Churchill 1929 - 1940 Flashcards
(21 cards)
Why was Churchill out of office between 1929 and 1939?
- views that were out of step with public and party opinion.
- He opposed Indian self-government
- supported Edward VIII during the abdication crisis
- condemned appeasement at a time when most favoured peace.
How did Churchill’s stance on India damage his political reputation?
- He opposed the Government of India Act and supported continued imperial control
- argued that Indians were unfit to govern themselves.
- seemed racist, outdated, and ignored growing support for self-rule.
Why did Churchill oppose the Government of India Act 1935?
- He believed Britain had a duty to rule India and feared that self-government would lead to chaos.
- He saw India as the ‘jewel in the crown’ and part of Britain’s global status.
What was the political reaction to Churchill’s views on India?
- Most of the Conservative Party supported the 1935 reforms as a way to manage unrest in India.
- Churchill’s opposition put him at odds with party leadership and made him seem extreme.
How did Gandhi challenge British rule in India?
- Gandhi led peaceful protests and civil disobedience against British control.
- He attended roundtable talks in London, increasing pressure for political reform.
What was the Abdication Crisis and when was it
- 1936
- King Edward VIII wished to marry Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American, which caused a constitutional crisis.
- The government and Church opposed the marriage.
How did Churchill respond to the Abdication Crisis?
- He supported the King’s right to marry and led a minority group called the ‘King’s Friends’.
- He was out of step with Parliament, the public, and the press.
Why did Churchill’s support for Edward VIII damage his reputation?
- He appeared emotionally driven and oblivious to political reality.
- Most politicians saw the abdication as necessary to preserve constitutional monarchy.
What was the impact of the Abdication Crisis on Churchill’s career?
- It reinforced perceptions that he was politically reckless
- disconnected from national views
What was Churchill’s attitude toward Hitler and Nazi Germany in the 1930s?
- Churchill consistently warned that Hitler was a threat to European peace.
- He argued for urgent British rearmament, especially in air power, as Germany expanded its military.
How did Churchill react to German rearmament?
- He criticised the government’s failure to act
- warned that Germany’s growing air force could soon dominate Britain.
- He pushed for strengthening the RAF.
Why was Churchill’s call for rearmament unpopular in the early 1930s?
- The public and politicians were strongly anti-war after WWI.
- Many believed Hitler was correcting the injustices of the Treaty of Versailles.
What was the policy of appeasement?
- Appeasement involved making concessions to Hitler to avoid war.
- It was led by Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain
- dominated British foreign policy in the 1930s.
Why did Churchill oppose appeasement?
- He believed it encouraged aggression, betrayed smaller nations like Czechoslovakia, and made war more likely.
- He described the Munich Agreement as ‘a total and unmitigated defeat’.
What was the Munich Agreement and when was it
- 1938
- Britain and France allowed Hitler to take the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia in hopes of securing peace.
- Churchill saw it as a dangerous act of surrender.
How did public opinion shift by 1939?
- When Hitler invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia, it became clear appeasement had failed.
- Churchill’s warnings were seen as justified, and he gained new credibility.
When did Churchill return to government?
He was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty in September 1939 at the outbreak of World War II.
What was the Norway Campaign and why was it important?
- The failed British campaign in Norway damaged Chamberlain’s reputation
- led to calls for stronger leadership.
Why did Chamberlain resign as Prime Minister in May 1940?
- He lost the support of MPs after military failures and could no longer command a wartime coalition.
- Labour refused to serve under him.
Why was Churchill appointed Prime Minister in 1940?
- He had consistently opposed appeasement
- had military and government experience
- was seen as a strong wartime leader capable of uniting the country.
What made Churchill a suitable wartime leader?
- He was determined, patriotic
- had a clear stance against Nazi Germany.
- His speeches inspired national unity and resistance at a time of crisis.
