Beaverbrook, Lord
Beaverbrook, Lord (1879–1964). Newspaper proprietor. Born to a Scots-Canadian family in Ontario, William Aitken worked as a company negotiator, and used his business acumen to become a millionaire. In 1910 he journeyed to England, where his fellow Scots-Canadian, Andrew Bonar Law, found him a seat as a Conservative MP. Beaverbrook's penchant for making friends with men and women of influence served him well. He cultivated the acquaintance of Lloyd George, played a murky part in Lloyd George's overthrow of Asquith, and was rewarded with a peerage (1916) and membership of the Privy Council (1918).
Beaverbrook had, meanwhile, bought the Daily Express. He discovered he had a natural flair for journalism and this, combined with his business sense, helped boost the paper's popularity: by 1936 it had achieved a world-record circulation of 2.25 million copies per day. In 1923 he acquired control of the Evening Standard. Beaverbrook used his newspapers as vehicles for his own idiosyncratic views: empire free trade, support of Edward VIII during the abdication crisis, and for Neville Chamberlain over Munich. In 1940 Churchill made him minister of aircraft production. The choice was inspired. Beaverbrook's ruthless methods helped ensure the victory of the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain.
Beaverbrook had, meanwhile, bought the Daily Express. He discovered he had a natural flair for journalism and this, combined with his business sense, helped boost the paper's popularity: by 1936 it had achieved a world-record circulation of 2.25 million copies per day. In 1923 he acquired control of the Evening Standard. Beaverbrook used his newspapers as vehicles for his own idiosyncratic views: empire free trade, support of Edward VIII during the abdication crisis, and for Neville Chamberlain over Munich. In 1940 Churchill made him minister of aircraft production. The choice was inspired. Beaverbrook's ruthless methods helped ensure the victory of the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain.
Geoffrey Alderman
More From encyclopedia.com
NEARBY TERMS
Beaverbrook, Lord