What factors were responsible for David Lloyd George's fall from power in 1922?

David Lloyd George was widely considered as the "Man who won the war", but by 1922, he had resigned and the Liberal - Conservative coalition had collapsed. There are a number of reasons as to why this was the case, with varying degrees of importance. His public image in the years following the war had significantly declined, often being referred to as the "goat" for his voracious sexual appetite, and was caught bringing a mistress to versailles. Politically, he never had a majority in his own coalition and was regarded by some historians as a "prisoner of the conservatives". There was also civil disobedience in Ireland, and the use of "black and tans" to repress this which hugely damaged his image, as well as a depression in 1920 which led to unemployment rising significantly. A number of short term crises, such as his failure to persuade the conservatives to take action over the Chanak Crisis, led to his eventual downfall, as calling for war so soon after WW1 was simply too much for the conservatives, who decided to fight the next election as a single party, leading to DLG's resignation.

HF

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