David Lloyd George

David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, OM,PC (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was a British Liberal politician and statesman.

As Chancellor of the Exchequer (1908–1915), Lloyd George was a key figure in the introduction of many reforms which laid the foundations of the modern welfare state. His most important role came as the highly energetic Prime Minister of the Wartime Coalition Government (1916–22), during and immediately after the First World War. He was a major player at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 that reordered Europe after the defeat of Germany in the Great War. So confident was he of this peace, that in August 1934 (following Austria's transition to fascism) he insisted Germany could not wage war, and assured European nations that there would be no risk of war during the next ten years. He arguably made a greater impact on British public life than any other 20th-century leader, thanks to his pre-war introduction of Britain's social welfare system, his leadership in winning the war, his post-war role in reshaping Europe, and his partitioning Ireland (between the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland which remained part of the UK).