Churchill as wartime Prime Minister Flashcards
By 13 May 1940…
…the situation was dangerous but:
- the British army was intact
- the French army has large forces
- Italy has not joined Germany
- the British were fighting only on one front
- Churchill had put together a Cabinet with supporters & wanted to wage war energetically, despite bad record
- little enthusiasm from Roosevelt about his appointment & HoC still had many avid supporters of Chamberlain
- 14 May; Germans broke French Defences OHNO!
By 28th May 1940, Churchill was facing a profound challenge:
- 300,000 troops, hoping to be evacuated from Dunkirk.
- Danger of Italian entry, threatening Egypt and Suez Canal.
- Japan, as possible threat to Britain’s possessions in south Asia.
- Gold reserves, running low.
- Germany had bombed Poland – high casualties expected if in Britain.
Lord Halifax & Appeasement
- Lord Halifax (Foreign Secretary, supporter of appeasement) was making discrete approaches to discover German terms for peace (by asking Mussolini, as proposed by the French, and discussed by the Cabinet on 28 May = REJECTED )
- Halifax needed to know what Britain’s options were but it would’ve been dangerous to suggest Britain was considering a negotiated peace (seem WEAK to Hitler)
- Australian High Commissioner pleaded for an appeal to USA / Roosevelt = REJECTED by Churchill with word ‘rot’
Situation 4th June 1940:
- 224,318 British troops and 111, 172 of the allies evacuated from Dunkirk
- Cabinet have resisted French demands for more aircraft. A defence of Britain possible.
- Belgium had surrendered, and France relations were poor.
- Cabinet members who favoured negotiation, had been silenced.
- Churchill made the most famous speech to the Commons: “we shall fight on the beaches…we shall never surrender”
Britain July to End of 1940
- 3 July 1940, attack on French fleet to prevent it falling into German hands.
- RAF bombing on Germany since its invasion of the low countries.
- British Armed Forces sent to Egypt (BOLD as German invasion threat)
- British achieved rapid victories against Italy, which had colonies in North Africa.
- German air offensive launched in August
- September: Hitler thought, bombing cities and destroying morale was more important than destroying RAF: allowed recovery
- By the end of 1940, Britain had enjoyed some victories in North Africa, and had defeated the German air offensive. Churchill had established his position over his rivals, and his oratory became a weapon of war. No negotiations were made with Germany due to his determination, and the nation had steeled itself for a long struggle.
- Considered very impressive given Britain stood alone against Germany, Italy, and possibly Japan, with no allies, no commitment from USA, and a still ruined population after WW1
Churchill’s Leadership Style During the War
- Very high levels of dedication and energy demanded by Churchill.
- Fascinated by imaginative ideas (special advisor, Frederick Lindemann) even over scientific experts warnings.
- Constantly restless and energetic, worked irregular hours.
- Insisted on precise and concise paperwork: queries and ideas presented only on one sheet of paper.
- Believe in establish a strong personal relationship with allies and friendships within former advisors.
- Mastery of written in spoken expression, especially in 1940 and speeches in House of Commons.
- Most travelled of all Prime Minister’s before him = wartime journeys undertaken at considerable hazard = showed considerable energy for his age.
- Daring and ruthless and determined (see destruction of French fleet, support of German civilian bombings, and plans to destroy German invaders by poison gas)
Churchill & his Generals
- wanted to influence strategy, despite poor military career: little experience of command, and no naval experience ( but still gave direct orders to the Navy as first Lord of the Admiralty)
- Disaster Gallipoli campaign of 1915 & later backed failed Norway military campaign 1939
- Churchill, influenced by heavy losses of World War I, which he blamed on politicians letting generals like Haig pursue their plans without supervision, & annoyed by previous appeasement policies of generals
- See: Sir Hugh Dowding, Lord Gort, Sir John Dill, Sir Alan Brooke, Sir Archibald Wavell, Sir Claude Auchinleck, Bernard Montgomery
Churchill and Sir Hugh Dowding
- Mobilised small groups of fighters & preserved strength of RAF by not pursuing German bombers over the channel as suggested by other strategists
- Dowding had enemies who that a larger-scale strategy would’ve worked better, & Churchill, despite Dowding’s success, did not back him
- Removed from command in November 1940
Churchill & Brooke
- Main burdens of Churchill’s interference fell on Field Marshal Sir Alan Brooke = highly competent organiser and thorough professional, but different temperament to Churchill = conscious of need to deploy British forces carefully and avoid heavy casualties = often disagreements
- BUT fewer disagreements over major decisions ( for example 1940 decision to send military equipment to Middle East to deal with Italian threat to Egypt / Suez Canal = not refuted by military generals - no huge desire to invade France)
Churchill & Wavell
- Churchill gave little credit to Sir Archibald Wavell who gained rapid British victories in North Africa in 1940 because he personally disliked him
- Churchill took forces away from him when Italy invaded Greece 1940 = not given time to prepare = trips taken off to deeply flawed campaign = failed when German forces invaded = British had to be evacuate to Crete = didn’t have forces to meet Rommel who went to Africa = took the blame & demoted
Churchill, Auchinleck & Montgomery
Wavell’s successor, Sir Claude Auchinleck, Was not prepared for premature attack on Germans and to Churchill’s annoyance, insisted on delaying until he was well prepared = effective defence and thorough preparations for counter-attack BUT Churchill sacked him for not being sufficiently daring and aggressive.
