ABSTRACT
Politically and administratively, the war was also of great significance, leading to the decline of the Liberal Party and to the extension of the states role. The Liberal Party and the country entered the war with a fair level of unity. The invasion of Belgium proved a useful justification for many Radicals. Even the Labour Party went along with the decision for war. Only four Labour Member of Parliament (MPs) voted against support, one of whom was the leader of the party, Ramsay MacDonald. But the Independent Labour Party, an autonomous organisation within the Labour Party, became the focus of anti-war activities. Some MPs were enthusiastically patriotic while others were co-operative, though with reservations about how the war had been brought about. However, there was also a substantial anti-war element and there were a few, particularly after the Russian revolution of 1917, who believed that war presented the opportunity for revolution and therefore called for active opposition to the war.
