Staring at God

by Simon Heffer

  Asquith, Raymond 217, 447, 448

  Asquith, Violet see Bonham Carter, Violet

  Astor, William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount 470

  Athlone, Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of (formerly Alexander of Teck) 592

  Attlee, Clement 476, 809

  Aud (steamer) 352

  Audacious, HMS 137–8, 181

  Augusta, Princess, of Cambridge 112

  Australia/Australians 114, 174, 310, 357, 454, 493, 537, 626, 633, 758, 780; troops 60, 128, 182; and Ireland 626, 628

  Austria/Austria-Hungary: and assassination of Franz Ferdinand 5–10 passim; and declaration of war on Serbia 10–46 passim, 49, 50, 52, 75, 82; and Germany 48, 50, 51, 56, 57, 69, 87; and Russia 39, 43, 48, 50, 52, 57, 61, 68; Britain declares war on 130; and Battle of Lemberg 139; Italy at war with 323, 556, 561; peace overtures and armistice 556, 557, 721, 728, 729, 730, 732–3, 754

  Aylmer, Sir Fenton 341

  Bacon, F. H. 151

  Baden-Powell, Sir Robert 617

  Baldwin, Stanley 91, 480, 523, 601, 740, 788, 794

  Balfour, Arthur James: and entente cordiale with France 31; and Churchill 64, 71, 321–2; and Kitchener 71, 240, 295; and debate on the war 81; praises Cambon for his speech 122; discusses BEF with Haldane 128; speaks in support of Asquith 144; in charge of destruction of cattle 150; on the economy 159; joins War Council 182; and Dardanelles campaign 187, 188, 222; and Munitions Committee 194; relationship with Lloyd George 195, 323, 326, 403; and Churchill 196, 201, 222; on committee examining shell shortages 202; and the press 208; and French 221; becomes First Lord of the Admiralty 226, 228; responsible for defence of London 255; at meeting with Joffre in Calais 273; and conscription 278, 290, 308, 329; in new War Committee 295; and Irish Home Rule 378–9; and report of Battle of Jutland 397; discusses Battle of the Somme 412; increasingly anachronistic 440, 450, 451; loses faith in Asquith 448; misses meeting with Law 462; retained by Asquith as First Lord 464, 465, 466, and on War Committee 472; jealous of Asquith 474; and Lloyd George’s coup 475, 481, 485; and Dardanelles Commission report 509; and mission to America 519; and Loreburn’s motion on honours 524; complains of Lloyd George’s intolerable conduct 563; and peace negotiations 567; refuses to read Lansdowne’s peace plans 581, 584; and fall of the Tsar 588; and Northcliffe’s propaganda leaflets 664, 668; and Robertson 675; and Maurice 716; on peace negotiations with Germany 721–2, 730

  Balfour of Burleigh, Alexander Bruce, Lord 286

  Balkan League 73

  Ballin, Albert 48

  Bank Charter Act (1844) 61–2

  Bank of England 54, 57, 61, 165, 793

  Barbour, Mary 282

  Baring, Sir Godfrey 709

  Barnes, George 451–2, 455, 578, 621

  Barrow-in-Furness 268, 594, 604

  Bathurst, Lilias, Countess 135, 202, 236, 269, 435, 482, 517, 610, 666, 707

  Beatty, Vice-Admiral Sir David vi, 138, 396, 397, 450, 511, 796

  Beauchamp, William Lygon, 7th Earl 38, 67, 68, 71, 72, 87, 184

  Beaufort, Louise Somerset, Duchess of 332

  Beaverbrook, Max Aitken, 1st Baron: at Unionist house party 64; on Churchill 24, 225; friendship with Law 232; on Kitchener’s death 398; hosts lunch for Law and Lloyd George 400; and Northcliffe 437, 459, 465–6, 586, 659; hosts lunch for Law, Smith and Churchill 457; and Lloyd George’s coup 458, 459–60, 461, 463, 465, 467–8, 470, 475, 501; and Churchill 478; offered peerage 488–9, 521; as go-between between Law and Lloyd George 516; claims to have turned job down ‘on account of bad health’ 528; in charge of Ministry of Information and becomes Chancellor of Duchy of Lancaster 659–60, 661–2, 663, 664; threatens to resign 668; involved in Daily Chronicle conspiracy 737, 738; resigns to have throat operation 739; opposed to use of electoral ‘coupons’ 768, 769; on Haig 771; Men and Power 24, 458, 517, 735; Politicians and the War 225;see also Daily Express

