Henry Temple

Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, (20 October 1784 – 18 October 1865), was a British statesman who served twice as Prime Minister in the mid-19th century. For most of 1830 to 1865 he dominated British foreign policy when Britain was at the height of its power. Popularly nicknamed "Pam" and "The Mongoose", he was in government office almost continuously from 1807 until his death in 1865, beginning his parliamentary career as a Tory, switching to the Whigs in 1830, and concluding it as the first Prime Minister of the newly-formed Liberal Party from 1859. He succeeded to his father's Irish peerage in 1802. He became a Tory MP in 1807, and was made Secretary at War in 1809, responsible for the finances of the army. He held the job until 1828, entering the cabinet in 1827 when George Canning became Prime Minister. Less than a year later he resigned with other Canningites. In opposition he switched his focus to foreign policy, and he was Foreign Secretary (1830-4, 1835–41 and 1846–51) when the Whigs were in power, dealing with a succession of crises in Europe and beyond. Some of his aggressive actions, now sometimes termed liberal interventionist, were highly controversial at the time, and remain so today. In 1852 he became Home Secretary in Aberdeen's coalition government, the Peelites having insisted on Russell getting the Foreign Office. He passed various social reforms but opposed electoral ones. When public discontent over the Crimean War brought the government down in 1855, Palmerston was found to be, despite the Queen's distrust of him, the only Prime Minister who could sustain a majority in Parliament. He had two periods in office, 1855–1858 and 1859–1865, before dying at almost 81, a few months after winning a general election with an increased majority. He remains, to date, the last Prime Minister to die in office. Historians consider him one of the greatest foreign secretaries, for his handling of great crises, his commitment to the balance of power that made Britain the deciding voice in many controversies, his analytic skills, and his commitment to British interests. His policies regarding India, Italy, Belgium and Spain had long-term impact, while his policies toward France, the Ottoman Empire, and the United States proved more ephemeral. He was a master of public opinion, achieved by stroking British nationalism. His weaknesses include mishandling of personal relations, and long-standing disagreements with the Queen over the royal role in determining foreign policy. Palmerston built a strong popular following among the British electorate, by promoting himself, British nationalism, and a sense of patriotism. He assiduously fostered the press, which gave him very favourable coverage. Queen Victoria and most of the political leadership distrusted him, but his popular strength prevailed.