Staring at God

by Simon Heffer

  Gerard, James W., American ambassador to Germany 256

  Germany/Germans: and assassination of Franz Ferdinand 7; and prewar international relations 10–16, 20–31, 33, 36–44, 45–6, 47–62; declares war on Russia 63, 68; invades Belgium 72, 77, 83–4; declares war on France 77; Britain declares war on 86–7, 88; and Armistice 757; scuttles fleet at Scapa Flow 823; signs peace treaty 822–3, 824; see also enemy aliens

  Gertler, Mark 105

  Gibbs, Philip 411

  Gildes, Sir James 524

  Ginnell, Laurence 350, 368, 369, 375, 376, 625, 632

  Girl Guides 96

  Gladstone, William E. 35, 47, 53, 74–5, 158, 436, 464, 502, 768, 785

  Glamis Castle 97

  Glasgow 176, 203, 221, 285, 289, 576, 617, 752, 805, 808–9, 810; bantam battalions 178; see also Clydeside workers

  Glasgow Women’s Housing Association 282–3

  Glentanar, George Coats, 1st Baron 102

  Globe (newspaper) 266, 296

  Goeben, SMS, sinking of 85

  Gogarty, Oliver St John 361

  gold reserves, British 49, 54, 62, 121, 165, 599, 793

  Good Hope, HMS 160

  Gore, Charles, Bishop of Oxford 167

  Goschen, Sir Edward, British ambassador to Germany 44, 45, 49–50, 51, 52, 55, 58, 69, 83, 84, 85, 86, 8

  Gotha fixed-wing bombers 558, 559, 607–8, 609

  Gough, General Sir Hubert 703–4

  Government of India Act (1919) 633

  Grace, Dr W. G. 151–2

  Graham, Sir Hugh 489

  Granados, Enrique 338

  Grant, Duncan 78, 105, 407

  Graves, Robert 94, 262, 573, 758; Fairies and Fusiliers 650

  Great Leighs, Essex 134, 176–7, 276, 291, 317, 410, 756

  Great War, The (periodical) 92

  Great Yarmouth 159–60, 162, 338

  Grey, Sir Edward 35; and assassination of Franz Ferdinand 5–6, 7–8, 14, 17; fails to alert cabinet of danger from Germany 11; and Austrian-Serbian dispute 12–34 passim; and Anglo-Russian relations 19–20; and Britain’s role 34, 36–8; and Belgian neutrality 37, 47, 53, 55, 56, 58, 62–3, 67, 80, 107; and Austrian mobilisation 39–40; hopes for four-power talks 40–44; and Austrian declaration of war 46; and Germany 46, 48–50, 51, 52, 53, 55, 56; and France 48, 53–4, 56–7, 58, 59, 66–7; on the coming war 59, 60–61, 62–4; and German invasion of Belgium 69, 72; and Haldane 70–71; his Commons speech 73–7, 78, 727; in tears 85; and declaration of war with Germany 78, 81–2, 83–4, 86–7; and Mensdorff 87; justifies war 92; on Haldane 99; and Asquith 107, 235; in Council of War 127; unhappy at failing to prevent war 143; in War Council 182, 188; illness 193; ‘tired out and hysterical’ 195; and Churchill 197; has eyesight trouble 197, 403; goes fishing 197; ‘terribly egotistical’ 235; and Haldane’s removal 238; and Edith Cavell’s execution 258; and conscription 278, 293, 306, 307; and Dardanelles campaign 291; as member of new War Committee 295; threatens resignation 307; and Edward House 395; and Lloyd George 403; refuses earldom 403; opposed to Dardanelles Commission 444; on Asquith 447; attacked by The Times 466; and Lloyd George’s coup 472, 480, 481, 482, 485; and mission to America 519; endorses Lansdowne’s letter 583

  Griffith, Arthur 343

  Grigg, John 200

  Grimshaw, Major 639

  Guest, Freddie 181, 276–7, 288–9, 513, 515–16, 614, 736, 737, 738

  Guinness, Major Walter 661

  Gurney, Ivor 651; Severn and Somme 651

  Gwynne, H. A. 62; supports Grey 62; attacks Churchill 147, 222; urges Asquith to replace him with Jellicoe 147; tells General Wilson of the Asquiths’ drinking habits 198, 199; opposed to coalition 200; on conscription 213, 279; conspires with Lloyd George and Wilson on Kitchener’s behalf 279; and the Derby Scheme 290; on Asquith’s unpopularity 292–3; calls for him to be replaced by Carson 324, 337, 481; and Irvine’s report on Ulstermen in British Army 343, 344; on Home Rule 376; on the King’s German relatives 433; thanked by Lloyd George for his help 482; on Lloyd George’s appointment of Churchill 517; and Haig 561, 564; and Robertson 561, 565; and Repington 665; writes to Esher on Bolsheviks 760; letters to Countess Bathurst: on The Times’ account of retreat from Mons 135; on having a general election 236; on Lloyd George 482, 707; on Churchill 517–18; on having lost faith in all the leaders 610; see also Morning Post

