Churchill and WW2 Flashcards
(20 cards)
What were Churchill’s weaknesses?
-Unpopular due to his spoken views in the 1930’s
-Criticised Chamberlain often
-Wasn’t voted in
-To blame for failure in Norway (Chamberlain was used as a scapegoat however)
-Conservatives saw him as a party traitor
-Ignorant of social changes
What were Churchill’s strengths?
-Experienced (First Lord of Admiralty in WW1)
-Political experience made him stand out
-A threat to Nazi Germany
-Opposed appeasement
-Backed by Labour and the public
-Ambitious
-Skilled orator and charismatic
Why did Halifax not become PM?
-Refused to sit in the HOC
-Closely associated with appeasement
-Didn’t even want to be PM
Why was Chamberlain removed as PM?
-A man of peace, not fit for war time
-Blamed for appeasement and failure in Norway/Denmark
-Basically on his death bed anyway
What was Churchill’s style of leadership?
-War driven and determined
-Unafraid to be unpopular
-Valued personal relationships
-Had favourites (Monty ❤️)
-Opinionated and abrupt
-Will fire Generals if they disappoint
What was Churchill’s relationship with General Brooke?
-Brooke found Churchill frustrating and overbearing
-However they worked effectively together
What was Churchill’s relationship with General Warrell?
-Didn’t see eye to eye
-Churchill disliked him on a personal level, leading to him taking men from him while fighting in Greece. After failing, he for some reason blames Warrell and fires him
What was Churchill’s relationship with General Auchinleck?
-Auchinleck wanted to be prepared for war in Africa
-Delayed battles which irritated Churchill and is pissed at him for being too cautious
-Fires him before battle of El Alamein and replaces him with Monty
What was Churchill’s relationship with General Monty?
-Churchill’s favourite General
-Credited Monty for the battle of El Alamein despite it being Auchinleck’s efforts
-Turns a blind eye to his mistakes
What was the Med Strategy?
The Mediterranean Strategy was to conquer African shores and areas in the Mediterranean Ocean to stop the Suez Canal from being taken
How were Churchill’s strategies effective?
-War was victorious
-Maintained constant control of the Suez Canal and colonies
-Delaying D-Day minimised casualties
-Made agreements with Stalin
How were Churchill’s strategies unaffective?
-Russia had major losses in population, leading to a strained relationship as consequence
-Roosevelt was frustrated with Churchill
-No troops in Western Europe for the majority of the war due to Churchill’s delays
How was Churchill effective as wartime leader?
-Effective speeches
-Med Strategy
-Prevented deaths
-Knew to get US backing
-Showed up to ALL meetings
How was Churchill unaffective as wartime leader?
-Unprofessional
-Worsened relations with Russia and USA due to delays
-Imperial beliefs frustrated Roosevelt
-Med Strategy delayed invasion of Western Front
What positive relations did Churchill have with De Gaulle?
-Both anti-German
-Similar militaristic beliefs and
-Similar values
-Churchill loved France and did genuinely want to help
What negative relations did Churchill have with De Gaulle?
-De Gaulle announced the Empire Defence Council without informing Churchill
-Churchill found it hard to work with De Gaulle
-De Gaulle suspicious of Britain and USA (believed in the Anglo-Saxon conspiracy)
-Many British and US officials were doubtful of Churchill trying to work with De Gaulle
What positive relations did Churchill have with Stalin?
-Similar drinking habits
-Both desired to maintain their empires
-1944 Percentages Agreement
-Stalin left Greece when asked
-Part of the Big 3
-USSR is a founding member of the UN
What negative relations did Churchill have with Stalin?
-Churchill was extremely anti-communist
-Supported the white army during the Civil War
-D-Day delays kill many in the USSR
-Stalin had made an agreement with Hitler
-Iron Curtain speech
In what ways was Churchill influential at Wartime Conferences?
-Showed up to all conferences
-Kept Med Strategy intact
-Appeased Stalin
-1944 Percentages Agreement
-Was able to continuously push back D-Day
In what ways was Churchill less influential at Wartime Conferences?
-US resources were dedicated to Europe, not Britain
-Views of Empire undermined
-Couldn’t convince Roosevelt in favour of De Gaulle
-Removed due to losing the General Election
