Chapter 3

• Churchill's views on Britain's world and imperial roles


  'We mean to hold our own' Churchill was fine with violence and liked the empire
• Churchill and Roosevelt positives

  • Natural allies – similar nations and langauages etc
  • Churchill was half American
  • Nov 1939- neutrality act ended so we could buy us weapons
  • USA gave troops in the war
• Churchill and Roosevelt negatives

  • Snubbed Churchill and sided with USSR at Tehran
  • Called Churchill a stinker
  • Roosevelt forced D-Day when UK was not ready
  • Roosevelt was critical of Empire
• Churchill and Stalin positives

  • Both controlled Empires and respected this
  • We gave loads if aid to USSR in the war (Churchills wife Clementine went with the red cross to help USSR)
  • Percentages agreement
  • USSR portrayed well by British media
• Churchill and Stalin negatives

  • He was very outspoken critic of communism (1917)
  • Sent British troops against Lenin in revolution
  • UK was junior partner
  • UK feared USSR sphere of influence – we went to war over Poland
• Churchill and de Gaulle positives

  • He admired him and Churchill spoke French
  • He kept in close contact with France
  • Dunkirk- Churchill said French should be helped
• Churchill and de Gaulle negatives


  • Churchill destroyed French fleet in 1940 to stop it going to the Nazi's killing 1197 French servicemen
  • De Gaulle was hard to work with
  • De Gaulle hated by the USA
• Churchill and conferences


  • Most travelled leader
  • C= 16 meetings
  • R= 12
  • S= 7
  • However GB was the Junior partner and Churchill had to accept this
  • The war had left GB bankrupt
  • At Yalta GB had to go back on promises for a free Poland to USSR as they were too powerful despite us going to war over it
• Plan for post war Europe/ attitude towards the Empire

  • After the war strong relations with the USA would help Europe
  • Churchill wanted to make a league of nations replacement
  • GB needed to keep control of the Mediterranean close to the Suez, to keep control of Asia + Australia
  • In 1942, Churchill spoke about united states of Europe and wanted union
• Churchill and Iron Curtain effects


  • Helped created international tensions
  • Seen as hostiles by Stalin
  • Possible start of cold war
• Churchill and Iron Curtain critics

  • 'Poisonous' – Chicago sun
  • Truman didn't initially agree
  • Protests in UK + Churchills hotel in NYC due to it being irresponsible