  Haggard, Sir Henry Rider 276, 781

  Haig, Lady Dorothy (née Vivian) 782

  Haig, Field Marshal Sir Douglas 46, 408; in Asquith’s Council of War 127, 128; has grave doubts about Sir John French 129–30; his own limitations 130; takes command of 1st Army 185; warned of shell shortage 194; opposes Loos offensive 288; Churchill lobbies for him to become military director 288; invested with Order of the Bath 296; on the King having lost confidence in French 296–7; undermines French 298–9; complains of manpower shortages 320; reprieves conscientious objectors 336; and Lloyd George 398, 399, 403, 412, 437, 459, 464, 486, 487, 491, 506, 507, 521, 564–5, 566, 567, 646, 647–8, 660; and Derby 403, 463, 469, 566; and Northcliffe 403, 415; and Asquith 404, 448, 449; launches Battle of the Somme 407–11, 412, 415, 418, 421, 437, 449, 464, 487; and Robertson 447, 486, 556, 557, 608, 642; and Esher 472; and Nivelle offensive 503–7, 555; and Eric Geddes 511, 512, 644; argues for a new Flanders offensive (Ypres) 556–8, 559, 560–61, 562, 563, 564; is opposed to Supreme War Council 564; further complaints of manpower shortages 641, 642, 646; urged by Derby to build pillboxes 643; angers Robertson and Derby with his political stupidity 647; and Sir Henry Wilson 670, 671; and Versailles conference 670, 673, 674–5, 676; and Lloyd George 676–7, 678–80, 681, 726; and Robertson’s ‘resignation’ 677–8; and British retreat 682; accused by French of letting down the Army 684–5; defends Gough 703–4; and Rothermere 704; issues order to ‘fight on to the end’ 707; and Maurice 709–10, 714–15; and the War Cabinet 711, 727; tells Milner of changes at the front 728; summoned to give his views on state of German army 731–2; and Armistice terms 733; visits soldiers in France 760; Beaverbrook on 771; refuses a peerage 782–3, 795; agrees to an earldom 796; and demobilisation 799, 800, 803

  Haldane, Richard Haldane, 1st Viscount 48, 50, 70–71; and Grey 48, 50, 71; takes temporary charge of the War Office 70, 71, 77, 99; on Kitchener 99; smeared by The Times 99, 116–17; speaks on Lords debate on spies 117; forms Council of War 120, 127; discusses size of BEF with Balfour 128; and Kitchener 130; and conscription 187; defended by Joseph King against Northcliffe press 191; criticised as pro-German 197, 237–8, 477; dismissed from Woolsack 224; and Asquith 224, 236, 238; defends von Donop 249; consulted by the King 471; endorses Lansdowne’s letter 583; Yeats’s letter to 685; warns French against conscription in Ireland 695; hosts dinner for Lloyd George and the Webbs 736; influences H. A. L. Fisher on ‘continuation schools’ 742, 743; signs petition to free conscientious objectors 804; advises French on Irish question 816

