Politicians, the press and power: Lord Beaverbrook's introduction to British politics, 1910-1918

Lord Beaverbrook's political career followed an unorthodox path. Within months of emigrating from Canada to Britain, he became an M.P. and a consort of the Tory elite. His character and methods suited behind-the-scenes maneuvering. Historians have credited him with masterminding manipulations at several decisive junctures in British history: most notably Bonar Law's accession to the leadership of the Conservative Party in 1911 and the pulling together the men who toppled Asquith from power in 1916. The primary objective of this research is to determine Lord Beaverbrook's appropriate place in the history of Britain during the years 1910-1918 which encapsulate a revolutionary phase in Beaverbrook's life. In those eight years Max Aitken evolved from an upstart colonial financier to a notable Conservative politico and, ultimately, a notorious press baron. This dissertation is the first work to seriously consider Beaverbrook's role as a constructive politician. As such it reveals much about the nature of Edwardian politics and about the Conservative Party's attempts to adapt to the demands of a changing electorate.