Churchill as war PM Flashcards
Churchill’s stance on the war
Churchill’s stance was to never give up
deliverance of speeches was aimed at emphasising spirit to the public -
fist hand experience of war
energetic to wage war
- by 28th may 1940 British troops were pushed onto Dunkirk
- Italian threats to enter the are and take the suez canal and Egypt
- japan was a threat to east Asia
admits Halifax approaching Italy and Mussolini and peace memorandums with Roosevelt which were denied
Churchill’s authority and oratory weapon had convinced the nation to fight the war
Churchill’s leadership style
- thought personal relationships were key
for example Stalin and Roosevelt - written and spoken expression or speeches and communication
- most travelled PM
- extreme measures - such as french fleet of oran 1940
german bombing
use of gas - long hours and tiring impatience with plans and military strategy
Churchill’s relations with his generals
Churchill had military background from WW1 - wanted to avoid the lack of control over generals as in the first world war
- his own military past had not been so successful though - Gallipoli 1915 and Norway campaign that failed
- out of date experience
who were the most important Generals
and what relationship did Churchill have with them during the war
1- Allan Brooke
- Brooke was highly experienced chief of staff for the army
- Churchill’s interference with the war landed on chief of the army Allan Brooke
- very stormy relationship with Churchill
- agreed on the Mediterranean strategy
- recorded frustration with Churchill in his dairy
2- Wavell
- north African victories were good in 1940 however Churchill demoted him after taking away his troops to fight in the failed Greece campaign and blamed the defeat in Africa on Wavell under Rommel
3 - Auchenlick and Montgomery
- delayed counter attacks on german forces in north Africa and Churchill sacked him
- Churchill replaced him with Montgomery - made defeat at EL Alamein in 1942 with the preparations made by Auchenlick
Mediterranean strategy
The importance
suez canal,
- provided a route to india and asian colonies of the british empire was important to keep controll of that and rooutes to india
oil fields - middle east
to stop the german forces linking up after taking Egypt with the german forces invading the balkans
However there were many objections
- Stalin and American - Marshall
- 1941 germany had invaded russia and
pushed them back in one year - 1943 italy was invaded however was not really a threat
- Germany could only be defeated by direct invasion
- in 1942 germanys defence along the french coast was weak
- slow militeray strategy through italy - landings at anzio 1944
- delaying the invasion of france was weakening russia at the time
- Mediterranean taking precious resources
why was it important
- british policy - percentages agreement
- next logical pursuit after victories in eygpt were invasion of italy and Sicily
- also invasion of Dieppe 1942 - showed would still need a huge build up of troops
Bombing campaign
some complications -
heavy losses from the RAF
ethical concerns
would not reduce german moral
total british deaths from bombing was 60,000
and in one city in germany 40,000 deaths in dresden 1945
chuchill was suportive of this and less so towrds the end if the war
400,000 - 600,000 german deaths due to bombing
Churchill and Post war Britain
Problems at the time?
by 1944 war had no meaning
- Britain had heavily bombed german cities
- Britain was in an alliance with USSR but fighting Communism in Greece
- British empire was reduced in east Asia bc of Japanese in 1942
Wartime policies that helped influence post war Britain
- after WW1 social reform had failed
- there were a number of social reforms that happened during the war
- help/meal centres
- committee for the homeless
- national assistance, the old means test abolished in 1941
- emergency hospitals
- national fire service
- free milk and free school meals
- 1942 British rail was nationalised
- factory act 1940
- 1942 Beveridge report, chuchill opposed this
loss of 1945 election
why they lost?
- publics demand for change to society from the 30’s
labour seemed like it would make changes suggested by the beverage report
- Churchill campaign was to too reliant on him as war leader
- Churchill’s comments on labour party associating them with the nazi’s , some labour ministers were in the cabinet and made Churchill unpopular
- labours campaign more promising to the British public
- conservatives blamed for economic downturn in the 30’s
