What characterised Churchill's relationship with his generals?

Question 1

What new and innovative ideas did Churchill love?

Answer 1

• Radar
  
  • Strong supporter of radar
• RAF
  
  • Called for dramatic spending increases on the RAF long before it was politically popular
• SOE
  
  • Gave strong support to the SOE (Special Operations Executive)
• Mulberry harbours
  
  • Early supporter of the creation of giant floating portable harbours (Mulberry harbours) that wld play a critical role in the successful invasion of Normandy in 1944

Question 2

Whose wife’s first husband had died at Gallipoli, and so he knew full well the limits of Churchill’s strategic wisdom?

Answer 2

Alan Brooke

Question 3

What early mistakes did Churchill make during his first months as PM regarding the war?

Answer 3

• Gave an order to Lord Gort, which Gort had to ignore in order to save many British lives and preserve the British forces, when the Germans broke through the lines at Sedan
• Insisted that Calais be defended - pointless + unnecessary loss of lives

Question 4

What happened to Sir John Dill?

Nicknamed ‘Dilly-Dally’ by Churchill

Answer 4

Replaced by Sir Alan Brooke in Dec 1941

Question 5

What did Churchill and Brooke tend to agree on?

Answer 5

Big/major decisions
- e.g. Decision to send troops + substantial amount of military equipment to ME to defend Suez Canal against potential Italian threat in 1940

Question 6

What did Churchill think of Wavell?

Answer 6

Personally disliked him and found him too taciturn and cautious

Question 7

What did Wavell do well and what did Churchill think?

Answer 7

Freed Egypt from foreign troops + captured 40,000 Italian prisoners of war. Churchill refused to grant him due credit

Question 8

When did Wavell unfairly receive blame?

Answer 8

When Churchill took forces away from him when Italy invaded Greece in 1940. Wavell was not given enough time and resources to prepare properly, and had only 55,000 troops to defend Greece

Question 9

When did Churchill sack Wavell?

Answer 9

21 June 1941

Question 10

What did Churchill think of Auchinleck?

Answer 10

Personally liked him

Question 11

When did Churchill sack Auchinleck and why?

Answer 11

Aug 1942 - lack of offensive spirit, delays, not being sufficiently daring and aggressive

Question 12

What did Churchill think of Montgomery?

Answer 12

Favoured him; Montgomery won over Churchill w his self-confidence

Question 13

What did Montgomery do poorly after El Alamein?

Answer 13

He was slow in following up his victory, which allowed the Germans to retreat to Tunisia. However, Churchill continued to favour him