The ministers deciding whether Britain goes to war

Asquith combined the premiership with the War Office because he had not yet found someone else for the post, and he disliked the prospect of war. Chancellor David Lloyd George also opposed war because he feared its economic effects, though ambition and national pride would shape his later choices. Winston Churchill was the most willing of the group to fight if France were invaded, while Foreign Secretary Edward Grey was described as relatively sympathetic to Germany and pursued several peace options. Home Secretary Reginald McKenna remained another powerful cabinet voice. The discussion also compares Lloyd George's exceptional public speaking with Churchill's willingness to study stronger orators, a skill that could matter if the government fractured over German ships in the Channel.