  Beck, Cecil 551

  Bedford College, London University 102

  Beethoven, Ludwig van 263

  BEF see British Expeditionary Force

  Belfast 360, 374, 389, 417, 627, 751, 752, 807, 810

  Belgium 27, 39, 47, 54–5; violation of neutrality 11, 37, 47, 51–2, 53, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 62–3, 65, 67, 68, 74–5; and Schlieffen Plan 47–8, 500; mobilisation 58; rejects German ultimatum 69; and German ‘bullying’ 69, 70, 78; German invasion 72, 77, 104, 110, 128; and British support 75, 76, 77, 78–9, 81; and British declaration of war on Germany 83–8, 92, 107; and BEF 129, 132, 203; and German atrocities 137, 214, 217, 267; refugees 139, 149, 150, 217, 526; and Ireland 345, 387, 636; and peace negotiations 567, 568; Britain’s war aims for 576, 582, 585, 702, 721, 729, 731, 757; German air bases 607, 609; postwar debt 785; see also Antwerp

  Bell, Clive 78, 105, 406

  Bell, Tom 284

  Bell, Vanessa 105, 406

  Benckendorff, Count Alexander von, Russian ambassador to Britain 14–15, 21, 43

  Benedict XV, Pope 348, 406

  Bennett, Arnold 105, 106, 213, 659, 755; Clayhanger Trilogy 264; Lord Raingo 264, 659; The Pretty Lady 264; The Roll Call 264

  Berchtold, Countess Ferdinanda 87

  Berchtold, Count Leopold von, Austrian prime minister 21, 30, 44

  Beresford, Admiral Lord Charles 97, 319, 514, 660

  Berkendael Medical Institute 97

  Bertie, Sir Francis, British ambassador to France 32, 34, 41, 42, 53, 54, 56, 58, 61, 63, 83, 708

  Bethmann Hollweg, Theobald von, Chancellor of Germany 10, 13, 45, 46, 48, 49, 50, 51, 55, 58, 73, 79, 83, 84, 86, 190, 347, 499

  Beveridge, William 533

  Bevin, Ernest 282

  billeting 603–5

  Billing, Noel Pemberton 666–7, 668

  Billingsgate 163, 525

  Binyon, Laurence 138, 263; ‘For the Fallen’ 138, 263, 266

  Birkenhead: bantam battalion 178

  Birkenhead, Lord see Smith, F. E.

  Birmingham 111, 140, 234, 289, 495, 596, 654, 717, 651

  Birrell, Augustine 124, 345, 346–7, 349, 350, 351, 353, 354, 357, 358, 365, 369–70, 374–5, 379, 383, 384

  birth rate 331, 625, 784–5

  black marketeers 122, 535, 611

  Blackader, Major General Charles 366

  Blackburn 305

  Blackpool 242

  Blandford, Dorset 259, 752

  Blast (magazine) 264–5

  Bliss, Arthur 95, 262, 653

  Bloomsbury group 78, 98, 105, 612; see also Bell, Clive; Bell, Vanessa; Grant, Duncan; Strachey, Lytton; Woolf, Virginia

  Blumenfeld, R. D. 304

  Blunden, Edmund 262

  Blythe, Colin 94

  Board of Agriculture 526, 527, 548

  Board of Trade 165, 175, 176, 206, 270, 319, 332, 451, 454, 456, 488, 551, 718; see also Burns, John; Runciman, Walter

  Boer Wars 35, 71, 79, 87, 91, 93, 101, 128, 130, 158, 195, 254, 502, 756

  Bonar Law, Andrew see Law, Andrew Bonar

  Bonham Carter, Maurice 203, 223, 291, 293, 403, 467, 468

  Bonham Carter, Violet (née Asquith) 97, 217, 224, 230, 291

  Boothby, Robert Boothby (‘Bob’), Baron 254–5, 488

  Bosnia and Herzegovina 1, 5, 7, 8, 10, 23

  Botha, General Louis 105

  Bottomley, Horatio 71, 93–4, 213–14, 229, 263, 289, 456, 666, 794

  Boult, Adrian 652, 653

  Boy Scouts 96, 617

  Boyce, William: Hearts of Oak 151

  Brabazon, Reginald see Meath, 12th Earl of

  Brace, William 813

  Bradbury, Sir John 121

  Bradford 619

  Bradford Pals 101, 410

  Bradlaugh, Charles 93

  Brahms, Johannes 263

  Braintree, Essex 410, 545, 756

  Briand, Aristide 505, 506

  Bridge, Frank 266, 651, 652; Blow Out You Bugles 651; For God and King and Right 651; Four Characteristic Pieces 651; Lament 651

