – 5 December 1916
Monarch	Edward VII George V
Precedit bi	Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Succeedit bi	David Lloyd George
Leader o the Opposeetion
In office 12 Februar 1920 – 21 November 1922
Monarch	George V
Prime Meenister	David Lloyd George Bonar Law
Precedit bi	Donald Maclean
Succeedit bi	Ramsay MacDonald
In office 6 December 1916 – 14 December 1918
Monarch	George V
Prime Meenister	David Lloyd George
Precedit bi	Edward Carson
Succeedit bi	Donald Maclean
Secretar o State for War
In office 30 Mairch 1914 – 5 August 1914
Precedit bi	J. E. B. Seely
Succeedit bi	The Earl Kitchener
Leader o the Liberal Pairty
In office 30 Aprile 1908 – 14 October 1926
Precedit bi	Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Succeedit bi	David Lloyd George
Leader o the Hoose o Commons
In office 5 Aprile 1908 – 5 December 1916
Precedit bi	Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Succeedit bi	Bonar Law
Chancellor o the Exchequer
In office 10 December 1905 – 12 Aprile 1908
Prime Meenister	Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Precedit bi	Austen Chamberlain
Succeedit bi	David Lloyd George
Hame Secretar
In office 18 August 1892 – 25 Juin 1895
Prime Meenister	William Ewart Gladstone The Earl o Rosebery
Precedit bi	Henry Matthews
Succeedit bi	Matthew White Ridley
Member o Pairlament for Paisley
In office 12 Februar 1920 – 4 November 1924
Precedit bi	John Mills McCallum
Succeedit bi	Edward Rosslyn Mitchell
Member o Pairlament for East Fife
In office 27 Julie 1886 – 14 December 1918
Precedit bi	John Boyd Kinnear
Succeedit bi	Alexander Sprot
Personal details
Born	Herbert Henry Asquith 12 September 1852(1852-09-12) Morley, Wast Riding o Yorkshire, Ingland, Unitit Kinrick
Dee'd	15 Februar 1928(1928-02-15) (aged 75) Sutton Courtenay, Berkshire, Ingland, Unitit Kinrick
Restin place	Aw Saunts' Kirk, Sutton Courtenay
Poleetical pairty	Liberal Pairty
Spoose(s)	Helen Melland (1877–1891) Margot Tennant (1894–1928)
Bairns	10
Alma mater	Balliol College, Oxford Inns o Coort Schuil o Law Ceety o Lunnon Schuil
Religion	Congregationalist
Signatur

Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl o Oxford an Asquith KG PC KC (12 September 1852 – 15 Februar 1928), served as the Liberal Prime Meenister o the Unitit Kinrick frae 1908 tae 1916. He wis the last prime meenister tae lead a majority Leeberal govrenment, an he played a central role in the design an passage o major leeberal legislation an a reduction o the pouer o the Hoose o Lairds. In August 1914, Asquith teuk Great Breetain an the Breetish Empire intae the First Warld War. In 1915, his govrenment wis veegorously attacked for a shortage o muneetions an the failyie o the Gallipoli Campaign. He formed a coalition govrenment wi ither pairties, but failed tae satisfee creetics. As a result, he wis forced tae resign in December 1916, an he niver regained poyer.

Efter attendin Balliol College, Oxford, he becam a successfu barrister. In 1886 he wis the Leeberal candidate for East Fife, a seat he held for ower thirty years. In 1892 he wis appyntit as Hame Secretar in Gladstone's fowert meenistry, remainin in the post till the Leeberals lost the 1895 election. In the decade o opposeetion that follaed Asquith becam a major feegur in the pairty, an whan the Leeberals regained pouer unner Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman in 1905 Asquith wis named Chancellor o the Exchequer. In 1908 Asquith succeedit him as Prime Meenister. The Leeberals war determined tae advance thair reform agenda. An impediment tae this wis the Hoose o Lairds, that rejected the People's Budget o 1909. Meanwhile the South Africa Act 1909 passed. Asquith cried an election for Januar 1910, an the Leeberals wan, tho war reduced tae a minority govrenment. Efter anither general election in December 1910 he gained passage o the Pairlament Act 1911, allouin a bill three times passed bi the Commons in consecutive sessions tae be enactit regairdless o the Lairds. Asquith wis less successfu in dealin wi Erse Hame Rule. Repeatit creeses led tae gun rinnin an veeolence, vergin on ceevil war.

Whan Breetain declared war on Germany in response tae the German invasion o Belgium, heich profile conflicts war suspendit regairdin Ireland an weemen's suffrage. Awtho mair o a committee chair nor a dynamic leader, he owersaw naitional mobilisation; the dispatch o the Breetish Expedeetionary Force tae the Wastren Front, the creaution o a mass airmy, an the development o an industrial strategy designed tae support the kintra's war aims. The war becam bogged doun an the demand rose for better leadership. He wis forced tae form a coaleetion wi the Conservatives an Labour early in 1915. He wis waikened bi his awn indeceesion ower strategy, conscription, an financin. Lloyd George replaced him as Prime Meenister in December 1916. Thay becam bitter enemies an focht for control o the fest-declinin Leeberal Pairty. His role in creautin the modren Breetish weelfare state (1906–1911) haes been celebratit, but his waiknesses as a war leader an as a pairty leader efter 1914 hae been heichlichtit bi historians.