Ten Year Rule facts for kids
The Ten Year Rule was a special guideline the British government used a long time ago. It started in August 1919, right after World War I. This rule told the country's armed forces, like the army and navy, to plan their budgets as if there wouldn't be any big wars for the next ten years. This meant they expected a long period of peace and could spend less on defence.
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How the Rule Started
The idea for the Ten Year Rule came from Winston Churchill. In 1919, he was in charge of the army and air force.
The Prime Minister at the time, David Lloyd George, helped explain the rule to the country. He mentioned advice given by the Duke of Wellington after the Napoleonic Wars. The Duke had said that Europe had fought enough and didn't want another big war for a long time. Lloyd George used this idea to suggest that Britain could reduce its military spending.
Not everyone agreed with the rule. Arthur Balfour, a former Prime Minister, thought it was risky. He argued that no one could truly say there wouldn't be a war for ten years. He worried that being unprepared for so long could be very dangerous. However, the rule was still adopted.
In 1928, Winston Churchill, who was then in charge of the country's money (called the Chancellor of the Exchequer), pushed for the rule to continue automatically. This meant it would stay in place unless someone specifically stopped it.
Challenges to the Rule
By 1931, the Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald, wanted to get rid of the Ten Year Rule. He felt that the world situation made it too risky to assume peace. But the Foreign Secretary, Arthur Henderson, strongly disagreed and managed to keep the rule going.
What Happened Because of the Rule
The Ten Year Rule led to huge cuts in how much money Britain spent on its military. For example:
- In 1919-1920, defence spending was about £766 million.
- By 1921-1922, it dropped to £189 million.
- By 1932, it was only £102 million.
These cuts made the British military much weaker. In April 1931, Sir Frederick Field, who was in charge of the Royal Navy, wrote a report. He said that the navy had become too small and weak. It couldn't properly protect Britain's trade ships or defend the British Isles if a war broke out. He also warned that no port in the entire British Empire was well-defended.
The End of the Rule
The Ten Year Rule was finally stopped on March 23, 1932. However, even though the rule was gone, the government still warned that military spending couldn't increase too much. This was because the country was going through a very difficult time called the Great Depression, which meant there wasn't much money available.
See also
- British re-armament
- Prime Minister’s Review: Reduction in Armaments, House of Commons Debate, 18 August 1919 (rtrvd Oct 22)
