Robert Walpole: Difference between revisions
→Premiership under George II
(cat tidy) |
|||
|
Sir Robert Walpole's position was threatened in [[1727]], when George I died and was succeeded by George II. For a few days, it seemed that Walpole would be dismissed, but the King agreed to keep him in office upon the advice of Queen Caroline. Although the King disliked Townshend, he retained him as well. Over the next years, Walpole continued to share power with Townshend, but gradually became the clearly dominant partner in government. The two clashed over British foreign affairs, especially over policy regarding Prussia, but Walpole was ultimately victorious, with his colleague retiring on [[15 May]] [[1730]]. This date is often given as the beginning of Walpole's unofficial tenure as Prime Minister.
During the following years,but that Walpole was more dominant than during any other part of his administration. Having secured the support of Queen Caroline, and, by extension, of King George II, he made liberal use of the royal patronage, granting honours and making appointments for political gains. He selected the members of his Cabinet, and was capable of forcing them to act in unison when necessary; as no previous head of the administration could wield so much influence, Walpole is properly regarded as the first "Prime Minister".
Walpole, a polarising figure, had many opponents, the most important of whom were Lord Bolingbroke (who had been his political enemy since the days of Queen Anne) and [[William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath|William Pulteney]] (a capable Whig statesman who felt snubbed when Walpole failed to include him in the Cabinet). Bolingbroke and Pulteney ran a periodical called ''The Craftsman'', in which they incessantly denounced the Prime Minister's policies. Walpole was also satirised and parodied extensively; he was often compared to the criminal [[Jonathan Wild]], as, for example, [[John Gay]] did in his farcical ''[[The Beggar's Opera|Beggar's Opera]]''. Walpole's other enemies included [[Jonathan Swift]], [[Alexander Pope]], [[Henry Fielding]], and [[Samuel Johnson|Dr Samuel Johnson]].
| |||