  Bridges, Robert 106, 138, 266, 267

  Bright, Charles 153
<
br />   Brightmore, James 639

  Bristol 247, 268; TUC 281, 772

  Britannia (journal) 103

  British Army/British Expeditionary Force 23–4, 63, 70–71, 95, 97, 98, 100, 110, 121–2, 124–5, 127–9, 131–3, 134, 143, 146, 149, 181, 186; recruitment 94–7, 98–9, 100–1, 121–2, 135, 140–41, 142, 152, 178–9, 203, 212–13, 215, 239, 253, 263, 273–4, 289–92, 306–7, 309–11, 332–3, 546–7, 552, 580, 718, 779, see also Derby Scheme; bantam battalions 153, 178; casualties and losses 132, 133, 137, 138, 139, 140, 145, 181, 186, 190, 198, 199, 211, 212, 222, 242, 247, 249–50, 253–5, 269, 272–3, 288, 289, 301, 303, 304, 309, 341, 411–14, 420, 438, 439–40, 555, 562, 680, 711, 720–21, 779, 780; conscription 99, 110, 213, 239, 269–70, 273, 279, 286, 288–9, 307, 308, 312–13, 323, 324–6, 327–30, 331–3, 425–6, 439, 750; Welsh battalions 179–80; and the Irish 179, 311, 332, 343, 345, 348, 382, 427–9, 548, 685–6, 779; and women 550; and allowances see separation allowances; tanks 185, 567; shell and weapons shortages 132, 143, 165, 166, 180, 199–200, 202–3, 205, 207, 210, 213, 220, 221, 233, 234, 239, 240, 248, 315, 320, 641, 647, 654; under French command 505, 555, 646, 665, 710; in Italy 672; demobilisation 796–7, 798–803

  British Journal of Psychology 783

  British Museum 138, 317

  British National Workers’ League 597, 750

  British Summer Time 339, 787

  British Undertakers’ Association 650

  British Weekly 326

  Britten, Benjamin 266, 651

  Brockway, Archibald Fenner 325, 406

  Brooke, Rupert 93, 147, 259–61, 262, 414–15, 425, 573; Blow Out You Bugles 651

  Browne, W. Denis 147

  Browning, F. W. 356–7

  Brugha, Cathal 696

  Bryce, James Bryce, 1st Viscount 267, 804; report on Belgian atrocities 214, 217–18, 267

  Buchan, John 501–2, 571, 659; Greenmantle 501; Nelson’s History of the Great War 502; The Thirty-Nine Steps 501

  Buchanan, Sir George, British ambassador to Russia 7, 19–20, 21–2, 25–6; on imminent war 26–7, 28, 29; and British support for Russia 31–2, 34, 37, 39, 43, 44, 45; on Russian mobilisation 34, 44, 45, 50; wires that Germany has declared war on Russia 63; urges support for Russia 68; and Tsar’s request for asylum 587, 588, 589

  Buckmaster, Sir Stanley, Solicitor General 115, 147, 201, 236, 804

  Bulgaria 82, 184, 314, 729, 732

  Bull, Sir William 115

  Burberry’s 91

  Burgis, Laurence 411

  Burnham, Lord 481, 582, 583

  Burns, John, President of the Board of Trade 38, 55, 67, 68, 71, 85, 86

  Bury: bantam battalion 178

  bus conductors, female 285, 718

  Butt, Alfred 487

  Butt, Clara 274

  Byles, Sir William 81, 333, 404, 424

  Byng, General Julian 796

  Byrne, Alfred 687, 688

  Byrne, Brigadier General Sir Joseph 685, 700

  Cadbury, George 80

  Caillaux, Henriette 9–10

  Caillaux, Joseph 9

  Calais 111, 273, 504, 505; camp 805–6

  Callwell, Major General Sir Charles 680

  Calmette, Gaston 9

  Calthrop, Guy 599

  Cambon, Jules 19

  Cambon, Paul 19, 24, 26, 48–9, 52, 53, 55, 57, 58, 62, 63, 66, 67, 68, 74, 122, 239–40

