Adjustment to War

Abstract

On 23 August, the day on which the Non-Aggression Pact was signed, Chamberlain discussed with Lord Hankey his plans for a broadened Ministry in event of war. The former Cabinet Secretary summarised, for the Prime Minister’s benefit, the essential features of Lloyd George’s arrangements in the First World War. These turned on a dual system: an ‘outer’ Cabinet of ordinary dimensions, whose members exercised the usual Departmental duties associated with their offices, plus a special War Cabinet

showing the following points — small numbers; Ministers without portfolios as far as possible; other Ministers of Cabinet rank to be present when their Departments are affected; Minutes other than those of ‘hush’ meetings to be circulated to outer as well as inner ring; other arrangements for keeping outer Cabinet fully informed s to war …¹

In a Memorandum compiled shortly afterwards, Hankey added that the collective responsibility of Departmental Ministers for decisions taken by the War Cabinet would remain.²

‘As someone … said lately, “Stalin is now to Hitler what Hitler is to Mussolini”.’ Neville to Ida Chamberlain, 5 November 1939. NC 18/1/1129