Churchill's view of events 1929-40 Flashcards
who lost the general election of May 1929?
Conservatives
who led the National Government that Churchill was not invited to be part of and when was it formed?
Macdonald (Labour) in August 1931
give three reasons for Churchill not being like by either Labour or Liberals in 1931?
- bitter attacks on trade unions during the General Strike of 1926
- failed Gallipoli attacks in 1915
- blamed for high unemployment (returned Britain to the Gold Standard in 1925 - raised export prices)
- against Indian self-governance
- aligned himself with extreme right-wing imperialists - out of touch
who became prime minister in
i) 1935
ii) 1937
and what party were they?
i) Baldwin
ii) Chamberlain
Conservatives
why was Churchill not invited back into government in the mid 1930s?
- spoke out about danger posed by Germany
- believed that Britain should rearm and needed greater air defence
- out of line with mainstream thinking
- seemed too willing to risk war again
- outspoken supporters for Edward VIII during abdication crisis
what policy was Chamberlain committed to?
appeasement
why did Churchill’s criticism of British defences seem hypocritical?
it was his defence cuts of the 1920s which laid the basis for Britain’s military weakness
what were the economic realities of the mid 1930s?
- government spending has been cut
- unemployment was high
what were the problems in India?
- widespread calls for independence from Britain
- non-violent but powerful civil disobedience campaign led by Ghandi
how did the British government counter the problems in India?
passed the Government of India Act in 1935 which increased the electorate
give three reasons for Churchill opposing British policy to India
- he loved the Raj
- objected to any concessions to popular protest and threats to lawful authority
- thought that independence would lead to disastrous conflicts between Muslims and Hindus
- believed in the superiority of the white race and it’s destiny to rule
- wanted to uphold the empire
what were the consequences of Churchill’s views on India?
- cut himself off from mainstream Conservative Party opinion
- was not trusted to be in government
why was a stable monarchy important in the 30s?
- helped Britain’s reputation abroad
- had been vital in encouraging patriotism and sacrifice in WW1
why did Edward VIII wanting to marry Wallis Simpson threaten stability?
- Simpson was twice divorced - difficult for the British public to accept at a time when divorce still bore a stigma
- the Archbishop of Canterbury was concerned about marrying a divorced woman in church
- might have caused problems in the Empire
- cabinet did not give its approval for the marriage - if they married, the Government would have has to resign
why did Churchill support the King in the abdication crisis?
- sincere devotion to hereditary monarchy
- friendship with the king
why did Churchill view the Hitler regime as dangerous?
- saw continuity with the situation before 1914
- feared the rise of Germany and its impact on the balance of power in Europe
- feared the domination of the continent by a single power
- he had been a part of the government which had established the peace treaty with Germany in 1919
- concerned about the violent behaviour of Nazis and their anti-Semitism
- did not, however, oppose dictatorships - supported Mussolini’s reign in Italy
what was Churchill’s attitude to developments in Germany?
- saw German re-armament as a threat
- when Hitler reintroduced conscription in 1935, Churchill saw this as a revival of German militarism
what was the British government’s response to German re-armament and what did Churchill think of it?
- the Anglo-German Naval Treaty of 1935
- Churchill criticised this as a sign of weakness
what was the British government’s view on the Italian invasion of Ethiopia and what did Churchill think of it?
- Britain fell out with Italy, and henceforth, with Mussolini
- Churchill saw this as short-sighted, as Mussolini could have been an opponent to Hitler
give three reasons for Churchill’s attitude towards Germany being unpopular in Britain in the 30s
- some thought Germany had been treated too harshly by the Treaty of Versailles
- rearmament was unpopular (anti-war feeling)
- seemed to be advocating initiating another arms race
- hypocritical for initiating much British disarmament in the 20s
- some in Britain sympathised with Hitler’s opposition to communism
- he seemed too alarmist
- seemed to be putting possible clashes with Germany ahead of Britain’s need to look after her own people at a time of economic distress
- anti-German stance seemed to be yet another example of living in the past
- seemed to ignore the role of the League of Nations in keeping peace - there was a general feeling of high hopes for the League’s success
when was the Munich Agreement?
1938
what did Chamberlain agree to in the Munich Agreement?
- dismembering of the independent state of Czechoslovakia, making the German-speaking part (the Sutenland) part of Germany
- Britain had also accepted Hitler’s annexation of Austria (Anschluss)
- Munich Conference accepted Germany taking over the territory of people who were not Germans
what was Churchill’s reaction to the Munich Agreement?
- highly critical
- believed Britain could be seen as weak (giving in to German demands in a conference on German soil) and in danger of being dominated by Germany
- believed the agreement strengthened Germany and would make it more difficult for Britain to control future expansion
- ‘a defeat without a war’
what was Churchill’s policy in opposition to appeasement/
believed that a strong stand by Britain and other nations would deter Germany and prevent the balance of power shifting in central Europe towards a powerful German state, and potentially encourage opposition to Hitler within Germany
