Chapter 2

• Churchill's 6 problems towards the end of the war

  • Army not intact (Dunkirk)
  • French had lost troops
  • Italy was on the Nazi's side
  • Japan was a threat
  • Gold reserves running out
  • Germany had bombed the low countries
• Churchill's 5 leadership styles during the war

  • Strong belief in good relations with allies
  • Good oral and written work
  • Personal flamboyance expressed through clothing (all in 5 suit)
  • Most travelled
  • Daring/ruthless
• Churchill and Brook


  • Pos- he was a good organiser and Churchill respected him (he didn't fire him)
  • Neg- Brook was frustrated through Churchill's political influence (seen through his diaries)
• Churchill and Wavell


  Neg- Not given time to prepare and Churchill personally disliked him and Wavell took blame for not defeating Nazi's so was demoted
• Churchill and Auchinleck


  Neg- Not prepared by Churchill who wanted him to fight in North Africa, he was demoted
• Churchill and Monty


  • Pos- Liked by Churchill who admired his confidence and he won in North Africa against the Nazis
  • Neg- He didn't defeat them as quickly as he could have
• Pros and Cons of invading through France

  • Pros- Most direct route in Germany
  • Near the UK so would help supply lines
  • USA fav
  • Cons- 'Atlantic wall' very obvious so heavily guarded
• Pros and Cons of invading through Italy

  • Pros- Not expected so less guarded
  • UK fav
  • Cons- Italy very mountainous so hard to walk through
  • Far from directly striking the Nazi's
• October 1944 - Greece 90% USSR and 10% other, Yugoslavia 50% USSR and 50% other. We were called other because Churchill knew if this was leaked it would be really bad so we were named other so people wouldn't know it was us
• Why did Churchill want to bomb Germany

  • Destroy morale
  • Public pressure after Blitz
  • Destroy Nazi war capability
• Why bomb Dresden


  • Soviet attacking East and wanted to ease resistance
  • Holding many Nazi soldiers on Eastern front
• Why was the bombing bad

  • Ineffective – only 1/3 hit target
  • People remained loyal to Hitler
  • Unethical – housing many refugees – Civilian UK deaths = 60k Germany = 400-600K (Dresden 40k over 2 nights)
• UK was dominated by richer countries such as USSR and USA- we were the Junior partner
• At Yalta Churchill forced to accept bad terms that the USSR was to become Polish even though we went to war over Poland
• Churchill's influence was decreasing
• Churchill was a open critic of the USSR but not powerful enough to control them unlike USA who said they could 'handle uncle joe'
• Homes for heroes was promised in 1914 however postponed due to Great Depression
• Pre 1914 Churchill was a social reformer but then said that discussion of post war was a distraction
• Most important welfare was Beveridge
• Churchill expressed concerns, Tory and Lib accepted the principles of it but Labour thought it didn't go far enough
• 6 reasons Churchill lost the 1945 election

  • Negative Tory legacy- blamed for the 1930's 'Hungary decade' due to appeasement
  • Beveridge support- Labour most likely to implement it
  • Role of Labour- progressive manifesto, anti-appeasement and anti-Churchill
  • Role of Churchill- seem apart from the Torys, he said Labour was like the Gestapo and seen as racist
  • Changing attitudes towards the USSR- the USSR was seen as good with great achievements and economy and Churchill was anti USSR
  • Changing attitudes towards the elites- Many saw Labour as less class ridden