2. Importance of Britain

• What happened in 1940?

  • many politicians believed britain should reach an agreement with germany BUT
  • churchill refused any kind of deal
• Strengths of Britain during Battle of Britain:

  • RAF - had excellent fighter aircraft (e.g. supermarine spitfire + Hawker Hurricane) - British aircrafts were as good as G's
  • Factories able to keep producing more aircraft to replace losses
  • Had new technology of radar - detect and locate incoming enemy aircraft (never give enemies chance to have air superiority)
  • Fighting over home ground - advantage of tapping on large reserves of spare parts for repair work
• Significance of B's strengths during Battle of Britain?

  • Increased B's survival rate
  • B did not surrender (if they did, Japan would face lesser resistance in Asia-Pacific) - Japan had to fight armies and navies of B, Australia, New Zealand + around 120k US troops from British colonies + US troops (overstretch of Japan)
• What did Britain become?

  • Substantial military base - stationed troops from all over empire (esp. canada and carribean) + base for massive US army presence (after 1941) - Made D-day landings and alies bombing campaigns against germany possible