Churchill as a war-time leader Flashcards
How was Churchill made Prime Minister?
By King George VI
10th May 1940
What were Churchill’s views on becoming Prime Minister?
- Destiny
- First-hand experience of war
- Confidence in the ability of Britain
What proposals of Halifax’s were rejected?
- Approach Mussolini and USA
- He suggested that Britain should surrender before France was occupied and German bombing destroyed Britain’s aircrafts. Churchill called his proposals “rot”.
How many people were evacuated from Dunkirk?
224,000 British troupes
111,000 allies
What was the state after Dunkirk?
- Belgium surrendered
- Relations with France was poor
All those who favoured negotiations were silenced.
Quote from Churchill’s speech after Dunkirk?
“We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on till the end…”
How did Churchill appeal to USA in his speech after Dunkirk?
“the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old”
Who acted as Churchill in the speech after Dunkirk?
Norman Shelley
Dunkirk date?
4th June 1940
When was Churchill’s air attack on French fleet? - prevent them from falling into enemy hands.
3rd July 1940
When did Germany start bombing the RAF?
When Germany started to invade the low countries. Despite German reprisals
When did Hitler launch an air raid that aimed to destroy the RAF?
20th August 1940
What speech did Churchill give on 20th August 1940?
“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”
Who was head of the German air force?
Göring
When did Goring change his approach from RAF airfields to British cities?
September 1940
What was Sir Hugh Dowding strategy after September 1940?
- Mobilising small groups of fighters
- Preserving the strength of the RAF by not pursuing German bombers over the channel
What strategies were used before September 1940 when following German bombers over the channel?
“Big wing” formation
- Mass groups of aircrafts
Did Churchill like Dowding’s strategy?
No. Many people wanted a larger scale strategy against Germany.
Churchill did not back him.
Dowding was removed from command in November 1940 with Churchill’s blessing
What victories did Britain enjoy by the end of 1940?
- South Africa
- Had defeated a German air defensive
Churchill at the end of 1940?
- He had established his position over his rivals.
- His oratory had become a weapon
- His determination prevented any negotiations with Germany. The nation had prepared itself for a long struggle.
Allies by the end of 1940?
Britain was standing alone against Germany, Japan and Italy.
Memo of 1940 describing Churchill?
“The Prime Minister expects all his Majesty’s servants in high places to set an example of steadiness and resolution.”
What idea was Churchill fascinated with even when scientific experts told him they were a bad idea?
Germ warfare
Proposed by Fredrick ‘The Prof’ Lindemann
How did Churchill exhaust his staff?
- Irregular hours
- Paperwork needed to precise and concise
- He insisted that queries and ideas were only presented on ‘one piece of paper’.
- Fire off demands in mass written instructions
- Would dictate from bed and the bath
What happened to Churchill’s staff?
Those who could not keep up or displeased him were dismissed.
Good leadership: allies?
Churchill developed close bonds with his allies: Roosevelt, Stalin.
Relied on strong relationships with informal advisers and friends.
Good leadership: speeches?
He had mastery in both written and spoken dialect.
- Best speeches in 1940
- Many in house of commons
- Never neglected throughout the war
Good leader: flamboyance?
- Array of uniforms and costumes
- Famous one-piece ‘siren suit”
- Naval and military uniforms he wore
Good leader: travelled?
- Most travelled of all the Prime Ministers before him
- Wartime journeys taken at considerable hazard and lack of comfort for a man his age.
Good leader: daring and ruthless ?
- Determination to keep fighting in 1940
- His decision to destroy German air fleet, killing thousands of former allies.
- Support of civilian bombing in Germany
- Plans to destroy German invaders by poisonous gases
- Impatience with any signs of delay
- Support of covert operations by spies and saboteurs in occupied Europe, regardless of the cost of agent or civilian lives.
How many spies died from the UK alone?
26
