Spanning the late 19th century and early 20th century, this volume seeks to introduce and understand the evolution of the modern Conservative party. The central theme of the text is the adaptation of the Party within a political system based upon a mass, democratic, secular and urban society and a mature industrial economy undergoing the early strains of relative decline. The study pursues several lines of interpretation including the analysis of the Party through the war, rather than stopping in 1914 or starting in 1918 or 1922 the events of 1914-1918 are explored within a wider argument.