During early 1938 Churchill began to plead in public
for a coalition Government to be formed. He said that re-arming was
essential if we were not to be defeated in another war with Germany.
He knew what was happening in Germany but he also knew that there
was little or nothing we could do to stop Hitler and his gangsters -
for that was an internal German matter over which we had no control.
It was a matter for the German people to deal with.
But he knew from his private intelligence sources that a war could
be only be prevented and the good people in Germany - and their were
many of them - made to feel less frightened of Hitler - if Great
Britain was as strong - or stronger than Germany.
HE KNEW THAT IF WE APPEARED WEAK AND
UNWILLING TO FIGHT, ANOTHER WORLD WAR WOULD FOLLOW.
The British hated him for talking about the
possibility of another war. But alas he was right.
But both the Government and the British people just could not
believe that so soon after the last terrible world war - anybody
could possibly think of starting another one, and so did not take him
seriously.
The Second World War started on September 3rd 1939 and ended 6
years later on 8th May 1945 . No- one knows how many people lost
their lives in this war but it was at least 50 million of whom over
5,700,000 persons were what Hitler described as political and racial
"undesirables" and were infamously taken
from their homes, separated from their families and children,
enslaved in terrible conditions and treated in the most cruel manner
imaginable before either dying from starvation or being murdered.
Churchill was 65 years of age when the second World War started -
an age when men retire from work.
Now you can see why earlier in this story I said that all the
experiences - both the successes and failures that Churchill had
encountered during his last 40 years in politics were (as he himself
said) the preparation for his successful wartime leadership and which
enabled him to save England in her darkest hour.
It was England's magical luck in 1939, that Churchill's early life
had nurtured in him not only a love and pride in his country and its
political and military history, but also its language of which he
became over the years a complete master. His
wonderful ability with it was to prove more powerful than all the
armaments used in the war. It brought hope to millions in
their darkest hour - including many good Germans. Indeed even today -
over 50 years later - the force and nobility of his speeches thrills
young people who have no experience of those years.
In spite of his fidelity in all things - both private and
political - his career to this point (1939) was assessed by his
contemporaries in Parliament and the Press as a sad failure. He had
been out of office for so long and because his warning speeches made
him so many enemies, his political career was considered over.
No-one denied that Churchill was an intensely patriot believer in
his country's greatness and its historic role in Europe, the empire,
and the world; that he was an able historian, a lifelong student of
the art of war; a statesman who always expounded a historic and
global view of politics. But because he was so able he was disliked,
mistrusted and excluded. He knew that role was the common fate of a
country's prophet.
Not having any political office during his long political exile;
which he described as "as his wilderness
years"; he earned his living by writing at Chartwell.
It was during this period that his long political and Great War
experiences alerted him to disturbing developments that were taking
place in Germany.
As the years passed, his conviction of Germany's intention to wage
war again grew stronger. He became alarmed by the apathy in England.
He privately obtained and correctly interpreted much secret
information - not only from Germany and Russia - but also the British
Civil Service and Armed Forces, and this led him to the unshakable
conviction - especially after the Munich debacle - that Hitler
intended to start the war again.
The magnanimous Peace Settlement he had fought for (and failed to win) in the German Peace Treaty
after the Great War, had brought about exactly what he feared at the
time it would - great bitterness in Germany leading to another war.
Vast scorn was poured upon him by his political opponents and the
press when he warned them of what was to happen. It was their scorn which encouraged Hitler,
but Churchill undaunted, continued to speak out and write about these
matters and to try to awaken his countrymen to the danger confronting
them. Supported bravely all along by his beloved, but alarmed and
anxious wife Clementine, together they ignored all the insults and
personal pain and damage to his reputation. All his efforts, however
failed. Nor could he awaken the French military commanders and French
politicians of their danger during the first stage of the war - a
stage known as the
An attempt to help the Norwegians (the Narvik and Trondheim
expeditions, was doomed to failure dependent as it was on naval
support in very dangerous seas. A larger force could not be prepared
in time nor could Churchill risk leaving the UK inadequately defended
by the Royal Navy. This failure swiftly brought back memories of the
Dardanelles and Gallipoli, so fateful for Churchill's reputation in
World War I. This time, however, it was Chamberlain who was blamed,
and it was Churchill who endeavoured to defend him.
With inexhaustible energy, and total concentration, he devoted all
his skills and experience on the preparation for the war and the
salvation of Britain and the values he believed it stood for in the
world.
He said of himself, that unknown to him, his entire life to that
point, had been a preparation for this supreme moment of danger in
England's long history.
Churchill had an iron will, immense energy, and total
concentration. He was also blessed - though aged 65 years of age -
with robust health. The day England declared war on Germany (because
she had invaded Poland) Prime Minister Chamberlain appointed
Churchill to his old post of . .
On May 10th 1940 Germany invaded Holland and Belgium
and then France It came as a terrible shock to everyone - especially
the French who had believed that their Maginot Line (armoured
defensive line which stretched from Belgium to Switzerland and which
they thought impregnable) "It was NOT impregnable".
Churchill was immensely distressed and flew back and forth to
France in what turned out to be vain attempts to help them. France
collapsed and was occupied by the German Army.
In Parliament he described what was happening in Europe as: "the lights of Europe going out".
The world was alarmed . . . . . and the British people suddenly
woke up!
Prime Minister Chamberlain resigned and Churchill became the prime
Minister and formed a coalition government (a government consisting
of members of all the different political parties) Government.
The purpose of these pages is to tell the story of Churchill's
life - not to give a detailed account of the wars he was involved in,
for that is a vast subject.
To obtain an idea of the cause and magnitude of the war, examine the
monthly calendar for each year - they include many photographs.
It is important to remember that heavy censorship of news took
place throughout them, and therefore knowledge of many of these
events was not available until long after they happened - or until
after the wars had ended.
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1939.
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1940.
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January
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February
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March
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April
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1940.
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May
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June
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July
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August
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1940.
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September
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October
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November
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December
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1941.
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January
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February
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March
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April
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1941.
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May
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June
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July
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August
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1941.
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September
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October
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November
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December
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1942.
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January
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February
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March
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April
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1942.
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May
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June
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July
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August
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1942.
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September
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October
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November
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December
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1943.
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January
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February
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March
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April
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1943.
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May
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June
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July
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August
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1943.
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September
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October
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November
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December
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1944.
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January
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February
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March
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April
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1944.
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May
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June
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July
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August
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1944.
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September
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October
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November
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December
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1945.
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January
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February
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March
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April
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1945.
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May
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June
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July
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August
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1946.
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Post War.
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1954.
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PM Again.
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1965.
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State Funeral.
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ASSESSMENT OF CHURCHILL'S LIFE
AND ACHIEVEMENTS.
CHURCHILL'S
SPEECHES The Full Texts from 1936 to
1946.
Short biography of President
Roosevelt
Short biography of General Eisenhower
Short biography of President
Truman
Short biography of Hitler
Short biography of Stalin
Short biography of Mussolini
Short biography of The Japanese War
Lords
List of all the Ranks in the British Armed
Forces
British Prime
Ministers
History of No 10
Downing Street