Churchill' relationship with the Generals

Question 1

Did Churchill interfere with the decision making process?

Answer 1

Absolutely. He thought that the years of experience in politics and as a soldier qualified him for strategy.

Question 2

What dominated Churchill’s view about the Generals?

Answer 2

• The terrible decision making by Generals during ww1 which cost thousands of lives e.g the Battle of the Somme
• He had been frustrated by the Generals calling for appeasement in the 1930’s

Question 3

What influenced the Generals view of Churchill?

Answer 3

• His previous failings e.g. Gallipoli

- Used friends to make strategic decisions

Question 4

Brooke - Field Marshal, Head of the Army

Answer 4

• Often annoyed by Churchill thinking aloud
• Wartime diaries create an exhausted figure
• When it came to major decisions there were fewer disagreements e.g. sending troops to North Africa they agreed because both didn’t want to fight in Northern Europe yet.

Question 5

Wavell - Main commander

Answer 5

• Churchill gave little credit to the commander of the North Africa battles
• Personally disliked Wavell
• Churchill took forces away from him in Greece to establish a Balkan front thus Wavell didn’t have enough time to prepare
• Resources were not allocated to him which resulted in defeat against Rommel causing Wavell to be demoted

Question 6

Auchinleck

Answer 6

• Auchinleck was Wavell’s successor
• Churchill wanted a fast attack on the Germans but Auchinleck wanted to delay
• He was sacked for taking too long on decisions and not being aggressive enough

Question 7

Montgomery

Answer 7

• Won over Churchill with his self confidence and insisted on thorough preparations for attack
• For example, he accumulated 2x the number of german troops at El Alemein October 1942 before attacking (partly because Churchill let him have so many men)
• Monty was slow to respond to the victory at El Alamein which allowed the Germans to retreat to Tunisia but Churchill didn’t disfavour him for that