Churchill and international diplomacy 1939–1951 - Quizlet Flashcards
What were Churchill’s views on Britain’s world and imperial roles?
Britain by 1941 was playing a very big role in the world.
Not only did it maintain its links with the Empire, with considerable support from its dominions and colonies but also made alliance with the very powerful USSR and USA- playing a role in determining how the war was fought.
Britain’s role was to maintain an Empire which used violent repression to maintain control and did not allow most of its non-white subjects the right to vote.
Churchill managed to hold on to Britain’s world role as moral leader, champion of civilisation, major influence on war policy and imperial power.
How did WW2 play out in Britains favour?
-There was no need for Britain’s Empire to give its support, and yet they did with most dominions offering aid
-The USA was persuaded to not to prioritise the Pacific war, but to defeat Germany first and to follow British ideas of waging war in the Mediterranean before the second front in France
-The huge losses of the USSR were not matched by Britain, yet the Russian alliance was maintained. Estimates of Soviet military casualties were probably about 9 million dead and an additional 13 million civilian deaths. Total British deaths were 452,000.
-Despite agreeing to the Atlantic Charter of 1941, Britain was not forced to make any commitment to ending her empire as the price of US support.
Churchill and Roosevelt
‘the partnership that saved the West’, and Churchill worked hard to maintain it.
The relationship started badly as Churchill made unfavourable remarks about Roosevelt that were quoted by Roosevelt’s opponent Willkie during the US election of 1940.
Churchill disliked the way that Roosevelt stressed US isolationism.
To not get involved with the war, Roosevelt aided Britain in non interventional ways i.e In Nov 1939 USA repealed the Neutrality Act allowing Britain to purchase American arms.
Though Roosevelt wanted to wait before meeting Churchill, the Prime Minister went to Washington as soon as possible after Pearl Habour, making a positive impression.
Roosevelt worried that Britain wanted to gain more territory through WW2 and didn’t like the empire.
Churchill and Stalin
Churchill despised Communism and wrote at length against the Regime after the 1917 Russian Revolution.
But as soon as Hitler invaded Russia Churchill put aside his concessions on Communism for the sake of alliance.
USSR had sacrificed a lot of losses that were not matched by Britain or USA that inevitably helped win the war.
By 1943 the scale of the Russian war effort convinced the US that Stalin was the key figure in the alliance.
Churchill was more concerned about the consequences of Russian advances into eastern Europe and by 1944.
They also were both anxious to maintain their empires and had limited sympathy for the view that the people they ruled outside their homelands should be allowed to govern themselves.
The Percentages Agreement represent the ruthlessness and capacity for ‘dirty politics’ within the 2 men, dividing up countries without much thought
Churchill on his relationship with Stalin and Communism
‘If Hitler invaded Hell, I would at least make a favourable reference to the Devil in the House of Commons.’
Churchill and France
Churchill loved France and spoke fluent French.
He had been in close contact with the French and was devastated by the French surrender, being willing to send further forces even after Dunkirk and sent air resources to France against the advice of the RAF commanders.
He even offered a union between Britain and France as a desperate attempt to keep France in the war.
Churchill was concerned about the French fleet falling into German hands.
The actions taken against the French navy by Britain were brutal and unnecessary: 1297 French servicemen were killed when five ships were sunk.
Churchill and de Gaulle
The symbol of French resistance came to be Colonel Charles de Gaulle who saw himself as the spirit of a free France and led the Free French (exiles from occupied France who were based in Britain).
Churchill admired de Gaulle but found him difficult to deal with.
De Gaulle was uncompromising and was disliked by the Americans.
De Gaulle was not a political leader or a high-ranking officer; but claimed himself to be champion of France, he also saw himself as the natural leader of post-war France - something that Churchill and Roosevelt did not accept.
De Gaulle would not work closely with former Vichy leaders in North Africa which annoyed Roosevelt and embarrassed Churchill.
Churchill had to work hard and restrain his temper and impatience.
De Gaulle, despite being totally dependent on British goodwill, felt no obligation and relations between himself and Churchill were stormy throughout the war.
What contribution did he make to the wartime international conferences?
Churchill attended sixteen meetings, Roosevelt twelve, Stalin seven.
The effort of travelling in dangerous and uncomfortable conditions shows his determination that Britain should be at the forefront of decision making.
He wanted to establish personal contact with Roosevelt and to put as much pressure on the USA to enter the war.
Diplomat Sir Alexander Cadogan said that Churchill behaved ‘like a bull in the ring maddened by the pricks of the picadors’- Churchill’s contribution to the conferences was becoming less important.
He had to accept that Stalin and Roosevelt were not influenced by his view of the war.
Faced with humiliating putdowns by Roosevelt at the Tehran Conference in 1943, he did not hide his anger and showed lack of control.
Churchill had to face decisions which went against his beliefs, particularly with Poland and the return of Soviet prisoners of war to face punishment in Russia.
However, it was vital to maintain the alliance through to the end of the war.
What were his plans for plans for post-war Europe and his attitude to Europe and the Empire?
He did not see Britain abandoning control of its empire.
He also supported a worldwide association of nations to replace the old League of Nations and had done his best to make it so the USSR could be a member by making concessions to Stalin’s demands for representation of some of the republics of the USSR.
A great deal of his thinking on maintaining peace depended on relations outside Europe.
He stressed the importance of a special relationship with the USA.
Churchill originally wanted to punish Germany but feared repeating what happened with Hitler and TOV.
Churchill was in great support of the European Union and wanted to dissolve trade barriers and movement, and even said that UK and France should become a Franco-British union.
The Empire and Western Europe were a symbol of communist resistance and capitalism
What was the significance of the ‘Iron Curtain’ speech 1946?
In March 1946 Churchill delivered a speech in Missouri during a visit to America and was seen as initiating the Cold War.
This speech had a major impact worldwide.
Others had used the phrase ‘iron curtain’ previously Including Josef Goebbels, Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda.
Churchill, however, made the phrase famous and enabled the West to label Soviet-dominated eastern Europe as ‘the iron curtain countries’.
It set up the image in the minds of the West of a real division between West and East and helped to create international tension.
It was seen as a very hostile speech by Stalin and increased international tension.
It has been seen as the beginning of the Cold War, as influencing opinion in the USA towards a policy of containment of communism and of hardening attitudes in both West and East.
Some just wanted peace and saw it as provocative, Chicago Times called it ‘poisonous’
