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The Second World War and Churchill's leadership

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From 1939 to 1945 Britain fought a war that reached every part of daily life, at home and abroad.

Britain alone, 1940

Winston Churchill became Prime Minister on 10 May 1940, the day Germany attacked France and the Low Countries.
At Dunkirk (May to June 1940) about 338,000 Allied soldiers were rescued from the beaches by navy ships and small boats.
In the Battle of Britain (summer and autumn 1940) the RAF stopped the German air force winning control of the skies, so Germany could not invade.
Churchill's speeches and determination helped keep up morale.

The Home Front

Children were evacuated from cities to the countryside from September 1939.
In the Blitz (September 1940 to May 1941) German bombing killed more than 40,000 civilians.
Rationing of food began in January 1940. Women joined the services and worked in factories and on farms.

Victory

In 1941 Germany invaded the Soviet Union, and Japan attacked the US base at Pearl Harbor, bringing the USA into the war.
On D-Day, 6 June 1944, Allied forces landed in Normandy in France.
Germany surrendered: VE Day was 8 May 1945. After the USA dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, Japan surrendered.
Worked example

How important was Churchill's leadership to Britain's survival in 1940?

  1. His speeches and refusal to make peace kept morale high.
  2. But the RAF's victory in the Battle of Britain and the rescue at Dunkirk were also vital.
  3. So his leadership mattered greatly, alongside the efforts of the armed forces and the public.

Answer: Very important for morale and determination, but it worked alongside military success and the public's effort.

Key idea

Churchill PM from 10 May 1940. Dunkirk rescued about 338,000 soldiers. Battle of Britain (1940) stopped invasion. Evacuation, the Blitz (1940 to 1941) and rationing on the Home Front. USA joined in 1941. D-Day 6 June 1944; VE Day 8 May 1945; Japan surrendered in August 1945.

The interactive lesson includes the diagrams for this topic.

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