Figure 1.--.

"Now we are at war. And we are going to make war until the other side has had enough. .... No, we will mete out to the Germans the measure, and more than the measure, that they have meted out to us. .... We will have no truce or parley with you, or the grisly gang who work your wicked will. You do your worst and we will do our best."

-- Winston Churchill

One impact of the German invasion of Poland and the declaration of war is that Chamberlain recalled Winston Churchill to goverment. He had been a rare voice in the wildrness in a Britain committed to the false security of appeasement. Churchill became First Lord of the Aminralty again. It was a post he had held in World War I. The Admiralty signaled the fleet, "Winston is back." Chamberlain continued as prime minister, but he was a poor war leader. And the war news was no good. Tere were no immedite air attacks. But the Gernans smashed Pland with not real respomse from Britain and France. And U-boats began sinking British ships. You can see that on Chambrlain's radio broadcast which you can read above. Churchill's oratory and leadership was very different and vital if Britain was going to win the War. Volumes have been written about Churchill's war leadership. He had brilliant ideas and many very midguided ideas. What many critics miss is that while he may have driven Chief of Staff Alan Brook to distraction. 【Roberts】 And he had even more issues with the admirals. 【Miller】 Bur the generals and admirals he relentlessly prssed with many poorly conceived ides understood tht Churchill was vitl to the War effort. And Churchill never went against their considered opinion. Something Hitler and Stalin did regulartly and Roosevelt rarely). And his absolutely vital central ideda was to resist Hitler and the NAZIs 'what ever the cost'. This would be central to the Allied victory. And to achieve this he perfectly captured thev indomitable sapirit if the British people. Another major understanding is that he understood the importance of the United States in any war with NAZI Grrmany, something that Caberlain did not fully understnad. He also understood the value of a relationship with President Roosevelt. This was something Chamberlain made no effort to develop. Quickly after entering the Admiralty an secret corresponence comeneced between the President and as the President addressed his letters 'Naval Person'. Even before the Japanese forced America into the War, American aid was flowing to Britain in real quantity.

Sources

Miller, Nathan. War at Sea: A Naval History of World War II (Scribner: New York, 1995), 592p.

Roberts, Andrew. Masters and Commanders: How Four Titans Won the War in the West, 1941-1945 (2010).

Created: 5:58 AM 5/22/2025
Last updated: 5:58 AM 5/22/2025