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Questions about Benjamin Disraeli

Short answers, pulled from the story.

Was Benjamin Disraeli Jewish?

Disraeli was born into a Sephardic Jewish family but was baptised into the Church of England on the 31st of July 1817, aged twelve, after his father Isaac left the Bevis Marks Synagogue following a dispute. He is the only British prime minister to have been born Jewish.

How many times was Benjamin Disraeli Prime Minister of the United Kingdom?

Disraeli served as Prime Minister twice. His first term ran from February to December 1868, when the Conservatives lost the general election. His second and longer term ran from 1874 to 1880, ending after Gladstone's Liberals won the general election that year.

What did Benjamin Disraeli do at the Congress of Berlin in 1878?

At the Congress of Berlin in 1878, Disraeli negotiated a peace settlement in the Balkans following Russian victories against the Ottoman Empire. He secured terms favourable to Britain and unfavourable to Russia, establishing himself as one of Europe's leading statesmen at the time.

How did Benjamin Disraeli purchase the Suez Canal shares?

In November 1875, Disraeli learned that the Khedive of Egypt was selling his 44% stake in the Suez Canal Company. He borrowed 100,000,000 francs from the banker Lionel de Rothschild rather than approach the Bank of England, and the contract was signed in Cairo on the 25th of November 1875.

What was the Reform Act 1867 and what role did Disraeli play in it?

The Reform Act 1867 extended the British franchise by 938,427 men, an increase of 88%, by giving the vote to male householders and lodgers paying at least £10 for rooms. Disraeli, as Chancellor and Leader of the House under Lord Derby, outmaneuvered Liberal opposition to steer the bill through Parliament, winning wide acclaim for the skill with which he secured its passage.

What novels did Benjamin Disraeli write?

Disraeli wrote novels throughout his career, beginning in 1826 with Vivian Grey, a thinly veiled account of the failure of his newspaper venture The Representative. Later works included Contarini Fleming (1832), The Wondrous Tale of Alroy (1833), Lothair (1870), which became a bestseller during his time as opposition leader, and Endymion, his last completed novel, published shortly before his death in 1881.