To What Extent was Britain on the Verge of a Civil War in 1914? The years approaching 1914 were particularly difficult for the Liberal government. Not only had there been controversy over the 1909 budget and the constitutional crisis, but the government were also under pressure from trade union militancy, the women’s movement and the problems with Ireland. There was certainly a great deal of unrest in both England and Ireland at this time, but historians disagree over how serious the threats to law and order actually were. To what extent Britain was on the verge of a civil