'The success of the Conservatives in the period 1886-1905 was the result of the Liberals' failures.' Assess the validity of this view.

The failures of the Liberal Party within the period 1886-1905 were key to the success of the Conservatives. The culmination of Gladstone's dramatic conversion to Home Rule (which disastrously split the party), the conflicting ideology of New Liberalism and 'Gladstonian' Liberalism, as well as the significant divisions created by the Boer War, all allowed for the Conservative party to re-emerge as the dominant force in British politics, holding power for seventeen of the twenty years. Although Lord Salisbury's pragmatic leadership, efficient party organisation and an unprecedented age of jingoism were important contributing factors, the failures of the Liberals were fundamental for the ascendancy of the Conservatives.

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Answered by Molly W. History tutor

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