Phoney war, Dunkirk and battle of britain Flashcards
What was the Phoney War?
The period from september 1939 to March 1940 was known as the The phoney war as little fighting took place.
What happened during the Phoney War?
- Hitler was confident he could get Britain and France to agree a peace deal with him rather than continue the war so there was not action against them.
- Chamberlain ordered soldiers of the BEF to France in September
- there was a french attack on the Saar Region of Germany in 1939 but it was very cautious and small scale.
Why did the Phoney war end?
April 1940- War became genuine as hitler invaded Denmark and Norway.
When did Winston Churchill come to power and who did he replace?
May 1940, he replaced Chamberlain as prime minister of a coalition government with all parties working together during the war.
How was Churchill different from Chamberlain?
- very different approach from Chamberlain who had been quite passive and a weak leader. Churchill wanted to stand up to Hitler he was much more aggressive towards the nazis.
Why was Churchill’s leadership important?
- He was defiant
- Would fight on whatever the odds against Britain
- Known as the British ‘bulldog’ spirit
- hold his fingers up in a V for victory gesture
- kept morale up
Why was an evacuation at Dunkirk necessary?
In may 1940 the german army turned its power on France Belgium and the Netherland. The allied forces ,including thousands of British troops were surrounded and facing defeat.
What were the key features of the Dunkirk evacuation?
- Early June- Many british troops stranded on the beaches
330,000 British and 10,000 French troops were evacuated by a fleet of large and small boats, many of them crewed by amateur sailors. - the evacuation was codenamed ‘Operation Dynamo’
Positives of Dunkirk?
- celebrated in Britain as a great achievement
- ‘Dunkirk spirit’- phrase to describe the attitudes of civilians, government and the media and arm to unite together for victory.
- Britain survived to fight on
Negatives of Dunkirk?
in military aspects it was a bitter defeat, French left to fight Germans alone and equipment left behind.
70,000 men killed or taken prisoner
RAF lost 200 fighters
Why did Battle of Britain happen?
Hitler never wanted to go to war with Britain, but Churchill was adamant that no deal with Germany would be made. So hitler had to make an attack on Britain.
German navy was no match for Britain’s, so if Germany could wipe out the RAF then he could also bomb the British Navy’s dock yards.
Operation Sealion began on the 1st of July 1940.
What happened during the b of b?
series of air battles lasting through the summer of 1940
RAF constantly outshooting Luftwaffe
British production of planes increased to 563 per month.
What were the strengths of the RAF?
- had a experienced commander
- new technology e.g improved communication so fighters could be deployed to meet enemy attack
- Radar meant that the Luftwaffe could be spotted early and the raf planes could be in the air to meet them.
- Spitfires were superior to all German planes
What were the weaknesses of the Luftwaffe?
majority of planes no match for the agile spitfires
Only had enough fuel for 30 minutes flying time over england
bombers too small to inflict any significant damage on airfields and aircraft factories
Underestimated how important radar was
Why was battle of britain a turning point
Hitler’s first real defeat
morale booster
Britain survived- essential to allies success
HOWEVER
Britain only avoided defeat and it brought about the launch of the blitz.
