Churchill's view of events, 1929-40

Question 1

What are the 5 key reasons Churchill was out of office for so long?

Answer 1

• 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

Question 2

Why was returning to the Gold Standard viewed as a mistake?

Answer 2

raised export prices in a time of economic need, it was left in 1931

Question 3

Why was the Gallipoli campaign seen as reckless?

Answer 3

almost nothing gained and had large death figures of 130,000

Question 4

What was the 1919 Rowlatt Acts?

Answer 4

It increased police powers that allowed imprisonment without trial

Question 5

What was the Amritsar Massacre?

Answer 5

It was a Gandhi led campaign against the Rowlatt act, where 400 were killed and 1200 wounded

Question 6

What was the timeline of Indian Independence?

Answer 6

1933 Britain agreed to allow India greater self-government
1935 Government of India Act
1937 it came into effect

Question 7

What was the Government of India Act?

Answer 7

It expanded the electorate to 35 million out of 338 million and elected legislators were set up to deal with local affairs

Question 8

What was ‘the jewel in the crown’ quote referring to?

Answer 8

Churchill’s view of India within the Empire

Question 9

What 4 key reasons as to why Churchill viewed the Empire’s rule over India as important?

Answer 9

• 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

Question 10

Who did Edward VIII want to marry and why was this an issue?

Answer 10

• Wallis Simpson
• She was a double divorcee whom the king could not be married to as she was divorced

Question 11

Who opposed the marriage between Edward and Wallis?

Answer 11

• Church of England
• The Cabinet (as church opinion was important to conservatives)

Question 12

What was the name of the group that supported the King’s marriage to Wallis?

Answer 12

• King’s Party (made up of 60 MPs including Churchill)

Question 13

Why did Churchill support the marriage?

Answer 13

• loyalty
• chivalry
• rooted (hope of having a favour returned in the future; indebted)

Question 14

When did Edward VIII abdicate?

Answer 14

11th December 1936

Question 15

When was the Rhineland remilitarised?

Answer 15

March 1936

Question 16

What is appeasement and who supported it?

Answer 16

• 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

Question 17

What was the result of Chamberlain’s appeasement policy?

Answer 17

Germany taking Sudetenland from the Czechs

Question 18

Give 3 of Churchill’s opinions on appeasement?

Answer 18

• 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

Question 19

Why did Churchill want rearmament?

Answer 19

• 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

Question 20

Why was Churchill’s view on rearmament disliked?

Answer 20

• 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

Question 21

When was Churchill invited to join the inner war cabinet?

Answer 21

3rd September 1939 (2 days after the invasion of Poland)

Question 22

What was Churchill’s position in the cabinet when he re-joined?

Answer 22

First Lord of the Admiralty ( a position he held during the Gallipoli campaign)

Question 23

Who did the government want to take over from Chamberlain?

Answer 23

Halifax

Question 24

Why was Churchill the next choice for Prime Minister, 2 reasons?

Answer 24

• 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