= Henry Fox = '''Henry Fox''' was a [[UnitedKingdom/WhigParty|Whig]] politician and member of the [[UnitedKingdom/Parliament|Parliament]] in [[UnitedKingdom/Democratization|Great Britain]]. <> ---- == History == Fox first won election to the [[UnitedKingdom/Parliament|House of Commons]] in 1735. He was first appointed to government in 1737 and quickly gained the confidence of [[UnitedKingdom/William|William]], '''duke of Cumberland'''. Following the death of [[UnitedKingdom/HenryPelham|Pelham]], [[UnitedKingdom/ThomasPelhamHolles|Pelham-Holles]] became the nominal head of government. In actuality he became the king-maker for the next head. Fox and [[UnitedKingdom/WilliamPitt|Pitt]] were politically ascendant and the obvious choices, but he chose neither to ensure the next government was not too centralized. Fox resigned in protest. The next year, [[UnitedKingdom/ThomasRobinson|Robinson]] resigned and Pelham-Holles finally turned to Fox for leadership. Fox was appointed to both leader of the Commons and [[UnitedKingdom/SouthernDepartment|Southern secretary]]. Shortly thereafter, the peace established by the [[WorldHistory/WarOfAustrianSuccession|Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle]] fell apart. Border skirmishes in the Ohio territory escalated into the '''French and Indian War'''. [[Austria/MariaTheresa|Austria]] entered into a new alliance with [[France/LouisXV|France]]. [[Germany/FrederickII|Frederick the Great]] invaded Austria to seize Saxony and Bohemia, and [[WorldHistory/Hanover|Hanover]] stood between French armies and the emerging war front. England was not prepared for the [[WorldHistory/SevenYearsWar|Seven Years' War]], and suffered a devastating loss in [[WorldHistory/BalearicIslands|Menorca]]. There were calls to execute members of the government, up to and including Pelham-Holles. A court marshal against MP and Admiral '''John Byng''' was offered up as a scapegoat. Fox and Pelham-Holles both resigned in late 1756 while Byng was executed in early 1757. Within a year, Pitt and Pelham-Holles formed a coalition and regained control over government. Fox served as paymaster of the forces but was excluded from the cabinet. After [[UnitedKingdom/GeorgeII|George II]] died in 1760, [[UnitedKingdom/GeorgeIII|George III]] succeeded and slowly pushed changes to the government's composition. [[UnitedKingdom/JohnStuart|Stuart]] appointed Fox to both [[UnitedKingdom/SouthernDepartment|Southern secretary]] and leader in the Commons in 1762. He held the latter for only a year, as he was then raised to '''baron Holland of Foxley'''. He was forced to resign in 1765 amid accusations of embezzlement; any formal court proceedings were halted by royal warrant. ---- CategoryRicottone