Imperial War Cabinet Facts for Kids

The Imperial War Cabinet in 1917, a group that helped lead the British Empire during World War I.

The Imperial War Cabinet (IWC) was a special group formed during World War I. It brought together leaders from across the British Empire to make important decisions about the war. This included representatives from countries like Canada, Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa, Newfoundland, and the United Kingdom.

The Cabinet met three times:

First session: March to May 1917
Second session: June to July 1918
Third session: November 1918 to January 1919

These meetings helped the different parts of the British Empire work together. They also made the Dominions (self-governing countries within the Empire) feel more equal to Great Britain.

Why the Cabinet Was Formed
- Working Together Across the Empire
- A New Leader and a New Idea
Important Meetings
Who Was There?
See also

Why the Cabinet Was Formed

Working Together Across the Empire

For many years, the British Empire held meetings called Colonial Conferences. These started in 1887. Their goal was to bring the colonies and the United Kingdom closer. Leaders from self-governing colonies attended these meetings. However, India was not always represented.

More conferences took place in 1894, 1897, 1902, 1907, and 1911. When World War I began, the British Empire was not fully ready for a big land war. Its army was quite small.

A New Leader and a New Idea

David Lloyd George became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in December 1916. He wanted to improve how the Empire managed the war. He believed that the important Dominions and India should have the same status as Britain. This way, they could all discuss war plans together. This idea also aimed to strengthen the unity of the Empire.

Important Meetings

A closer look at the Imperial War Cabinet members in 1917.

Calling All Leaders

In December 1916, Lloyd George sent a message to all parts of the British Empire. He invited their Prime Ministers to join the new War Cabinet. He said, "Your Prime Minister will be a member of the War Cabinet."

Leaders like Jan Smuts from South Africa and Robert Borden from Canada arrived in London. By March 20, 1917, most of the leaders were there. The first meeting of the Imperial War Cabinet then took place. Lloyd George felt this was a new beginning for the Empire. A newspaper called The Times wrote that this new cabinet would handle war decisions for the entire Empire. This included foreign policy, supplying troops, and war money.

Working as Equals

Even though the British Prime Minister led the meetings, the countries involved were mostly treated as equals. Between March and May 1917, the Cabinet held 14 meetings. The Prime Ministers also attended other meetings called the Imperial War Conferences. The discussions in the Cabinet were kept secret. However, it is believed they spent a lot of time discussing how to get more troops for the war.

Later Sessions

The Imperial War Cabinet met again in June 1918. Many current and former Prime Ministers gathered. They made important decisions. For example, they asked Canada to send troops to Siberia. The Cabinet also decided that Dominion Prime Ministers could talk directly with the British Prime Minister. After about six weeks, this session ended in July 1918. A minister from each Dominion stayed in London to represent their country.

The Cabinet was called together again in October 1918 to discuss peace after the war. The third session began in November. They talked about the terms of the Armistice of 11 November 1918, which ended the fighting. They also met with important leaders like Marshal Foch and Georges Clemenceau. In January 1919, the Cabinet's work moved to France. It became part of the British Empire delegation for the peace talks.

Who Was There?

This table shows some of the important people who were part of the Imperial War Cabinet:

Nation	Name	Role
United Kingdom	David Lloyd George	Prime Minister
United Kingdom	Lord Curzon	Leader of the House of Lords
United Kingdom	Bonar Law	Chancellor of the Exchequer
United Kingdom	Walter Long	Secretary of State for the Colonies
Canada	Robert Borden	Prime Minister of Canada
Canada	John Douglas Hazen	Minister of Fisheries
Canada	Arthur Meighen	Minister of the Interior
South Africa	Jan Smuts	Minister of Defence
South Africa	Henry Burton	Minister of Railways
Australia	Billy Hughes	Prime Minister of Australia
Australia	Joseph Cook	Minister of the Navy
New Zealand	William Massey	Prime Minister of New Zealand
New Zealand	Joseph Ward	Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand
Newfoundland	Edward Morris	Prime Minister of Newfoundland
Newfoundland	William F. Lloyd	Prime Minister of Newfoundland
India	Austen Chamberlain	Secretary of State for India
India	Ganga Singh	Maharaja of Bikaner
India	Satyendra Prasanna Sinha	Member of the Executive Council of Bengal