Family background
Asquith was born in Morley, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the younger son of Joseph Dixon … See more

Queen's Counsel
In June 1886, with the Liberal party split on the question of Irish Home Rule, Gladstone called a general election. There was a last-minute vacancy at East Fife, where the sitting Liberal member, John Boyd Kinnear, … See more

The events that led to the collapse of the First Coalition were exhaustively chronicled by almost all of the major participants, (although Asquith himself was a notable exception), and have been minutely studied by historians in the 100 years since. … See more

After Oxford
After his graduation in 1874, Asquith spent several months coaching Viscount Lymington, … See more

Appointments and cabinet
On Asquith's return from Biarritz, his leadership of the Liberals was affirmed by a party meeting (the first time this had been done for a prime minister). He initiated a cabinet reshuffle. Lloyd George was promoted to be … See more

Asquith's wartime government
The declaration of war on 4 August 1914 saw Asquith as the head of an almost united Liberal Party. Having persuaded Sir John Simon and Lord Beauchamp to remain, Asquith suffered only two resignations from … See more

The formation of the First Coalition saw Asquith display the political acuteness that seemed to have deserted him. But it came at a cost. This … See more