  Cambrai, Battles of: 1917 567, 643; 1918679, 680, 755

  Cambridge, Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of 592

  Cambridge University 302, 334, 335, 422, 580

  Campbell, Mrs Patrick 103

  Campbell-Bannerman, Sir Henry 35, 236

  Camperdown, Robert Haldane-Duncan, 3rd Earl of 384

  Canada/Canadians 64, 167, 232, 275, 317, 465, 489, 626, 633, 659, 780; troops 60, 128, 218, 238–9, 390, 555, 662, 806; harvests 454, 493, 499

  Caporetto, Battle of (1917) 564

  Carden, Vice-Admiral Sir Sackville 184, 187, 231, 445

  Cardiff 144, 145, 270, 271, 272, 423, 457, 751

  Carlisle 604

  Carlyle, Thomas 820

  Carson, Sir Edward 446–7; and Home Rule 52–3, 123, 124, 125, 126; at house party with Law and other Unionists 64; and F. E. Smith 64, 134; joins coalition government 226, 236, 345–6, 375; and conscription 273, 276, 326, 327. 329; feels cabinet is useless 281, 295; resigns 293–4, 297; and Lloyd George 312, 320, 326; as de facto leader of opposition 324; argues that strikers are guilty of high treason 337; and Easter Rising 370, 371; and Ulster 376, 377, 378, 380, 381, 383, 388, 628, 629; and Ulster Volunteers 412, 427–8; an example of ‘real virile, strong men’ 435; Lloyd George proud to serve under 446; on the cost of the war 449; and policy on food 455; and Law’s resignation 458; and formation of new War Council 459, 460, 461–2, 470, 472; detested by Asquith 464; and Lloyd George’s coup 475, 476; as First Lord of the Admiralty 484, 485, 512; replaced by Geddes 512–13, 518; warns of food shortages 529; supports Haig’s Western Front strategy 561; on sacrifices of Home Rulers 631; resigns over conscription in Ireland 658–9, 699; and Chamberlain 662; ‘supreme in cabinet’ 692; attacks Northcliffe 739–40

  Casement, Sir Roger 342, 343, 345, 347, 348, 351–2, 353, 379, 381–2, 385, 391–2

  Cavan, Rudolph Lambart, 10th Earl of 727

  Cave, Sir George, home secretary 520, 597, 608, 612, 613, 618, 667, 668, 692, 707, 718

  Cavell, Edith vi, 97, 255–9, 303, 373, 780–81

  Cavendish-Bentinck, Lord Henry 748

  Ceannt, Éamonn 349, 354, 356

  Cecil, Lord Hugh 44, 76, 624, 714, 805, 818

  Cecil of Chelwood, Lord Robert Cecil, 1st Viscount 125, 152, 226, 320, 373, 462, 471, 473, 478, 479, 481, 487, 563, 571, 584, 585, 589, 668, 824

  censors/censorship 16, 104, 115, 133–8, 147, 159, 166, 191, 200–1, 202, 209, 210, 220, 221, 240, 255, 263, 294, 315, 344, 362, 410–11, 413–14, 415–16, 417, 422, 432, 558, 581, 588, 665–6, 667, 669, 684

  Central Committee for National Patriotic Organisations 253, 267, 586

  Central Liquor Control Board 171

  Chamberlain, Austen 64; and Home Rule 124, 125; endorses Lloyd George’s economic proposals 159; in coalition government 208, 226; against excessive censorship 209; becomes Secretary of State for India 226, 341; and Milner 226; and Derby 29; in Asquith’s committee on conscription 323; and Lloyd George’s appointment to the War Office 402; chairs Manpower Distribution Board 426, 430; and Lloyd George coup 446, 462, 468, 471, 473, 478, 479; and the press 482, 660–61, 662, 663, 708; as Secretary of State for India under Lloyd George 485, 502; demands that Haig be retained 487; resigns over Kut-el-Amara debacle 517; and the Irish question 691, 696; appointed to War Cabinet 708; and Lloyd George’s rebuttal of Maurice 713; wants a stronger Opposition 773; on his new postwar Tory colleagues 788; becomes Chancellor of the Exchequer 789–90, 801; and labour disputes 808; his Budget 823

