Britain's management of war in 1940 Flashcards
(10 cards)
Chronology of the war development in 1940
Norway Campaign - April 1940
Churchill PM - May 1940
Fall of France/Dunkirk - 29th May - 4th June 1940
Battle of Britain - 10th July - September 1940
The Blitz - 7th September 1940
What was the Dunkirk Evacuation?
Britain were cut off from the French troops. 224.318 troops and 111,172 allied troops were evacuated on 856 civilian ships.
How much was lost in Dunkirk?
Both sides together lost
68,000 casualties
200 boats
100 aircraft
Evidence to support that Dunkirk was a SUCCESS?
- Managed to evacuate over 300,000 troops.
- 20,000 Germans vs 1000 British. Could have been a much bigger failure.
- Churchill’s speeches increased British morale.
Evidence to support that Dunkirk was a FAILURE?
- Loss of Heavy equipment and resources.
- Expensive for very little advancement.
- Equipment was seized by Germany. Gave them the upper hand.
What was the Battle of Britain?
Germany launched an offensive on Britain in July 1940.
Hitler and Goering strategized hat bombing Britain would lower British morale.
However, this allowed the RAF time to recover and was marked a the greatest defensive in the world for Churchill.
Evidence to support that Churchill’s leadership WAS effective during the Battle of Britain
- Good orator to maintain morale - ‘the few’ speech.
- limited involvement as this was not his area of expertise, but still some input.
Evidence to support that Churchill’s leadership WAS NOT effective during the Battle of Britain
- Strategy was not followed by Dowding.
- Defiance against him from the RAF
- Unempathetic
What was the Blitz?
- An attempt to get Britain to surrender
- 1 million Children evacuated
- Food shortages
- Blackouts caused danger for civilians
How many casualties were there during the Blitz?
60,595
