Churchill as Wartime Prime Minister (1940-45) Flashcards
(15 cards)
What was Churchill’s daily work routine as Prime Minister?
7:00 AM – Breakfast in bed, reviewed government memos, drank whisky.
11:00 AM – Bathed while dictating memos, attended War Cabinet and face-to-face meetings.
5:00 PM – Afternoon nap.
6:00 PM – Dinner, followed by further work.
Midnight – Bed; orders not to be disturbed except in case of a German invasion.
Worked 18-hour days regularly.
Expected concise, one-page reports from staff.
How did Churchill incorporate science and technology into his leadership?
Frederick Lindemann (“The Prof.”) was Churchill’s chief scientific advisor.
Established S-Branch, a statistical analysis unit focusing on war production, food supply, and logistics.
Churchill backed MD1 (“Churchill’s Toy Shop”), a weapons research lab that developed:
Floating mines to disrupt German river traffic.
Sticky bombs and hollow charges for anti-tank warfare.
Some projects failed, such as The Panjandrum, a rocket-powered wheel meant to breach German defences but was uncontrollable.
What was Churchill’s approach to speeches and public morale?
Known for powerful oratory and rallying the public.
May 13, 1940 (“Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat” speech) – “Victory at all costs” speech.
June 4, 1940 (“We Shall Fight on the Beaches” speech) – Pledged never to surrender, following Dunkirk evacuation.
Labour MP Josiah Wedgwood called it “worth 1,000 guns and the speeches of 1,000 years.”
What was the Dunkirk crisis, and how was the British Army rescued?
British Expeditionary Force (BEF) trapped at Dunkirk after German blitzkrieg through Belgium and France.
Churchill launched Operation Dynamo, evacuating 338,000 soldiers via Royal Navy and civilian “little ships.”
Hitler halted panzer divisions, allowing Britain to evacuate its troops.
What was the War Cabinet debate about negotiating peace with Germany?
Lord Halifax suggested using Mussolini to mediate peace talks with Hitler.
Neville Chamberlain initially agreed but later supported fighting on.
Labour leaders Clement Attlee & Arthur Greenwood strongly opposed peace talks.
Churchill convinced the War Cabinet (May 27-28) and full Cabinet (May 28) to reject negotiations.
What arguments did Churchill use against negotiating peace with Hitler?
“Nations that go down fighting rise again; those that surrender are finished.”
Britain would become a “slave state” under Nazi rule.
The public would “hurl him out of office” if he sought peace.
The Dominions (Australia & South Africa) pledged to fight on regardless of Britain’s decision.
What was Churchill’s relationship with his generals like?
Churchill lacked high-level command experience and often clashed with generals.
Criticized WWI generals for being too cautious and wasteful of lives.
Issued unrealistic orders, such as telling Lord Gort to move south when retreating to Dunkirk was the best option.
Ordered the British garrison in Calais to “fight to the last man” instead of evacuating.
How did Churchill work with Alan Brooke, Chief of the Imperial General Staff?
Brooke often stood up to Churchill when he made unrealistic demands.
They argued frequently, especially over Churchill’s criticism of Montgomery.
Brooke supported Churchill’s Mediterranean Strategy but rejected some of Churchill’s more unrealistic ideas (e.g., an expedition to Sumatra).
Why did Churchill prioritize the Mediterranean instead of launching an invasion of France?
Believed attacking Italy would strike Germany’s “soft underbelly.”
Wanted to protect British Empire interests (e.g., the Suez Canal and oil in the Middle East).
Opposed an early Second Front in France, fearing it would be a disaster.
Stalin and the US military pushed for a France invasion earlier.
What role did Churchill play in the bombing of Germany?
Approved “Area Bombing” strategy in 1942 – mass bombings of German cities.
Arthur “Bomber” Harris led RAF Bomber Command.
Operation Gomorrah (1943, Hamburg) – 37,000 civilians killed.
Dresden (1945) – 25,000 civilians killed in firebombing; a controversial target.
Churchill later had doubts but took no action to stop it.
What was the Percentages Agreement between Churchill and Stalin?
October 1944, Moscow: Churchill and Stalin divided Eastern Europe into spheres of influence.
Britain: 90% control of Greece, 50% of Yugoslavia.
USSR: 90% control of Romania & Bulgaria, 80% of Hungary.
Churchill called it the “naughty document.”
How was Churchill’s influence declining by 1944-45?
Roosevelt began favoring Stalin over Churchill.
Churchill pushed for the British & Americans to take Berlin before the Soviets but was ignored.
US General Eisenhower side lined Churchill in strategic decisions.
Churchill failed to prevent Soviet control over Poland.
What was Churchill’s stance on post-war social reforms?
Back:
Publicly supported the Beveridge Report (1942) for a welfare state.
But privately wanted to limit state spending and prioritize a few key reforms.
Was suspicious of Labour’s radical proposals.
Why did Churchill lose the 1945 General Election?
Labour’s manifesto “Let Us Face the Future” promised faster welfare reforms.
Churchill’s “Gestapo Speech” (claimed Labour would use a secret police) backfired.
The public associated Conservatives with the unemployment of the 1930s.