  Chamberlain, Joseph 9, 495

  Chamberlain, Neville 234, 495, 526, 537, 545–7, 548, 549, 550–51, 552, 668, 773

  Chancellor, Henry 453

  Chaplin, Charlie 416, 417

  Chaplin, Eric Chaplin, 2nd Viscount 634, 635

  Charles, Emperor see Karl, Kaiser

  Charrington, Frederick 152

  Chatfield, Captain Ernle vi, 396

  Chatham 560

  Chelmsford, Essex 177, 410, 413

  Chelmsford, Frederic Thesiger, 1st Viscount 633, 820

  Cheshunt: Zeppelin raid (1915) 255

  Chesterton, G. K. 104, 106

  Chetwynd, Sir George Chetwynd, 5th Baronet 684

  children: and crime 615–19, 744; and education 742–6; illegitimate 78, 176–8, 614; in poverty 98, 102, 108, 122; see also birth rate

  Chilwell, Nottinghamshire: factory explosion (1918) 235, 683–4

  Christian, Princess 97

  Churchill, Clementine vi, 230, 300, 315, 321, 322, 327

  Churchill, Winston: as First Lord of the Admiralty 18, 27, 34, 55; on Austrian note to Serbia 23; and the Irish question
24, 44, 125; and Grey 35; in cabinet 61; orders naval reserve to be mobilised 63; considers coalition government 64; distrusted by Law 64; and Lloyd George’s change of mind 70; suggests Kitchener for War Office 71; and outbreak of war 85; and Prince Louis of Battenberg 113, 114; in Council of War 127, 129; and fall of Namur 131; presses for conscription 132; and the sinking of Amphion 133, and Audacious 137; attacks the press 133; rebukes Northcliffe 136; clashes with his advisers 143–4; on mission to King of the Belgians 146; tries to resign from Admiralty 146; and fall of Antwerp 146–7; and recall of Admiral Fisher from retirement 147–8; and German raids 160, 161; suggests sanctions against unpatriotic workers 166; and abstinence 169–70; on poverty as drag on recruitment 178; included in War Council 182, 195–6; and Asquith 196, 197, 199, 201, 208; favours coalition 196, 197; and Dardanelles campaign 183–5, 186, 187, 188–9, 192, 193, 222–3, 225, 231, 240–41, 295, 300, 314, 403; and Fisher’s resignation 222–3, 225, 227; ‘a real danger’ 226; removed from Admiralty 227, 228, 229–31; writes an appreciation of Rupert Brooke 259–60; draws up memorandum on national war service 269; wants unlimited recruiting 278; on Northcliffe 279; agrees with Lloyd George on inefficiency of government 281; lobbies for Kitchener to be replaced 288; attacks Derby 289–90; backs Lloyd George on conscription 292, 293; excluded from War Committee 295, 296, 300; resigns from government 300; commands 6th Royal Scots Fusiliers in France 300, 323; defended by Asquith 303; warns of shortage of ships 320–21; urges that Fisher be recalled 321–2; attacked for his speech 322–3; returns to England 327; wants Lloyd George’s resignation 327, 328; and Wimborne’s appointment 358; writes account of Battle of Jutland 397; on Robertson 399; shocked by Lloyd George 401; fails to get cabinet post 401; opposed to great military offensives 409, 412, 420–21; and Dardanelles Commission 443, 444, 445–6, 508, 510; on Asquith’s position 447; speaks on the iniquities of the government 457–8; and Lloyd George coup 461, 478, 479, 486, 488, 510; makes statesmanlike speech 513; appointed Minister of Munitions 513–18 passim; has doubts about beating Germans on Western Front 561; and formation of Royal Air Force 566–7; instigates shelters for munitions workers 606; criticises Home Defence 643; complains of lack of manpower in the Army 646; and loss of men from munitions factories 682, 683; and explosion at Chilwell Factory 684; and strikers 717–18; and armistice negotiations with Wilson 730; on Armistice Day 759; and demobilisation 763, 770, 795, 797, 798, 799–801, 802–3; angry with Beaverbrook 769; in the War Office 789, 790, 799; supports Birkenhead as Lord Chancellor 790; and award of honours 795; and an Army of Occupation 801; and strikes 808, 811; on nationalisation of the railways 814; view of India 820; planning war in Russia 821