Gladstone and the Logic of Victorian PoliticsThis book provides an analysis of the political career of William Gladstone, one of the most intriguing and controversial figures in modern British history. It captures the incredible richness and range of Gladstone's political journey, tracing his evolution from idealistic Tory defender of a theocratic Anglican state, through his transformation into Peelite financial administrator, reforming Liberal Prime Minister, populist champion of the "masses against the classes", and culminating in his strenuous yet schismatic attempt to bring Home Rule to Ireland. Each stage in Gladstone's development is assessed in the light both of recent historiographical debates and Gladstone's own complex reflections upon his own actions. Throughout, attention is devoted to the intellectual processes that shaped Gladstone's political practice. Gladstone was unique, not merely in the longevity of his career, but in his determination to reason through his responses to problems in the light of his extensive reading, his study of ancient literature, and his profoundly held religious convictions. As such this book provides an entry point into the Victorian world and Gladstone's thinking about such questions as financial policy, the relevance of morality to foreign policy, the claims of national sentiment, Britain's responsibility as an imperial power, and the role of public opinion in policy making. The conclusions he arrived at cannot be ignored by anyone interested in nineteenth century history or, indeed, the political challenges confronting Britain and the world in the twenty-first century. |
Contents
From High Tory to Reforming Peelite 184151 | 23 |
The Struggle for Peelite Finance 18511855 | 47 |
Years of Decision 185559 | 71 |
From Iron Chancellor to Peoples Tribune 18591865 | 87 |
The Rise to Leadership 18651868 | 121 |
Gladstones Foreign Policy 18681880 | 213 |
Gladstonian Liberalism | 251 |
Gladstone and Ireland 18801885 | 307 |
Gladstone and Irish Home Rule | 323 |
Raging against | 365 |
A Study in Victorian Dialectic | 391 |
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Common terms and phrases
Anglican argued Bebbington Biagini Britain British budget Burnett Smith Buxton Cabinet campaign Catholic Chamberlain Chancellor Church of England colonies Commons Concert of Europe Conservative constitutional Corn Laws defeat defence disestablishment Disraeli Disraeli's duty Egypt election electorate Empire established Europe Fall of Liberal favour fiscal force foreign policy franchise free trade Gladstone believed Gladstone's Gladstonian government spending Hartington Heroic Minister Ibid idea imperial income tax interest Ireland Irish Church Irish Home Rule Irish MPs Irish Nation issue Italian Unification Jenkins leader leadership legislation Liberal Government Liberal party Lord Magnus majority Matthew measure Midlothian Midlothian campaign million moral Non-conformists opinion Ottoman Empire Oxford Palmerston Parliament Parliamentary Parnell Parry Peel Peel's Peelite position Prime Minister principle problem proposals question Quoted in Morley Quoted in Shannon Radicals realised recognised reduce religion religious response says Shannon seats self-government social speech Sudan tenant Tory vote Whigs William Ewart Gladstone wrote