| Date | 1955 |
|---|---|
| Reference | EPM-0016 |
| Volume | Eton Prime Ministers, Volume 1 |
| Collection | Eton Prime Ministers |
| Born: | 12 Jun 1897 in Rushyford, County Durham |
| Died: | 14 Jan 1977 |
| Affiliation: | Conservative |
| PM: | 6 Ap 1955 to 9 Jan 1957 |
| Length: | 1 year, 279 days |
| Title: | 1961 – January 14, 1977: 1st Earl of Avon 12 Jul 1961 – 14 Jan 1977: Viscount of Royal Leamington Spa |
| At Eton: | 1911 to 1915 |
| Constituencies: | 6 Dec 1923 – 11 Jan 1957: Warwick and Leamington |
| Offices: | 1924 – 1926: PPS 1926 – 1929: PPS 1931 – 1934: Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State 1934 – 1935: Lord Privy Seal 1935 – 1935: Minister of State 1935 – 1938: Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs 1939 – 1940: Secretary of State for the Dominions 1940 – 1945: Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs 1940 – 1940: Secretary of State for War 1942 – 1945: Leader of the House of Commons 1951 – 1955: Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs 1951 – 1955: Deputy Prime Minister 1955 – 1957: Prime Minister |
| Timeline: | 1897: Born Robert Anthony Eden on 12th June in County Durham, into an aristocratic family. 1911–1915: Educated at Eton College, where he excelled in classics and languages. 1915–1919 (WW1): Joined the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, fought in France and earned the Military Cross. At the age of 21, he became the youngest Brigade major in the British army. 1919–1922: Studied Oriental languages (Persian and Arabic) at Christ Church, Oxford. 1923: Elected MP for Warwick and Leamington at age 26. 1931–1933: Served as Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs under Ramsay MacDonald. 1935: Briefly became Minister for League of Nations Affairs, then Foreign Secretary under Stanley Baldwin. 1935–1938: As Foreign Secretary, he criticised appeasement of fascist regimes. Resigned in 1938 in protest against Neville Chamberlain’s appeasement of Mussolini. 1940–1945 (WWII): Returned to office as Foreign Secretary under Winston Churchill. Played a major role in Allied diplomacy and wartime conferences. Built relationships with Roosevelt and Stalin. 1945: Conservatives lost the election; Eden went into opposition. 1951: Conservatives returned to power; Eden became Foreign Secretary again under Churchill. 1955: In April, Churchill retired and Eden became Prime Minister. Won the general election shortly after becoming PM, with a strong majority. 1956: The Suez Crisis: Eden authorised secret military action with France and Israel to retake the Suez Canal after Egypt nationalised it; the invasion is condemned by the United States, UN, and Soviet Union; international backlash forces a humiliating withdrawal. Eden’s health and credibility suffer greatly. 1957: On 9th January, resigned as Prime Minister, citing ill health. 1961: Published Full Circle, the first volume of memoirs. 1962: Created the Earl of Avon and Viscount Eden. 1977: Died in Wiltshire, aged 79. |
| Notable: | Remembered for his elegance and diplomatic skill, early resistance to appeasement and his leadership during Suez Crisis, which tarnished his reputation. |
| Sources: | History of the UK Government Britannica Eton College National Portrait Gallery Museum of Prime Ministers Wikipedia Hansard (1803-2003) |
| Windlesora: |