War Cabinet in United Kingdom

War Cabinet History

The War Cabinet, in existence from 1916 to 1919 and 1939 to 1945, was created in order to direct the war effort at a high level. Initially it included the Prime Minister and a number of powerful ministers without portfolio – who by being freed from departmental responsibilities could take a wider ranging view of the progress of the war. As the war Cabinet developed in the Second World War, key ministers leading the armed services, wartime production and other key areas were added. Other ministers who would normally have been in the Cabinet in peacetime did not attend, and the ordinary, full Cabinet did not meet.

History of the War Cabinet

The following commentary about War Cabinet in the Churchill Era is produced by the Churchill College (Cambridge): Small group of senior Ministers and military chiefs responsible for overall strategy and policy in time of war.