Ernest Bevin

Sir Ernest Bevin (March 9th 1881 - April 14th 1951, PC) is a British politician member of the Workers party.

Of modest social origin, it engages very early in the fight for the rights of the workmen. From 1922 to 1940, he is general secretary of the general Syndicat workers of transport. He conducts campaign for republican Spain and organizes the recruitment of the volunteers for the international Brigades.

In 1940, Winston Churchill appoints it Minister for Labor. The same year, it enters to the private Conseil of the Queen ( Privy Council ) and becomes member of the House of Commons. In 1945, after the Labor victory, Clement Attlee appoints it secretary with the Foreign affairs. He represents his country with the Conférence of Potsdam.

Deeply anticommunist, it contributes to make accept the Marshall plan, plays a big role in the creation of NATO, in the British decision to develop its nuclear armament and in the policy of damming up of the Soviet enemy .

He is at the origin of creation in 1948 of the secret cell of anti-Soviet propaganda of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Information Research Department (IRD) or Department of research and investigation, related to MI6. The IRD is dissolved in 1977.

Under its authority the British Middle East Office (BMEA) is also created or British Office for the Middle East. This service, established with the Cairo, is charged to defend the British interests in the area and to provide information and councils to the Command as a chief of the Middle East.

It was in particular one of the signatories of the treaties of Dunkirk (in 1947) and of Brussels (in 1948).

Bevin is anobli in 1950 ( Knight Bachelor' S Badge , Sir name). In bad health, he resigns in March 1951 and dies on April 14th.

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