  Halstead, Essex 177

  Hamilton, General Sir Ian 127, 181, 192, 224, 253, 254, 259

  Hampshire, HMS 397

  Hampshire County Lunatic Asylum 783

  Hankey, Sir Maurice 71, 119; and the War Book 118–19; at outbreak of war 87; in spies debate 118; and Asquith 119–20; criticises the cabinet 121; on failure of Germans to attack troop ships 131; helps Balfour organise invasion plans 150; on casualties in Hartlepool 160; advises Asquith on BEF 181; acts as secretary to War Council 182, 196; and Dardanelles campaign 184, 188, 189, 193, 201, 240, 301, 314; sends Asquith memorandum on trench warfare 185; and Fisher 188, 189, 227; reports on shell shortage 202; and the coalition 236, 300–1; advises Asquith 241; and Dardanelles Committee 242; and conscription 288, 292, 293; bombarded with letters from Mrs Asquith 292; as secretary to War Committee 295, 296, 439; on casualties 301; on conscription 323, 332–3; defends Asquith to the King 324; as secretary to the cabinet 329; on Asquith 357, 396; on Edward House 395, 732; on Kitchener 398, 407; on Lloyd George as war secretary 403; on the Battle of the Somme 409, 412, 457; on the atmosphere in the government 44
0; and publication of Dardanelles papers 443, 444–5; agrees with Lloyd George’s assessment of the war 449, 450, 457; referees fight between Lloyd George and Robertson 450; discusses War Committee with Lloyd George and Law 460, 461; presses Asquith to streamline cabinet decision-making process 462; and Asquith’s exclusion from War Committee 466, 467, 469–70; tries to calm Mrs Asquith 469; on Loyd George as ‘totally innocent’ of collusion 470; and the King 472, 475; on the failure of the coalition 480; consulted by Lloyd George 481; on Lloyd George and Northcliffe 482, 519; and Arthur Henderson 484; campaigns for Montagu to take charge of National Service 486; and Robertson 487, 506, 563, 566; and German peace overture 492; power in War Cabinet increases 502; thinks Dardanelles report unfair to Asquith 509; and Admiralty’s introduction of convoys 511; ‘irreplaceable’ 512; felled by toothache 513–14; talks with Lloyd George 561, 562; dislikes Wilson 565; writes Lloyd George’s speech 566; instructs him to omit references to Romanovs from memoirs 590; on shortage of manpower 641; redrafts offer to Plumer 672; and Robertson 675, 676, 678; on the Western Front with Smuts 679, 681; on preparations for invasion 705; defends Lloyd George 711–12, 713, 715; and Metropolitan Police strike 718, 719; persuades Lloyd George to stick with Haig 727; self-congratulatory 758–9; conspires with the King to have Asquith at peace conference 765–6; and Stamfordham 766; and Lloyd George’s election victory 772–3; and Chamberlain 789; shocked at Haig’s possible dukedom 795–6; awarded £25,000 796; on Churchill’s failure to get demobilisation post 798

  Harcourt, Lewis 38, 55, 472

  Hardie, James Keir 17, 68, 79, 104–5, 164, 285, 286, 485

  Hardinge, Sir Arthur, British ambassador to Spain 567

  Hardinge of Penshurst, Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron 196, 581–2, 583; report on Easter Rising 374, 383–4

  Hardy, Thomas 106, 267, 651

  Harrach, Count 256

  Harris, Frederick Leverton 667–8

  Harrow School 18

  Hartlepool (1914) 160

  Harvey, Edmund 109

  Helga, HMS 361

  Henderson, Arthur 484–5; replaces MacDonald as leader of Labour Party 76; on committee examining shell shortage 202; joins coalition 237, 484; meets Cardiff strikers 271; and conscription 280, 311, 328; and trades unions 282, 283, 311; as member of War Council 460; supports Asquith 473; at conference with the King 475; in War Cabinet 484, 575; persuades trades unionist to accept conscription for work 494; and launch of National Service 547; and pacifism in labour movement 574, 576; in Russia and Paris 576–7, 578; resigns from War Cabinet 577–8; works on Labour Party’s plan for the future 578; and MacDonald 580; visits Russia 592–3, talks with Law 760; and general election 749, 764, 767, 772

  Henderson, John 121, 605

  Henley, Sylvia 216, 228, 244; Asquith to 216, 244–5, 306, 476, 517

  Henry of Prussia, Prince 33, 215

  Henry, Sir Edward 719

  Henson, Hensley, Dean of Durham 639–40

  Herbert, Major General Sir Ivor 141, 142

  Hermes, HMS 181

  Hewett, Stephen 414

  Hewins, William 453–4

  Hicks, Seymour: England Expects 263

  Highland Light Infantry, 2nd 137

  Hindenburg, Paul von 139, 736

  Hirst, Francis 243

  Hitler, Adolf 208, 342

  Hobbs, Jack 73

  Hobhouse, Leonard 98

  Hobson, Bulmer 353

  Hodge, John 311, 494, 547, 551. 783

  Hogge, James 604–5, 678, 772

  Hogue, HMS 145

  Hohenberg, Sophie, Duchess of 5, 14

  Holland see Netherlands, the

  Holman, George 524

  Holst, Gustav 265, 652; Hymn of Jesus 266; Japanese Suite 265–6; Nunc Dimittis 265; The Planets 266, 652, 653

  Home Defence 96, 128, 161, 183, 225, 309, 608, 641, 643, 681, 706

  honours system 489, 521–4, 595, 716, 737, 794–6

  Hope, James 178

  Horne, Sir Robert 801, 815

  horse racing 94, 151, 152–4, 302, 602

  House, Edward ‘Colonel’ 395–6, 520, 566, 729, 732

  house-building 604, 620–21, 747–9; postwar 761, 791–3, 797

  Houston, Henry 94

  Houston, Robert 426–7

  Howard, Roy W. 436

  Howells, Herbert 651, 653; Lady Audley’s Suite 651

  Huddersfield 751, 768

  Hueffer, Ford Madox (later Ford) 105, 106; The Good Soldier 264; Parade’s End 262; When Blood is Their Argument 106

