Austen Chamberlain

@Politician, Timeline and Childhood

Austen Chamberlain was a British statesman who was awarded Nobel Peace Prize for his role in negotiating the Locarno Pact

Oct 16, 1863

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Biography

Personal Details

  • Birthday: October 16, 1863
  • Died on: March 17, 1937
  • Nationality: British
  • Famous: Politician, Trinity College, Cambridge, Leaders, Political Leaders
  • Siblings: Neville Chamberlain
  • Universities:
    • Trinity College, Cambridge
    • Trinity College
    • Cambridge
    • Rugby School
    • Sciences Po
  • Notable Alumnis:
    • Trinity College
    • Cambridge

Austen Chamberlain born at

Birmingham

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Birth Place

Austen Chamberlain died on March 17, 1937 at the age of 73. He was survived by his wife and three children.

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Personal Life

Austen Chamberlain was born on October 16, 1863 in Birmingham. His father, Joseph Chamberlain, was a rising industrialist, who later became a renowned statesman. Austen’s mother, Harriet Chamberlain, was Joseph’s first wife. The couple had two children; Beatrice Mary and Joseph Austen.

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Childhood & Early Years

Harriet died three days after giving birth to Austen. Five years later Joseph married Harriet’s cousin Florence Kenrik. From this marriage, Austen had four half siblings; Arthur Neville, Ida, Hilda and Ethel. Much later, Arthur Neville became the Prime Minister of Britain.

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Childhood & Early Years

Florence had also given birth to another son; but both the baby and mother died soon after. Although Joseph got married once again, the union did not produce any offspring.

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Childhood & Early Years

Austen Chamberlain had his schooling at Rugby, one of the oldest and most expensive public schools in England. Later, he joined Trinity College, Cambridge. There he joined the Political Society, where he made his first political address. Besides, he was also a member of Cambridge Union Society and later became its Vice President.

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Childhood & Early Years

From the beginning, Joseph wanted his eldest son to join politics. Consequently, after graduating from Cambridge, Austen was sent first to France and then to Germany so that he could have direct knowledge about their political culture.

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Childhood & Early Years

On coming back to England, Austen Chamberlain began to work closely with his father, who by this time had become a national leader. He soon gathered enough experience to contest 1892 general election. Austen won his first parliamentary seat from East Worcestershire representing his father’s Liberal Union Party.

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Career

On entering the House of Commons, Austen chamberlain was made a Junior Whip. It was his job to see that his father’s ideas were reflected in all policy matters. However, owing to parliamentary instability, he could not make his maiden speech until 1893.

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Career

In his maiden speech, Austen Chamberlain attacked W. E. Gladstone, the then Prime Minister of Great Britain, for his Government of Ireland Bill, 1893. In spite of such attack, the speech was highly praised by Gladstone and he publicly congratulated both the father and son for such a great performance.

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Career

When in 1895, a coalition of the Conservatives and Unionists won the general election with a thumping majority Austen Chamberlain was made the Civil Lord of Admiralty. He was around thirty two years old then. He worked in that position for five years.

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Career

In 1900, Chamberlain was appointed as the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, the fourth most important ministerial post within the Treasury. In 1902, he got his first cabinet berth and became the Post Master General.

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Career

Austen Chamberlain is best remembered for his role in forming the Locarno Treaties in 1925. It consisted of seven agreements among the major powers of Europe including Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy; it paved the way for stability and improved the diplomatic climate in the continent.

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Major Works