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Nigeria and the Death of Liberal England

Palm Nuts and Prime Ministers, 1914-1916

  • Book
  • © 2018

Overview

Authors:
  1. Peter J. Yearwood

    1. Division of History, Gender & Philosophy, University of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

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  • Explores the role of Nigeria-British trade in the political crisis which brought down the Liberal-dominated Asquith coalition and replaced it with the Conservative-dominated Lloyd George coalition
  • Explains why the Nigerian palm kernel trade had far-reaching political repercussions in Great Britain during the First World War
  • Offers the first detailed history of the palm kernel industry and export economy in Nigeria

Part of the book series: Britain and the World (BAW)

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Table of contents (8 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xii
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Introduction

    • Peter J. Yearwood
    Pages 1-10

  3. 1914, Nigeria and the World Economy

    • Peter J. Yearwood
    Pages 11-51

  4. The Impact of War

    • Peter J. Yearwood
    Pages 53-96

  5. Lugard, the Colonial Office and the Politics of Crushing

    • Peter J. Yearwood
    Pages 97-130

  6. The Colonial Office, the Ministry of Munitions, and the Shippers

    • Peter J. Yearwood
    Pages 131-163

  7. “An Agitation Has Been Got up”; the Sale of the German Properties

    • Peter J. Yearwood
    Pages 165-192

  8. “Jingo Pot and Tariff Kettle”; the Nigeria Debate and the Sales

    • Peter J. Yearwood
    Pages 193-228

  9. Conclusion: Epilogues and Consequences

    • Peter J. Yearwood
    Pages 229-264

  10. Back Matter

    Pages 265-302
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Keywords

About this book

This book shows how a stormy parliamentary debate over the sale of German properties in Nigeria on 8 November 1916 began the process which brought down Asquith and made Lloyd George prime minister. The colonial secretary, Bonar Law, who was also leader of the Conservative Party, wanted neutral firms to bid. Usually presented as a policy imposed on him by doctrinaire Liberal free-traders, it was in fact that of the colonial government, which hoped that encouraging foreign competition would prevent the Nigerian export economy becoming controlled by a ring of mainly Liverpool firms. Seeing itself as the defender of Nigerian interests, the Colonial Office endorsed this. The large British companies got up an agitation, which was taken over by Sir Edward Carson, the one significant opposition politician, as part of his attack on supposed German influence in high places. Law counter-attacked by arguing that a supposedly patriotic cause masked the greed of an emergent cartel. He succeeded because smaller British and African firms, trying to break into the now profitable produce export trade, had already painted that picture. By defeating Carson in the debate, Law became again an effective party leader, who hoped to re-invigorate the coalition, but instead found himself working with Lloyd George to sideline Asquith. Based on underused sources, and overturning established interpretations, the book situates the debate within the context of the development of the Nigerian economy, the conflicts between the major firms, the role of oils and fats in wartime, and the emergence of Nigerian nationalism.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Division of History, Gender & Philosophy, University of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

    Peter J. Yearwood

About the author

Peter J. Yearwood is Leader of the History, Gender Studies, and Philosophy Strand at the University of Papua New Guinea, and Joint Editor of the South Pacific Journal of Philosophy and Culture. He is the author of Guarantee of Peace, The League of Nations in British Politics 1914-1925 (2009).

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Nigeria and the Death of Liberal England

  • Book Subtitle: Palm Nuts and Prime Ministers, 1914-1916

  • Authors: Peter J. Yearwood

  • Series Title: Britain and the World

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90566-2

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: History, History (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2018

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-319-90565-5Published: 02 August 2018

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-08044-0Published: 20 December 2018

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-90566-2Published: 18 July 2018

  • Series ISSN: 2947-7182

  • Series E-ISSN: 2947-7190

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XII, 302

  • Number of Illustrations: 2 b/w illustrations, 1 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: History of Sub-Saharan Africa, History of Britain and Ireland, Imperialism and Colonialism, Political History, Economic History

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