Replace by Bernard Montgomery = insisted on very thorough preparations, involving accumulating more than twice the men that Rommel had before attacking at El Alamein in October 1942 = much of credit for first major British victory in war should have gone to Auchinleck because of his efficient preparations, even though he did not actually lead the attack = Montgomery as slow to follow up victory at El Alamein (allowed German retreat to Tunisia) but Churchill continued to favour him
The war in Europe 1943 – 1944
- Slow progress of campaign through Italy, distracted allies from major task of defeating mean, German armies and invading Germany = More British and US troops occupied than it did German and forced Russia to take on main task of moving towards Germany (Churchill as admiring Sir Harold Alexander’s persistance as slow advance - “unruffled & gentlemanly”)
- Eisenhower planned invasion of France summer, 1944. Planning under general Morgan was one of the most important achievement of war, for which he received limited credit.
Monty remained Churchill’s favourite = confidence, and energy, not altogether borne out by his actions. Costly campaign against more flexible experience German forces characterised rest of war after D-Day, 6th JUNE 1944 (successfully deceived German about location).
‘Operation Graden Market’ in 1944 = FAILURE: Airborne landings to outflank Germans by taking bridges for a possible invasion of row = Montgomery, strong, confident, but US doubts because flaw in planning execution and aim. Like Gallipoli in 1915 , Arnhem attack was bold and over-ambitious.
Churchill & North Africa
THERE IS MORE INFORMATION NOT INCLUDED HERE, IN WELLS TEXTBOOK
If a north African attack by Germany broke broke through into Egypt, then German forces might link up with forces in Russia and secure the vital oil fields of southern Russia and Middle East. The outcome of the entire war thus was at stake in the war in the Mediterranean.
- By 1941, Egypt was under threat - German Afrika Kourosh & leader General Erwin Rommel.
- BUT Rommel was short of men and supplies, so was forced back after the battle of El Alamein.
After December 1941, forced to take US side:
> Success of all depended on survival of Russia, and defeating, main German forces, so Mediterranean was waste of resources, of little strategic importance after Rommel.
Churchill & War in Italy
1943 invasion of Sicily FAILED to prevent Germans retreating to mainland BUT 16 Allied divisions occupied remained heavy fighting there DESPITE Mediterranean being secure (North Africa, Malta, etc) & Italy weakened, so what was the point in extended campaign?
- High casualties expected in France.
- Failed landings at Anzio in 1944 didn’t speed up process as hoped.
- British policy was to maintain British dominance over the Mediterranean to preserve links with empire and extend interests in Southeast Europe.
How justified was the bombing of Germany?
Germany had used civilian bombing to create terror in Poland in 1939 and in the low countries, Belgium and France in 1940. After the blitz (60,595 died 1939-45), considerable public pressure to do the same to Germany = to destroy morale and war capacity and show off RAF bomber command strength. HOWEVER…
> 1942 specialist report indicated bombing was not precise enough to damage German industrial production
Blitz had not destroyed civilian morale in Britain, why would it in Germany?
Ethical objections to killing large number of civilians (voiced by brave objectors such as Bishop Bell of Chichester)
Considerable loss of life in major cities, like Hamburg, Berlin, and in February 1945, Dresden (40,000 casualties - sheltering thousands of refugees so CONTROVERSIAL)
Overall, between 4-600,000 Germans died in bombing raids.
