Churchill's view of events, 1929-40 Flashcards
What are the 5 key reasons Churchill was out of office for so long?
- He was disliked within his party
- He took up unpopular causes
- Gold Standard 1925
- Gallipoli campaign
- He was in his 60s by the mid 1930s, as well as his speaking was deemed old-fashioned
Why was returning to the Gold Standard viewed as a mistake?
raised export prices in a time of economic need, it was left in 1931
Why was the Gallipoli campaign seen as reckless?
almost nothing gained and had large death figures of 130,000
What was the 1919 Rowlatt Acts?
It increased police powers that allowed imprisonment without trial
What was the Amritsar Massacre?
It was a Gandhi led campaign against the Rowlatt act, where 400 were killed and 1200 wounded
What was the timeline of Indian Independence?
1933 Britain agreed to allow India greater self-government
1935 Government of India Act
1937 it came into effect
What was the Government of India Act?
It expanded the electorate to 35 million out of 338 million and elected legislators were set up to deal with local affairs
What was ‘the jewel in the crown’ quote referring to?
Churchill’s view of India within the Empire
What 4 key reasons as to why Churchill viewed the Empire’s rule over India as important?
- Saw Britain’s greatness being bound with its imperial status
- Believed British rule had brought economic and social progress
- Believed racial superiority
- Believed British control was preventing conflict between Muslims and Hindus
- This led him to oppose Indian Independence
Who did Edward VIII want to marry and why was this an issue?
- Wallis Simpson
- She was a double divorcee whom the king could not be married to as she was divorced
Who opposed the marriage between Edward and Wallis?
- Church of England
- The Cabinet (as church opinion was important to conservatives)
What was the name of the group that supported the King’s marriage to Wallis?
- King’s Party (made up of 60 MPs including Churchill)
Why did Churchill support the marriage?
- loyalty
- chivalry
- rooted (hope of having a favour returned in the future; indebted)
When did Edward VIII abdicate?
11th December 1936
When was the Rhineland remilitarised?
March 1936
What is appeasement and who supported it?
- it is attempting to make peace my making concessions to an aggressive nation
- most of the country backed Chamberlain’s appeasement policy as they did not want to go to war again
What was the result of Chamberlain’s appeasement policy?
Germany taking Sudetenland from the Czechs
Give 3 of Churchill’s opinions on appeasement?
- Hitler waned total domination so couldn’t be negotiated with
- opposed to the persuasion of the Czechs
- supported the concept in the 1920s but not now
Why did Churchill want rearmament?
- he saw the war as inevitable and wanted to ensure Britain’s safety due to his knowledge of Hitler’s power
- wanted to rebuild the air force
Why was Churchill’s view on rearmament disliked?
- country was in a financial crisis
- Churchill had been responsible for disarming Britain in the 1920s
- WWI had began in an arms race and people didn’t want this to happen again
- seen as a Germany hater and that his views were exaggerated
When was Churchill invited to join the inner war cabinet?
3rd September 1939 (2 days after the invasion of Poland)
What was Churchill’s position in the cabinet when he re-joined?
First Lord of the Admiralty ( a position he held during the Gallipoli campaign)
Who did the government want to take over from Chamberlain?
Halifax
Why was Churchill the next choice for Prime Minister, 2 reasons?
- he stopped criticising the government when Chamberlain had promised to support Poland
- the invasion of Holland and Belgium meant there was a sense of urgency and a need for a leader who understood war and Hitler
