Neville Chamberlain Gallery

Churchill cheered by the House

Winston Churchill sits down, head in hands, following his speech to the House of Commons on 4 July 1940. On the previous day, the Royal Navy had attacked the French Naval ships moored in Mers-El-K颩r on the Algerian coast. Following France's armistice with Germany, there was a fear that these ships might fall into enemy hands, and thus the difficult decision to destroy them was taken, leading to the death of well over a thousand French sailors. It was seen as being a symbolic demonstration that Britain would be just as ruthless as the opposing forces, and Churchill viewed it a key moment, "the supreme hour to which we have been called." On their feet, cheering Churchill are Clement Attlee to the left and Neville Chamberlain to the right of Churchill, waving his order paper. Behind Chamberlain is Arthur Greenwood, Labour politician. To the right is David Lloyd-George and beyond him Sir Charles Edwards, Chief Labour Whip. Behind him is Hastings Lees-Smith, acting leader of the Labour Party. Date: 4 July 1940

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans

Joseph Chamberlain, MP, President of the Board of Trade, 1881

Joseph Chamberlain, MP, President of the Board of Trade, 1881. Chamberlain (1836-1914) began his career as a Liberal and a campaigner for educational reform, and became President of the Board of Trade in Gladstone's government formed in 1880. After disagreeing with Gladstone's plans to grant Irish Home Rule, Chamberlain left the Liberal Party. He formed an alliance with the Conservatives, as an imperialist and protectionist, and was made Colonial Secretary in 1895. In 1903 he resigned from the cabinet to lead the campaign for protectionist tariff reforms known as Imperial Preference. In 1906 Chamberlain suffered a severe stroke, bringing an end to his active involvement in politics. He was the father of Austen Chamberlain and Neville Chamberlain, both of whom also became MPs and cabinet ministers. From Men of Mark: a gallery of contemporary portraits of men distinguished in the Senate, the Church, in science, literature and art, the army, navy, law, medicine, etc. Photographed from life by Lock and Whitfield, with brief biographical notices by Thompson Cooper. (Conducted by G. C. Whitfield.) (London, 1876-1883)

© The Print Collector / Heritage-Images

Save Me from my Friends!, 1878. Artist: Joseph Swain

Save Me from my Friends!, 1878. The Ameer of Afghanistan stands between the Russian bear, jaws dripping with saliva, and the British lion with teeth bared. The quote from the Times newspaper below reads: At this moment it has been decided to invade the Ameer's territory, we are acting in pursuance of a policy which in its intention has been uniformly friendly to Afghanistan'. The Ameer had recently turned the British envoy Chamberlain away from the entrance to the Kyber Pass but had admitted the Russians to Kabul. He was asked to apologise and permit a permanent British mission which he refused to do, and so war began in November. From Punch, or the London Charivari, November 30, 1878

© The Print Collector / Heritage-Images