Churchill and International Diplomacy, 1939-51

Question 1

When was the Atlantic Charter signed?

Answer 1

1941

Question 2

Who signed the Atlantic Charter?

Answer 2

Roosevelt and Churchill

Question 3

When was the Bengal famine?

Answer 3

1942

Question 4

What did Churchill think earnt Britain huge prestige?

Answer 4

Standing alone against Hitler in 1940

Question 5

What did he think about the British Empire after WWII?

Answer 5

• he wanted to preserve it
• didn’t see the need/want to grant further independence to India and other rich colonies

Question 6

How was Churchill involved in the UN?

Answer 6

• UN was formed in consequence of the Atlantic Charter
• the first meeting of the Security Council and General Assembly was in London

Question 7

When and what was the Lease-Lend programme?

Answer 7

March 1941; gave Britain war materials and credit

Question 8

What did Britain have to use as a guarantee for lease-lend assistance?

Answer 8

their gold reserves

Question 9

What did the US give to Britain as part of the lease-lend programme and what was wrong with it?

Answer 9

50 destroyers but were too old to be of much help

Question 10

Why did the US enter the war?

Answer 10

as Hitler declared war on them in December 1941 after Pearl Harbour

Question 11

What did Churchill convince Roosevelt of?

Answer 11

a ‘Europe-first’ policy, where they would focus on defeating Hitler then Japan

Question 12

What 2 things did Churchill and Roosevelt clash on?

Answer 12

• the date of D-Day, Roosevelt wanted it earlier
• opening another front in the Balkans; Roosevelt opposed

Question 13

When did Stalin become an ally to Churchill?

Answer 13

1941

Question 14

When did Churchill go to Moscow?

Answer 14

August 1942

Question 15

Why was Churchill resentful of Stalin?

Answer 15

as Stalin and Roosevelt were becoming closer in 1943

Question 16

What was the ‘Percentages Agreement’?

Answer 16

deal to divide eastern Europe to keep Russian desired for expansion at bay

Question 17

Did Russia expand? and if so where?

Answer 17

yes; didn’t try to take over Greece but USSR dominated Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and Poland

Question 18

Why did Churchill find it difficult to work with de Gaulle?

Answer 18

as de Gaulle saw himself as France’s natural leader and refused to work with other leaders which frustrated Churchill

Question 19

Who did de Gaulle have a rivalry with? and what were the consequences?

Answer 19

Giraud; this threatened allied unity and caused strains at the Casablanca conference of 1943

Question 20

What 3 major decisions did Churchill have influence in?

Answer 20

• Mediterranean strategy; accepted by USA as a major way of forward planning
• Decision to set D-Day in 1944
• Spheres of Influence; Stalin convinced Churchill in 1944 Moscow meeting

Question 21

Where were the divisions of Germany agreed?

Answer 21

At Yalta and Potsdam

Question 22

Where was Stalin’s declaration of war decided at?

Answer 22

Yalta

Question 23

What did the USA share with Britain?

Answer 23

knowledge of its major weapon development; atomic bomb

Question 24

What was made clear to Britain at the Tehran conference?

Answer 24

the USA regarded Britain as a junior partner

Question 25

What 3 decisions did Churchill have to settle for?

Answer 25

- signing the Atlantic Charter; even through it would influence the rule of the Empire - accepted territorial changes to Poland; even though it went against his moral obligations - allowing Russian Prisoners of War to return back to USSR; even though they would be killed as some fought with Germany

Question 26

What did Churchill want for post war Europe?

Answer 26

to maintain peace

Question 27

When did Churchill speak of greater European unity?

Answer 27

Zurich 1946

Question 28

What was his opinion of a European Union?

Answer 28

supported the idea in 1930 offered to unite Britain and France in 1940

Question 29

Why was US relations so important to Churchill?

Answer 29

essential to meet the threat of Europe from newly expanded USSR

Question 30

Why was Britain and France not on good terms?

Answer 30

Britain resented France for surrendering to Hitler in 1940 France resented Britain for sinking their fleet

Question 31

What was Churchill's priority in 1951?

Answer 31

maintaining the empire and then focusing on European relations

Question 32

When was the Iron Curtain speech made?

Answer 32

March 1946

Question 33

What was significant about the Iron Curtain speech?

Answer 33

it became a standard way of referring to Russia and its satellite states

Question 34

What happened to relations after the Iron Curtain speech?

Answer 34

worsened relations with Russia and encouraged the west to maintain armaments to defend itself

Question 35

What Belief did the Iron curtain restore for Stalin?

Answer 35

western hostility toward USSR

Question 36

What 3 positive things were said in the IC speech?

Answer 36

- referred to Churchill's admiration for the valiant people of Russia that Stalin would not desire a war - called for a settlement

Question 37

What was the US's opinion of the speech?

Answer 37

at the time USA was in favour as Truman was unsympathetic to Communism and the USSR