‘the liberal government under asquith was primarily responsible for the home rule crisis’
how far do you agree?
-introduction
-the liberal government had failed to recognise the severity of the situation before it was
too late
-the role of the conservatives and their belligerent language, the ulster unionists and the IPP
cannot be ignored when considering who was primarily responsible for the crisis
-the liberal party
-asquith’s ‘wait and see’ policy allowed the liberals to avoid too much involvement in home
rule
-wait and see- lack of strategy
-allowed carson and bonar law to turn towards militancy and hard line strategies
-asquith missed the chance to compromise as early as 1912
-asquith rejected any amendments or attempts at early exclusion – Lloyd George and
Churchill proposal of exclusion in February 1912 and agar-robertes amendment in June 1912
-he failed to listen to cabinet members who saw the severity of the situation in ulster- he
relied on Redmond’s opinion
-liberals failed to produce any clear strategy to deal with the exclusion of ulster when this
became a reality- instead choosing to reassure the IPP of their commitment to home-rule
for all of Ireland
-by the Buckingham palace conference- asquith had no clear view on the extent of what
exclusion for ulster would be (how many counties involved and if it would be temporary or
permanent) – the talks ended in deadlock
-failed to consider the warnings that the british army officers would refuse to move against
the ulster unionists- as demonstrated by the curragh mutiny
-although asquith met secretely with Redmond, carson and other leaders by the time of the
Buckingham palace conference it was too little, too late
-other mitigating factors where more focused on- the suffragettes and industrial violence
-conservatives and bonar law
-bonar law used the crisis to unite the party which had split following 3 successive electoral
defeats
-he pushed the limits of constitutional politics
-he saw ulster unionism as a way of destroying the home rule bill which they saw as a
‘corrupt parliamentary bargain’
-1912 blenheim palace speech- encouraging extra-parliamentary means – ‘I can imagine no
length of resistance to which ulster can go in which I should not be prepared to support
them’ – he described ulster as key to the empire
-the british league for the support of ulster and the union – was one of the propaganda tools
used by the conservatives
-predominantly conservative house of lords angry at the parliament act which reduced their
powers
-private talks with Churchill- bonar law claimed he wanted ulster to be excluded but would
accept home rule in the southern provinces
-he told carson he would accept partition encouraging the ulster unionist cause
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller rebeccamckimm. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £3.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
