Timeline Flashcards
Dunkirk evacuation
May 1940
France surrenders
June 1940
Battle of Britain
July - Sept 1940
Nazi invasion of USSR
June 1941
US enters war
December 1941
Singapore falls to japan
Feb 1942
Battle of El Alamein
Oct 1942
OP torch & beveridge report
US landings in North Africa
Nov 1942
German defeat at Stalingrad
Feb 1943
Allies invade sicily
July 1943
D-Day landings at Normandy
June 1944
Yalta conference
Feb 1945
War in EU ends
May 1945
Churchill loses election in Britain
July 1945
13 May 1940
Dangerous situation but army intact; french had large forces; italy had not joined germany; british fighting on only one front
War moved quickly & may 14 Germans broke french defences
- prospect of french defeat suddenly a reality
- french defeat would mean britain isolated
- hitler had already defeated poland & treaty of friendship with RU meant all his forces could be directed against BR
Churchil may 13 1940
Had put together cabinet with some of his own supporters
Highly determined to wage war energetically, past record not encouraging with failures of Norway campaign & didn’t have a good WW1 record
Little enthusiasm from Roosevelt for his appointment & both House of Commons & gov contained many who liked & admired Chamberlain
28 may 1940 challenges
British army cut off from French forces and had fallen back on Dunkirk hoping for evacuation - chances of rescuing 300k troops low given GE air superiority
Danger of Italian entry into war - threat to Egypt & Suez - cut off Britain’s quickest sea route to India & colonies in Far east & more diff to defend against Japan (threat to SA possessions)
Gold reserves running out & not clear if BR could afford to go fighting
Lord Halifax, supporter of appeasement, in cabinet as foreign secretary, making discreet approaches to discover what German terms for peace with BR might be
28 may cabinet
Discussed French proposal to approach Mussolini to find Hitler peace terms
