Hore-Belisha

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As you look back and learn about the times surrounding World War II, you don’t come across the name Hore-Belisha, well at least I have not. Who was this man? What was his role, if he had one at all? My article digs into the presence of Hore-Belisha. I will hopefully be able to give you a good understanding of who this man was and what he did.

His name was Isaac Leslie Hore-Belisha (1893-1957). Isaac was the son of a Sephardic Jew and became a major in the Royal Army Service Crops during World War I. As a college student, he was educated at Clifton and St. John’s College. He also became first post war president of the Union. Hore-Belisha, furthermore, worked as a journalist for Beaverbrook until winning Devonport for the Liberals in 1923. Isaac then went on to dividing the Liberal Party by organizing a new National Liberal Party to support The Ramsay Macdonald-Baldwin National Government. Hore-Belisha soon became a big name in the government as he became Financial Secretary to the Treasury. That position impressed Chamberlain, which would prove good later. Isaac then became Minister of Transport (1934-1937), in which he reduced road accidents by simply introducing a driving test, a Highway code, and pedestrian crossing.

Isaac was a great governmental figure. Looking back at all his accomplishment, Hore-Belisha has done a lot for his English country. Therefore in May of 1937, Chamberlain chose Isaac for War Office. Chamberlain choice was quite unusual because of the fact that Hore-Belisha was Jewish, but Chamberlain had good reason. Chamberlain looked for a man to be Secretary of State that would stick to Chamberlain’s policy of limited liability. This policy would cause England to have no involvement in Europe. England wanted to stay a neutral country and this was its plan. In addition to staying a neutral country, limited liability would also reduce the cost of the Army to benefit the Navy, the RAF, and the taxpayer. So Chamberlain promoted Duff Cooper, present war minister, to the Admiralty and replaced he with Hore-Belisha. Now being young Jewish man in the cabinet, Hore-Belisha depended on Chamberlain’s support.

Trying to prove he was more then Chamberlain’s little toy monkey, Isaac started to make some improvement in the military. Isaac improved recruitment by inaugurating reforms known as the radicalization of the Army. He then went on to make army life more attractive.

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