Churchill's leadership Flashcards
when did Churchill become PM
10th May 1940
what happened on the same day as Churchill became PM
Hitler released Blitzkrieg in the West
what assets did Churchill possess that would be advantageous to the war
obstinancy, ruthlessness and desire for action
What did Churchill do in the wake of events at Dunkirk
spoke honestly to the British people and sued rhetoric to inspire people
Why were Churchill’s words of his famous speech so effective
He told people how heroic they were going to be
What did some critics think of Churchill’s military approach of fighting on
it was unnecessarily dangerous
What image did Churchill portray and why was this important
the living embodiment of resistance to the Nazis
Which other PM has Churchill been likened to
Margaret Thatcher
Who were the key members of Churchill’s war cabinet?
Neville Chamberlain, Arthur Greenwood and Clement Attlee
Who was Duff Cooper and what happened to him
Minister of Information and he was stripped of his job and sent to the far east
To what extent did Churchill downsize his Cabinet and why
it went from 9 to 5. He did so to make decisions more effectively
What position did Churchill hold in the war cabinet
Minister of Defence
What change in leadership style did Churchill adopt just before the Battle of Britain
hands-off leadership, with him, only intervening constructively. He gave subordinates more power.
what new post was created to deal with the problems created in the Battle of Britain?
minister of aircraft production
What does MBWA stand for and why did Churchill adopt this approach
Management by Walking about - so he could resolve the pilot shortage
What test did Churchill face in August 1940
Increased intensity of Luftwaffe bombing
What was the purpose of the bombing of Berlin on 25th August 1940
it was a political act, to show Britain’s ability to attack
What was the consequence of the attack on Berlin
it enraged Hitler
What were Hitler’s aims when he began the Blitz on Britain
Wreck economy to break civilian morale
How did Churchill rally the spirit of the people?
He visited stricken areas
How did Churchill seem to be ready for the war leadership
A.J.P Taylor claimed, ‘it was as if all his life had been an unconscious preparation for this hour’
What happened in May 1941 and July 1942
Erskine-Hill (chairman of the 1922 committee) met Lord Woolton to discuss the possibility of replacing Churchill. In August 1942, Woolton reported that the Party ‘thinks that Winston has had his day’.
What act was passed in 1940 and what did it do
the emergency powers act in 1940, which would give the government almost total power over property and British citizens, with it being an early indication of the strength of the Churchill administration
How did Churchill make sure that his generals were always in full control of their briefs
‘ceaseless prodding’ for information and updates
Who discouraged Churchill from some of his more outlandish suggestions
Alan Brooke, the chief of his general staff
What happened on 8 August 1940
31 German planes were shot down, compared with 20 British ones.
What happened on 15 September 1940
Hitler call off his planned invasion of Britain on 15th September, after a day on which 60 German planes were lost.
how many planes were produced in July 1940
496
What are examples of the war at sea being successful
The sinking of half the Italian fleet at Taranto, as well as the Bismarck in 1941 was an achievement
What was an important turning point in the war
the battle of el-alamein
What did the battles of el-alamein secure
Egypt and the Suez Canal and stopped the Axis powers in Ukraine and the Middle East combining
What were the statistics of D-Day
326,000 men had safely landed by end of the first week. Over 3 million troops were eventually landed, leading to the liberation of Paris and later Brussels and Antwerp, enabling allied troops ultimately to liberate Germany by May 1945
What happened after July 1944
Carpet bombing
What are the two aspects to characterise Churchill’s wartime leadership
national leadership and military strategy
Who did Churchill delegate key decisions to
Bevin and Attlee
What helped to boost morale
‘the Dunkirk spirit’
How can Churchill sometimes be seen as
a meddler among the civil servants due to his many servants
What did Churchill have the reputation for being
a serial floor crosser
Who did Churchill underestimate
Japan
What did Japan do throughout the war
it took hong kong and captured airfields in Malaya. The Japanese cut off Singapore’s water supply and forced it to surrender. Churchill had belied that Singapore was unassailable.
why were the carpet bombings criticised
they were morally wrong. 50,000 German civilians were killed no one night in Feb 1945 and were condemned by some Labour MPs and the church
Which interventions of Churchill’s was a mistake
Greece
why was Greece a mistake
60,000 troops were sent to Crete which was not properly fortified and captured by a German parachute attack. 36,000 British troops were killed
