The Munitions Scandal

In March 1915 British, Australian and New Zealand troops attacked Turkey in the Gallipoli peninsula. It went wrong from the start, casualities were high and little was achieved. It seemed a very bad error of judgement. The situation for Asquith became worse when in May 1915 Sir John French, the British Commander-in-Chief, blamed the failure of a recent British offensive on the shortage of artillery shells (munitions). This was really an attack on Lord Kitchener, the Minister of War, and the man responsible for supplying shells to the front.

The public was outraged at the thought that British soldiers were dying because Asquith's government could not produce enough shells. Asquith was forced to create a coalition government in which Conservatives and Labour politicians were brought in to help run the war effort. Lloyd George, a Liberal, was given an important new post as Minister for Munitions.

Neil Demarco: Britain and the Great War; Oxford University Press, 1992/2000, page 32