Austen Chamberlain
British politician
Cite this page
“Austen Chamberlain.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/austen-chamberlain/. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.
Austen Chamberlain. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/austen-chamberlain/
“Austen Chamberlain.” thisDay. Accessed October 17, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/austen-chamberlain/.
Who was Austen Chamberlain?
Sir Joseph Austen Chamberlain (16 October 1863 – 16 March 1937) was a British statesman, Nobel Peace Prize winner, son of Joseph Chamberlain and older half-brother of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. Brought up to be the political heir of his father, whom he physically resembled, he was elected to Parliament as a Liberal Unionist at a by-election in 1892. He held office in the Unionist coalition governments of 1895–1905, remaining in the Cabinet as Chancellor of the Exchequer (1903–05) after his father resigned in 1903 to campaign for Tariff Reform. After his father's disabling stroke in 1906, Austen became the leading tariff reformer in the House of Commons. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for 45 years, as Chancellor of the Exchequer (twice) and was briefly Conservative Party leader before serving as Foreign Secretary.
Historical significance
Late in 1911 he and Walter Long were due to compete for the leadership of the Conservative Party (in succession to Arthur Balfour), but both withdrew in favour of Bonar Law rather than risk a party split on a close result. Chamberlain returned to office in H. H.
Cite this page
“Austen Chamberlain.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/austen-chamberlain/. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.
Austen Chamberlain. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/austen-chamberlain/
“Austen Chamberlain.” thisDay. Accessed October 17, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/austen-chamberlain/.