Arthur Balfour

Lord Balfour was a British Conservative statesman. He served as Prime Minister of Britain from 1902 to 1905. Although he was more popularly known as Lord Balfour, he is also known as Arthur James Balfour. During his time as Prime Minister, Balfour made a number of important decisions, which would change the course of history.

Arthur Balfour

May Lyttelton

Arthur and May met during a ball in Hawarden Castle in 1871. Although they were both unsure of each other’s motives, the two became fast friends and shared many interests. On their second visit, in January 1875, Arthur declared his love for May Lyttelton and intended to propose marriage. Unfortunately, May died of typhoid fever and Balfour was left devastated.

Arthur Balfour was deeply influenced by his mother’s religious certainty. His father died of tuberculosis when he was eight years old, so his mother played a vital role in his upbringing. His mother had a high standard of living and she made sure that he had a good education.

Although Arthur was initially skeptical about May’s communications, his brother Gerald persuaded him to visit Mrs. Willett. He subsequently became convinced that May was communicating with him. She mentioned a silver case Arthur had made for a lock of her hair. The case contained a Bible verse referring to the concept of mortals putting on immortality. She also showed Arthur a picture of May holding a candlestick.

The two were both interested in modernization and national efficiency. They had a wide network of contacts, including the Webbs and Liberal Imperialists. However, they were not likely to form a government with the aristocratic Conservatives. They remained friends and loyal to each other.

After marriage, Balfour and May Lyttelton had five children. Their fifth child died in an accident in 1876. Their seventh child, Gerald William Balfour, became a fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, and served as cabinet minister for seven years. They also had a daughter, Evelyn, who married John Strutt in 1871.

Despite being unopposed, Balfour held the Hertford seat until 1880, when the Sidgwicks lost it in the general election. He had attended the Berlin congress as his uncle’s secretary, and did not make any significant impression in the House of Commons. He proposed the award of university degrees to women, an objective which was dear to the Sidgwicks. This only made a fleeting impression on the Anglican churchyards.

Balfour was on the brink of defeat when he resigned from cabinet in December 1905. His own seat was lost in a Liberal landslide, but he was later re-elected, winning the post of First Lord of the Admiralty. He also became the Foreign Secretary. His death was attributed to circulatory failure.

Education

Britain began the national education process with Arthur Balfour’s Education Act in 1902. The act was the first step toward national efficiency. The Act was passed by the Conservative government because the King wanted to help the people in their quest for education. King Edward VII was less interested in foreign affairs than domestic issues. The act also stirred old religious passions.

In contrast, the March 2016 Education White Paper removes school autonomy and centralizes power. Whereas the localism of 1902 and 1944 placed trust in local government and parents, the localism of the 2016 Education White Paper places trust in the corporate leadership of MATs. Local councils will have a regulated but contained role, ensuring school places for every child, co-ordinating admissions behaviour among school groups, and securing services for children with special needs.

Career

Arthur Balfour is a British politician and philosopher who held a keen interest in psychical research. He is most famous for his work on Cross-Correspondences and Palm Sunday cases, and he also served as President of the Society for Psychical Research from 1892 to 1894. Born on 25 July 1848 in East Lothian, Scotland, Balfour was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied the moral sciences.

Balfour held a number of influential positions in government, including foreign secretary and prime minister. He was instrumental in achieving the Balfour Declaration in 1917, reaffirming the British support for the creation of a Jewish national home in Palestine. He also participated in international affairs, including the United Nations and the Council of Ten. In the 1920s, he served as an elder statesman in the second government of Stanley Baldwin.

Arthur Balfour was born into a landowning family in Scotland. At an early age, he gained financial independence and became known for his charm and sophistication. He lived his life to the fullest in his inner circle and among a small group of well-born friends. His career as a politician and diplomat was largely influenced by his influential family connections.

Balfour’s success in the political world led to numerous positions, including Irish Secretary. His land development legislation was considered well-judged and was credited with calming the Irish conflict for a generation. In 1891, he became First Lord of the Treasury and was made Leader of the House. His role as leader of the House increased as his uncle’s health deteriorated. During his second administration, he also held the position of Foreign Secretary in Lloyd George’s government.

The career of Arthur Balfour began in the 1870s, when he became a Conservative MP in Hertford. He later became the Foreign Secretary and became the Earl of Balfour. While he was a minister, Balfour also wrote several philosophical works. His book, A Defence of Philosophic Doubt (1879), argued that religious belief could be based on sound scientific principles.

World-view

In Arthur Balfour’s World, Ellenberger explores the mentality and writings of a British Prime Minister. Balfour scorned liberal notions of intelligent state action. Yet, his pessimism is tinged with fin de siecle wit and profound learning.

In a letter to his sister in July 1918, Balfour said that he saw the Jews as a race that deserved to have a place to develop as a nation and govern themselves. He believed that Jewish nationalism could advance the British Empire. However, his world-view was quite different from Sykes’.

Balfour viewed himself as a protector of the Jewish people, who were the victims of persecution by their Jewish enemies. He also saw himself as a protector of Britain. In 1903, the government that introduced the Aliens Act offered Herzl a proposal for a Jewish homeland in British East Africa. This proposal became known as the first Balfour Declaration. Balfour tried to capitalize on this idea in Parliament two years later.

The Balfour Declaration barely makes an appearance in UK school textbooks. But it is familiar to most Palestinian and Israeli students. The Balfour Declaration is an important chapter in the narrative of both countries and a fundamental part of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Theresa May, the Prime Minister, promised to celebrate the centenary with pride and sober reflection. She also promised to scrutinize Balfour’s wider record of racism and violence.

Balfour’s world-view was flawed from the start. Despite his great powers, his policies were a disaster for the Palestinian people. In 1922, he addressed the House of Lords. At that time, the Jewish population had reached 85 thousand. Moreover, he was the one who imposed the Balfour Declaration on Palestine at an important moment.

The First World War provided the opportunity for Balfour to assume the role of elder statesman. In fact, he easily slipped into the role. The coalition politics of the wartime suited his temperament better than the bitter party strife that marked the preceding years.