Rise of Neville Chamberlain The two had a son and a daughter, with Neville Chamberlain involving himself deeply in the children's upbringing. When he became Prime Minister in 1937 Chamberlain paid tribute to his wife: While Chamberlain had continued to give speeches at general elections, his entry into politics at age 42 in 1911 stemmed from interest in local politics and the opportunities they offered for social improvement. In 1910, Chamberlain appeared before a Parliamentary committee, testifying in favour of a bill to merge Birmingham with its suburbs. The bill passed, tripling the size of the city and greatly increasing its population. Chamberlain was
Neville Chamberlain and MPs believed there was no issue at stake worth resignation. Chamberlain appointed Lord Halifax as Foreign Secretary in Eden's place. In March 1938 Austria became a part of Germany in the "Anschluß". Though the beleaguered Austrians requested help from Britain none was forthcoming. Britain did send Berlin a strong note of protest. In addressing the Cabinet shortly after German forces crossed the border, Chamberlain placed blame on both Germany and Austria. Chamberlain noted, On 14 March, the day after the "Anschluß", Chamberlain addressed the House of Commons and strongly condemned the methods used by the Germans in the takeover