Neville Chamberlain (Chamberlain Arthur Neville)

(1869-1940)
Son of Joseph Chamberlain from the second marriage, half-brother, Austen Chamberlain. Born in Birmingham 18 March 1869, was educated at Rugby and Mason College in Birmingham. Doing business in Birmingham and in the Bahamas. In 1915-1916 was the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, in 1916-1917 served as director general of national service obligations. In 1918 he was elected to Parliament from the Liberal Unionist Party in Ledivudskomu constituency of Birmingham. In 1922-1923 held positions - Minister of Post, Chief Treasurer, Minister of Health, Minister of Finance. Once again led by the Ministry of Health in 1924-1929 and in 1931. In 1931-1937 he was Minister of Finance. In 1930-1931 Chamberlain served as chairman of the Conservative Party. While his achievements in all these positions can not be called brilliant, in 1937 he was nominated by the Conservatives for the post of Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin instead. Chamberlain was a good leader, . in his service record was listed as a number of reforms (the introduction of protectionism, . wage cuts and unemployment benefits, etc.), . but he had neither sufficient knowledge, . no understanding of the complexity of the international situation at that time,
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Chamberlain proved unsuccessful attempts to cope with the aggressive policies of Hitler and Mussolini. His policy of appeasement of the Axis powers had reached its climax in the Munich Agreement September 29, 1938. In March 1939, when Chamberlain's belief in the possibility of preserving peace has been disrupted by recent German occupation of Czechoslovakia, his Government had tried to save the situation, giving Poland a guarantee of territorial integrity. Less than six months later this step inevitable part of Great Britain during World War II. After the failure of the Allied military expedition in Norway and the subsequent successful invasion of the Germans in the Netherlands and Belgium Chamberlain was forced to resign May 10, 1940. Remained in the study of Winston Churchill as Lord President of the Privy Council before October 3, 1940. Chamberlain died at his estate Hekfild House in Odiheme (Hampshire) 9 November 1940.