#3.Churchill And International Diplomacy 1939-51

Question 1

why was Britains’ role important in the early 1940s

Answer 1

USA was persuaded by Britain to open a front in meditterenean.
Britain encouraged its self governing domions to get involved with the war effort
maintained good relationship with USSR even though they took brunt of war
atlantic charter- not forced to give up empire

Question 2

how did the US initially support the UK

Answer 2

mainly through helping with supplies, giving over ships
1941- lend lease act- allowed to give defence items to countries it deemed suitable eg britain given 31.6 billion
1940- 50 old us destroyers given to britain
1939- repeals neutrality act

Question 3

why did Roosevelt initially not want to be involved in WW2

Answer 3

unpopular to be involved in another European war, there was concerns about japan.
issues that congress needed to support declaration of war
believed britain would gain colonies
moral obligations to british empire

Question 4

what and when was the atlantic charter

Answer 4

stated common principles between UK and USA= before usa enters war

Question 5

why was the US inital help useless

Answer 5

destroyers given to the UK were obselite
USA took UK gold from south africa as guarntee for payments for payments
USA made profits from selling arms

Question 6

when does the USA enter the war

Answer 6

december 1941 as a result of peral harbour

Question 7

what are the examples of churchill and Roosevelt having good war relations

Answer 7

persuades not to invade france ‘operation sledgehammer’
followed Britains mediterreanean strategy
followed into Italy

Question 8

where were relations strained between churchill and Roosevelt during WW2

Answer 8

Disagreed where to focus war effort
USA abandons europe first
Churchill’s plan of bringing Turkey into war rejected
Roosevelt started favouring stalin eg meeting without churchill
USA organised operation overlord

Question 9

why was churchill and stalins relationship strained to begin with

Answer 9

hated the ideology
stalin was also a brutal dictator like Hitler
against revolution in 1917
‘ if hitler invaded hell i would make a favourable reference of the devil to the house of commons’

Question 10

what was the percentages agreement with stalin

Answer 10

agreed over spheres of influence over europe

Romania controlled by Russia but Britain and USA could have Greece

Question 11

why were Churchills and Degaulles relationships strained

Answer 11

1297 French men killed after churchill sinks french fleet
very difficult to deal with
disliked by US
saw himself as leader of post war france with UK and US didn’t accept

Question 12

how were relationships with Degaulle positive

Answer 12

loved france and spoke the language
offered union between France and britain to keep them in war
British retreat was betrayal

Question 13

what was the atlantic conference

Answer 13

CR 1941- Atlantic charter

Question 14

what was the first washington conference

Answer 14

CR 1942- Europe first policy and UN

Question 15

what was the second washington conference

Answer 15

CR 1942- opening another front in north africa

Question 16

what was the second moscow conference

Answer 16

CS, Harriman 1942=uss startegy of the mediterranean

Question 17

what was the casablanca conference

Answer 17

1943- DG, R, C= italian campaign and plan to unify the French leadership

Question 18

what was the third washington conference

Answer 18

1943- CR= Italian campaign and air bombing of Germany

Question 19

what was the quebec coneference

Answer 19

1943- CR and King Canadian PM- DDay discussed as being 1944

Question 20

what was the cairo conference

Answer 20

1943- CR leader of china- plans for post war asia

Question 21

what was the tehran conference

Answer 21

1943- CRS= first meeting of big three, dates set for the invasion of france

Question 22

what was the second cairo conference

Answer 22

1944 CR- war in far east

Question 23

what was the second quebec conference

Answer 23

1944 CR- Morgenthau plan- plan for post war germany

Question 24

what was the 4th moscow conference

Answer 24

1944CS- post war spheres of influence

Question 25

what was the yalta conference

Answer 25

1945 CRS- USSR Entry into war in japan

Question 26

what was the potsdam conference

Answer 26

1945 CSAT-unconditional surrender of japan and policy for germany

Question 27

how was churchills attitudes to post war world

Answer 27

special relationship with the USA
defence of the empire
greater interest in the Balkan states and eastern european spheres of influence than in relations with western europe

Question 28

what did churchill wish for in europe

Answer 28

called for a european union from 1930 onwards and called for more unifcation between countries like France and Britain

Question 29

why were there issues with Britains position in the world post WW2

Answer 29

britain struggled economically
had many obligations
britain was getting drawn into us hostility to russia
resentment of british dominance in commonwealth
conservatives resented idea of european union
iron curtain speech showed europe to be divided

Question 30

when was the iron curtain speech

Answer 30

1946

Question 31

what was the significance of the iron curtain speech

Answer 31

rallied opinion against communist expansion
at the time it was unpopular as many thanked the USSR for WW2
only churchill’s real understanding of the USSR