Britain during WW2 Flashcards
Chamberlains war cabinet
Chamberlains war cabinet- pro-tory/ dominant government
-light on labour maybe because of blame- if given to conservatives so when Churchill comes to power he has to include labour in his was coalition.
Emergency power wartime act 1939
new powers given to the ministry for information, and to the new Supply and Food ministry
- the government was given the power to intern, eavesdrop, follow, censor or arrest people on the basis of decrees.
- a national registry of all citizen was compiled and issued an ID card
- evacuation in which 1.5 million people were moved from cities to countryside.
- intervention as belief LG had saved GB with intervention
- ‘supply government’ takes control of core industries and starts nationalisation.
Ration book
complete intervention and control.
The bore war
neither GB or F actively aided their Polish ally in its fight against G. this lack of involvement from the chamberlain government led to increasing criticism of his administration from Tories.
Lord Halifax
Lord Halifax was thought to be next PM.-in direct communication with Nazis as wanted peace because GB couldn’t afford a war and Germany didn’t want a war with GB. Portrayed as a traitor and didn’t think GB could win the war.
Churchill comes to power
strange as he had different views, anti-appeasement and pro-military action.
1940
2/5 of his inner war cabinet were Labour.
‘I would say to the house, as I said to those who have joined this government: I HAVE NOTHING TO OFFER BUT BLOOD TOIL TEARS AND SWEAT’
Bevin and Beaverbrook
Bevin- TUC in war become minister of labour, head of transport and general workers union.
Beaverbrook- worked with Bevin.
Best of both parties which gave a socialist consensus.
Military disasters
Military disasters- 1940 permanently destroyed the old Euro-centric world order.
June 1940 France capitulated. Italy entered the war on Germany’s side.
Dunkirk- GB unprepared, represents GB making best out of a bad situation, left resources and equipment= economic crisis and cost of replacing them bankrupt Britain.
Alan Clark’s thesis
-Britain needed to fight during the battle of Britain in order to assert her independence in the face of Nazi aggression.
[Churchill looked to commit more troops to North Africa- by 1941 the British troops had smashed Italian forces.
The USA would not have come into war at this point. ]
-»The decision to fight on beyond 1940 cost Britain its economic independence and global position.
Churchill’s plan to obtain US aid-
Churchill ordered the sinking of the French North African fleet in 1940.
September 1940 Churchill signed a one-sided agreement giving 7 British West Indian colonies and bases to USA in exchange for 50 pre-WW1 destroyers (only 9 were fit for service)
Times said ‘one thing we sure are not fighting for is to hold the British Empire together’
Atlantic Charter 1941 stated that the war was being fought for freedom and democracy between GB and USA
