Shell Crisis of 1915

E842404

The Shell Crisis of 1915 was a World War I political and military scandal in Britain over severe shortages of artillery ammunition, which undermined confidence in the government and helped trigger the formation of a new coalition administration.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Shell Crisis of 1915 canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf World War I home front event
military scandal
political scandal
conflict World War I
country United Kingdom
describedBySource British wartime newspapers
post‑war historical studies of World War I
hasCause bureaucratic inefficiency at the War Office
high expenditure of shells on the Western Front
inadequate munitions production
limitations of private armaments industry
pre‑war underestimation of shell consumption
shortage of artillery shells
hasEffect accelerated reorganization of British munitions production
boosted the political standing of David Lloyd George
contributed to the fall of the Asquith administration
damaged reputation of the War Office
encouraged use of women workers in munitions factories
increased influence of military commanders over supply policy
led to expansion of state control over industry
prompted legislative changes on labour and industry
stimulated technological innovation in shell manufacture
strengthened calls for total war mobilization
undermined public confidence in the Liberal government
location Britain
linked to: Great Britain
mainSubject British munitions policy
artillery ammunition shortage
civil‑military relations in wartime Britain
participant British Army General Staff
British War Office
linked to: War Office

British press
Conservative Party (UK)
David Lloyd George
Herbert Henry Asquith
Liberal Party (UK)
private armaments manufacturers in Britain
trade unions in Britain
pointInTime May 1915
relatedTo Battle of Neuve Chapelle
British home front during World War I
Lloyd George coalition government
Ministry of Munitions
Western Front in World War I
linked to: Western Front
significantEvent creation of the Ministry of Munitions
exposure of shell shortages in the British press
formation of a coalition government in May 1915
political attacks on the Asquith government
public controversy over high‑explosive shell supply
startTime 1915

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.