  Hughes, Spencer 663

  Hunt, Major Rowland 272, 277

  Huxley, Aldous 406–7

  Hyndman, Henry: Justice 589

  Illingworth, Percy 38, 186

  ILP see Independent Labour Party

  Imperialist (later Vigilante) 666–7

  Independent Labour Party (ILP) 269, 286, 424, 605, 728

  India/Indians 27, 68, 99, 127–8, 185, 195, 196, 344, 483, 582, 586, 633, 781, 787, 818–20

  India Office 65, 226, 341, 485, 502, 517, 633, 789, 790

  Indian Army 104, 122, 128, 132, 136, 144, 198, 341, 483, 517, 681, 819

  industrial unrest 121, 163, 165–7, 206, 246–7, 269–72, 283, 284, 286, 294, 33–8, 457, 542, 585, 586, 592, 593–5, 597, 598–9, 619, 625, 654, 171–18, 749–50; postwar 807–11, 812, 813

  influenza epidemic, ‘Spanish’ 718, 730, 735, 750–53, 758, 766, 780

  Inge, William, Dean of St Paul’s 145, 260–61

  insurance 150–51, 331; health 620, 746–7

  IRA see Irish Republican Army

  IRB see Irish Republican Brotherhood

  Ireland: and Home Rule 6, 8–9, 10, 17, 21, 24, 29, 691, 773; and suspension of Home Rule Act 52–3, 68, 123–7, 346, 428, 429, 818; German spies 116, 344; recruitment and conscription 145, 343, 427–8, 547, 626, 644–5, 659, 685–90, 694–5, 697, 699–703, 706; racing continues 154; and Lloyd George’s alcohol taxation 173; pro-German feeling 342, 347–8; economic hardship 344–5; food production 527, 548; full of ‘English refugees’ 545; food shortages 635–6; further debate on Home rule 626–9, 630; formation of convention 630–33, 689–90, 691; and postwar election 773–4; as a republic 816–18; see also Casement, Roger; Easter Rising; Redmond, John; Sinn Féin; Ulster Unionist Party and below

  Ireland, John 653

  Irish Citizen Army 342, 347, 350, 354, 356

  Irish National Volunteers 124, 125, 234, 343, 344, 345, 428

  Irish Republican Army 816, 817

  Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) 342, 346, 347, 349, 353, 354, 356, 634

  Irish Times 365

  Irish Unionist Alliance 349

  Irish Volunteer 342

  Irish Volunteers 343, 344, 345, 347, 348–9, 350, 351, 353, 354, 357, 362, 363, 383, 392, 428, 632, 774, 816, 817

  Irvine, J. D. 343, 344

  Isaacs, Godfrey 436

  Istanbul see Constantinople

  Ito, Michio 265–6

  Jack, Richard: The Return to the Front 264

  Jackson, Sir Henry, First Sea Lord 445, 450, 464

  Jacobsen, Thomas 796

  Jagow, Gottlieb von, German foreign minister 28, 30, 36, 41, 44, 46, 51, 58, 78, 79, 84, 86

  James, Henry 345

  Jarrow 204

  Jellicoe, Admiral Sir John 83, 137, 147, 174, 181, 188, 189, 320, 396, 397, 440, 450, 451, 464, 511, 512, 513, 544, 558, 642, 664

  Jerusalem 491

  Jewish Chronicle 109–10

  Jews 102, 109–10, 183, 667

  Jockey club 151, 154

  Joffre, Marshal Joseph 190, 211, 273, 288, 296, 320, 409, 503

  John Bull (magazine) 71, 93

  John, Augustus 105, 110

  Johnson, Hiram 80

  Johnston, Sir Charles, Lord Mayor of London 100

  Jones, Edgar 104, 105

  Jones, J. Francis 5

  Joyce, James 361

  Joynson-Hicks, William 133–4, 607

  jury service 650

  Jutland, Battle of (1916) vi, 160, 320, 376,
396–7, 443, 499

  juvenile delinquency 615–19, 744

  Karl (Charles), Kaiser of Austria-Hungary 7, 556, 732

  Kekewich, Sir George 524

  Kennington, Eric 665

  Kent County Cricket Club 94

  Kerensky, Alexander 576, 592, 749

  Kerr, Philip (later Marquess of Lothian) 554, 585, 824

  Keynes, John Maynard 105, 334, 406, 769, 770, 772, 788