Churchill’s view of events 1929–1940 Flashcards
Why Churchill was out of office 1929–1939; his attitude to the Abdication Crisis; his views about Empire and India and clashes with his party; attitude towards Germany after 1933; his views about rearmament and appeasement; why Churchill became Prime Minister.
Why was Churchill out of Govt.?
His actions:
1. He was in conflict with the majority of his party/leaders because he took up unpopular causes.
2. Old-fashioned speaking style.
3. Economists argued Churchill made the wrong descision when returning to the Gold Standard in 1925.
Not his actions:
1. Formation of the National coalition government meant there was no room for Churchill.
- He had reached his 60s which meant that he was viewed as out of touch and old fashioned
Why by 1931 did Churchill appear an inappropriate MP?
- His failure in the Gallipoli campaign of 1915 portrayed him as a reckless decisionmaker
- His speeches attacking tory views on Ireland etc threatened political instability
- return to the gold standard = ineffectual decision maker
What were the 4 main areas of thinking that set Churchill apart from other Tories?
- India: opposed Indian Nationalism whereas the popular mood was in favour of the recognition of Indian independence
- Abdication of KEVIII: Churchill was in support of King Edward’s marriage vs pop. view that divorce is immoral
- Rearmament: Churchill strongly urged rearmament whereas po. was that this would further weaken the economy and most were heavily anti-war
- Concessions to Hitler: Churchill warned against appeasement but most in favour of appeasement to avoid war
Why was salt seen as a good focus of protest for the Indian independence movement?
Britain was
Salt was also an item of daily use so it would resonate with all classes of citizens thereby gaining more support and uniting the whole country
How did the salt protest make Britain look both brutal & ridiculous?
- Collecting the salt and refusing to pay tax challenged Britain and echoed how the USA gained independence.
- Br. condemned for its brutality because 60,000 protesters had been wrongfully imprisoned- shows a lack of control/ authority. & the arrest of Gandhi only sparked further protests
Summarise the Abdication Crisis
King Edward wanted to marry divorcee Wallis Simpson but as head of the C. of E. he was meant to uphold values i.e. opposing divorce.
If Edward as King married Wallis = resignation of Govt & other serious political issues
How did the abdication crisis undermine Churchill?
Churchill assumed a minority position by supporting the KIng’s choice.
- He was a member of ‘The King’s Friends’ who supported the monarchy, he made a speech in favour of the King and was shouted down.
This made C. unfavourable bc the Britain of 1930s had a different moral outlook and C seemed to be out of touch w/ public mood
What was James Ramsay Macdonald’s (PM 1931-35) relationship w/ Churchill like & what was his role in Rearmament?
Ramsay Macdonald had a v. complex relationship w/ C. bc they were political rivals.
JRM gave C. access to Govt. documents concerning rearmament.
What was Stanley Baldwin’s (PM 1935-37) relationship w/ Churchill like & what was his role in Rearmament?
C. had opposed Baldwin on many issues but specifically India although Baldwin had revived C’s pol. career
- Baldwin oversaw the beginning of British rearmament
What was Neville Chamberlain’s (PM 1937-40) relationship w/ Churchill like & what was his role in Rearmament?
Chamberlain was PM when C was Lord Pres of the council
- he urged the strengthening of the RAF and was a member of the war cabinet
Why did Churchill oppose the Govt’s German policy?
C. was highly concerned by the growing power of Germany esp. under Hitler
Why were the British leaders of the 30s in a dangerous position?
- they put too much faith in international agreements i.e the Kellogg-Briand pact and the Locarno Treaty
- had v. little money to upgrade weaponry
- Weaponry was highly outdated
- public was v. hostile to another war
What was the Locarno pact?
Agreement between Fr, Br, Italy & Germany guaranteeing Germany’s western frontiers as established by the TOV
What was the Kellogg-Briand pact?
A pact initiated by the US sec. of. state & French foreign minister - outlawed war as a means of settling international disputes
Suggest important dates in a timeline of German rearmament
1933 - Hitler withdraws Germany from the LON
1934 - secretly starts rearming
1935 - formation of the stresa front, anglo-german naval agreement, reintroduction of conscription thereby breaking the TOV
1936 - Remilitarisation of the Rhineland
1937 - Spanish civil War & Guernica display German airforce strength
1938 - invades Sudetenland
1939 - invade Czechoslovakia & Poland & WW2 announced
What were the 3 main options for Chamberlain in terms of dealing w/ Hitler & Germany?
- Not getting involved
- Taking steps to prevent war e.g persuading the Czechs to make concessions
- Take a firm stand and initiate a widespread alliance w/ other nations
Issues with persuading the Czechs to follow appeasement
- this would lead to revisions to the TOV, indicating that Br. thought the LON & TOV were irrelevant and essentially giving in to aggressive dictators all of which would only further encourage Hitler’s behaviour
- pursuing this would also rule out collective security & a grand alliance with Fr. & the Soviets
Issues with not getting involved
If France or the Soviet Union acted this could lead to a European war so Br. would be involved anyway esp. as Br. allied itself with France.
Why did Churchill prefer the option of Britain taking a firm stance towards Germany?
- He believed that to give in to aggression would demonstrate moral cowardice
- Britain had already demonstrated weakness which had encouraged German expansionism & so it needed to rectify this
Other reasons why Churchill was elected PM
- Chamberlain’s identity as a ‘man of peace’ prevented him from asserting himself as a war leader & many felt that he wasn’t waging war well enough
- The only other viable candidate, Halifax was heavily associated w/ appeasement so the public again didn’t believe he could wage war properly & he refused to accept the position
Reasons why it could be argued that Churchill became PM because of skill
- highly powerful orator thereby able to generate mass support
- Churchill had been very outspoken about the war effort and in the wake of German invasions creating a sense of urgency, people felt they needed someone who understood war - Churchill had also participated in many wars and had experience as First Lord of the Admiralty
- C. also had a very wide public reach/influence through newspapers and radio broadcasts
