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Key Question 3: How far does Churchill deserve his reputation as a great wartime PM?

Churchill as PM
1. Reasons why he became PM in 1940
  1. Norway Campaign
  2. Role of Labour
  3. Halifax didn't want the position
  4. Military expertise
  5. Opposition to Appeasement
  6. Chamberlain's poor organisation of the war
  7. Not afraid of making unpopular/tough decisions
2. His attitude in 1940
  1. 1st speech to the Commons
  2. Refusal to agree with Halifax and Chamberlain in May 1940
  3. Visits to France before her surrender
  4. Reaction to Dunkirk
  5. Battle of Britain
  6. Decision to sink battleships at Oran
3. His style of leadership
  1. Rhetoric
  2. Working hours
  3. Degree of authority
  4. Composition of war cabinet
  5. Organisation of information
  6. Travel
  7. Public relations
Bombing of Germany
1. Churchill's attitude to the bombing
  1. Change over time
    1. 1940
      1. Very supportive of the campaign
      2. Opposite of Chamberlain
    2. 1941
      1. Losing confidence in how decisive bombing would be
    3. 1942
      1. Publicly supporting the shift in tactics from precision to area bombing
    4. 1944
      1. Worried about the ethical implications of the campaign
    5. 1945
      1. Didn't mention bomber command in his VE day speech
2. Scale of involvement in the policy
  1. Particularly the controversy surrounding Dresden 1945
3. Arthur 'Bomber' Harris
  1. 1942
    1. Appointed Commander in Chief of Bomber Command
    2. Shift from area to precision bombing
4. Significance of the campaign
  1. Filled time during preparations for Operation Overlord
  2. Helped gain support from Stalin
  3. Drew German air pressure away from the front lines
  4. Bombings are controversial
The reasons for Churchill's loss of the 1945 election
1. The people were war weary
  1. They wanted a better post war world
  2. They wanted more from their government
2. They didn't want another Conservative Government - like in the 1930's
  1. Unemployment in the'Hungry Thirties'
  2. Appeasement
3. Churchill himself
  1. Exaggerated rhetoric
    1. Gestapo speech
  2. His views on the Empire
  3. From a different time
    1. Getting older
    2. Still has a very upper-class, old-fashioned way of living
  4. War-time leader
4. Labour politicians' reliability & experience in government
  1. Attlee, Morrison & Bevin
5. Poor Conservative Party organisation
  1. No party conferences during the war
Relationship with Generals
1. Sir John Dill
  1. appointed Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS)
  2. Churchill thought he was tired
    1. nicknamed him 'Dilly Dally'
  3. troubled relationship with Churchill
  4. December 1941: moved to help direct Anglo-American strategy
2. Sir Alan Brooke
  1. replaced Dill in December 1941
  2. a "brake" on Churchill's impulsiveness
  3. stood up to Churchill
  4. despised and admired Churchill
    1. appreciated what Churchill meant to Britain
  5. didn't like the way Churchill worked and his lack of consideration for others
  6. Churchill prone to being very critical
    1. Alanbrooke more private
  7. didn't like micromanagement
3. General Wavell
  1. Commander-in-Chief of Middle East (1931-40)
  2. Italian forces drove the British out of British Somaliland in 1940, Wavell did best to reduce retreat
  3. coordinated victory against Italy in Libya
    1. captured 11,000 men
    2. drove them back hundreds of miles
  4. wanted to build up resources and regroup
    1. Churchill wanted to keep attacking

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Key Question 3: How far does Churchill deserve his reputation as a great wartime PM?

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