Churchill And International Diplomacy 1939-51 Flashcards
(19 cards)
1
Q
Churchill quote about Stalin + significance
A
- “If Hitler invaded hell,I would atleast make a favourable reference to the devil in the House of Commons”
- calls Stalin the devil but says he’ll make a deal with him to defeat Hitler
2
Q
Churchill and Stalin
A
- Churchill worked with Stalin and communists despite not agreeing on political views
- Churchill doesn’t usually compromise but he did now which shows how desperate he is to win the war
3
Q
Soviet contribution to war
A
- Out of 2 million German soldiers killed in WWII, 1.1 million were killed by Russians
- Stalin cared little for his people so was able to win by sacrificing them
4
Q
Churchill and Roosevelt
A
- Churchill needed help from the Americans as the British were unable to fight the German’s on their own
- USA did give us aid but no troops until they were dragged into the war by the bombing of pearl harbour in December 1941
5
Q
Isolationism policy
A
- Adopted by the USA after WWII
- 300,000 American men wounded or dead in WWI so felt it was a mistake joining
- pledged to stay out of European and other international affairs (fighting in Europe and Japanese empire)
6
Q
Atlantic charter
A
- Stated that “ they respect the right of all peoples to choose the form of government under which they will live.” Basically a reduction in empires and disarmament after WWII
- Churchill agreed to the terms of the Atlantic charter in 1941 which shows how desperate he was as it was out of character for him
7
Q
Lend-lease act
A
- March 1941
- gave weapons and aid to Britain on a loan so they could pay after the war was over and not during
- no troops given until pearl harbour
8
Q
Percentages agreement
A
- 1944
- Stalin and Churchill
- agreed to split up countries spheres of influence into different percentages for political control
- Britain wanted to protect Greece because of it’s access to the Mediterranean and trade routes
- pretty good agreement for Churchill because it appeases Stalin
9
Q
Churchill’s position in grand alliance
A
- Junior member in comparison to USA and USSR who had power and influence
- Britain largely reliant on them
- Churchill joked about by Stalin and Roosevelt who met up without him
10
Q
Churchill and De Gaulle
A
- De Gaulle was an colonel of the French army who found himself in power as his superior officers had been captured during the Nazi invasion of France
- stubborn and determined
- refused to work with the Vichy France government as he saw them as traitors
- saw himself as the leader of post-war France. Churchill and Roosevelt disagreed
- Americans struggled to work with him more than Churchill did
11
Q
Churchill in North Africa later in the war
A
- Kept attacking the “soft underbelly” of the whole war in North Africa rather than opening a front in France
- argued we needed to protect Greece and the Mediterranean and that Italy was easier to defeat
- war may have been over sooner with front in France but in the end the NA campaign was successful
12
Q
Churchill and France
A
- Churchill keen to try and defend France at all costs
- British forces retreated from Dunkirk in 1940
- British navy ordered to sink French ships to prevent them falling into German hands
- resulted in 1297 French servicemen dying
13
Q
Conferences between 1939 - 45
A
- Churchill attended 16, Roosevelt 12 and Stalin 7
- Churchill desperate to and wow and get help from others - personal diplomacy
- notably Atlantic conference (Atlantic charter proposed), Tehran conference, Yalta conference and Potsdam conference
14
Q
Atlantic conference
A
- August 1941
- Churchill + Roosevelt
- Atlantic charter discussed
15
Q
Tehran conference
A
- November - December 1943
- Churchill, Roosevelt + Stalin
- first big three meeting
- discussed strategy for war and dates for the invasion of Northern France
16
Q
Yalta conference
A
- February 1945
- Churchill, Roosevelt + Stalin
- discussed final plans for defeat of Germany, post war Europe and USSR’s entry into war with Japan
17
Q
Potsdam conference
A
- July- August 1945
- Churchill then Atlee (after Churchill lost 1945 election), Truman and Stalin
- discussed unconditional surrender of Japan and policy for Germany
18
Q
Iron curtain speech
A
- 1946
- said Europe was split by a metaphorical curtain into communist and capitalist
- felt the communists were “far beyond their numbers” and forcing countries to be communist
- worried another war may break out due to the tension and how it couldn’t stay like that forever
19
Q
Churchill’s post-war views
A
- wanted to reinforce Britain’s ‘special relationship’ with the USA
- wanted to maintain Britain’s empire, particularly around the Suez Canal
- supported the untied nation’s (stronger than the League of Nations (previously failed)) power to use military force when necessary
- suggested “we must build a kind of United States in Europe” - kind of like modern EU or NATO
