Chapter 1 - why was churchill out of office
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- Created on: 29-02-20 16:13
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- Churchill 1929- 1940
- why was Churchill out of office
- previous reputation
- not liked by labour or liberal
- difficult to be in a coalition with
- labour remembered his attacks on trade unions in strike of 1926
- and his use of troops against strikes in South Wales before WW1
- Responsibility over failed Gallipoli attacks in 1951
- blamed for high unemployment due to return to Gold Standard in 1925
- raised export prices
- strong line against Indian self government which all other parties agreed with
- critical of labpur and tory support for Indian negotiations
- considered as right wing and out of touch
- not liked by labour or liberal
- stance in mid 30's
- not invited into government under Baldwin or Chamberlain
- main reason was his speaking out on danger of Germany and belief that we needed to rearm with greater air defences
- too willing to risk war again
- public opinion was to stay as far away from war as possible
- urge to rearm seemed unrealistic due to economic state in 30's
- spending was cut and unemployment was low
- spending money on an arms race when there were more serious matters was not sensible
- Chamberlain became PM in 1937 and had a policy of appeasement
- Churchill's speeches made better relations with Germany hard
- but he didnt offer a better or different solution
- Churchill's speeches made better relations with Germany hard
- he was hypocritical
- reason for limited arms was his defence cuts in 1920
- not invited into government under Baldwin or Chamberlain
- his style
- very out of touch
- speaking was old fashioned
- especially compared to Baldwin and Chamberlain
- didn't have a strong following
- surrounded himself with outsiders
- overview
- highly experienced minister
- leading politician
- out of office at a vital time
- Tories lost election in May 1929
- when McDonald formed his national govt in august 1931 he wasn't invited to be part of it
- national government became very conservative, Churchill was in the wilderness
- when McDonald formed his national govt in august 1931 he wasn't invited to be part of it
- 1939 he was back in cabinet
- previous reputation
- views on India
- problems
- wide calls for independence in India after BR troops fired on a crowd in Amritsar 1919
- growing nationalist agitation led by Congress party
- a non-violent but powerful civil disobedience campaign was led by Ghandi
- reliance on repression to govern India
- gave Britain poor international reputation
- risked alienation among richer Indians
- government made peacemaking moves
- 1930-1 Ghandi attended talks in London
- this was followed by passing of the Government of India Act in 1935
- set up elected legislatures and increased electorate
- this was followed by passing of the Government of India Act in 1935
- 1930-1 Ghandi attended talks in London
- why did he oppose
- he loved the Raj and served time in the Indian army
- objected to popular protest and threats to lawful authority
- though they would only be happy with full independence
- so wasting time in talks of compromise
- thought it would lead to conflict between Hindus and Muslims
- put power back in the hands of Brahmins
- believed in white superiority
- consequences
- even some of Churchill's friends and supporters thought he was too extreme
- he aligned himself with extreme and old-fashioned imperialists
- cut himself off mainstream Conservative Party
- problems
- abdication crisis
- key info
- a stable government helped BR reputation abroad so was important
- encouraged patriotism and sacrifice during WW1
- when Edward VIII came to throne 1936, he wanted to marry Mrs Simpson which threatened stability
- american
- divorced twice
- Archbishop of Canterbury didn't want to marry a divorced woman in church
- royal consort not a queen
- cabinet did not support
- a stable government helped BR reputation abroad so was important
- why did he support the king
- he was part of the group, 'King's Friends'
- he was devoted to hereditary monarchy
- saw it as his duty to support him
- he spoke often of his friendship with the King
- he was unsympathetic to those who opposed the King to find happiness
- he was emotional and moved by the love story
- consequences
- he was in the minority
- oblivious to public opinion
- appeared eccentric and old fashioned
- key info
- attitudes towards Germany
- over view
- saw the Hitler regime 1933 as extremely dangerous
- saw continuity with 1914
- influential study of WW1 stressed the rise of Germany and its impact on the balance of domination
- he had been part of the govt that established the peace treaty
- worried that the new nationalist regime would break it.
- feared that a powerful Germany would upset the balance of power
- and take advantage of weaker Easter Europe states
- concerned about violent behaviour of Nazi's
- disliked the anti-semitism
- he did not oppose dictatorship
- disliked the anti-semitism
- saw the Hitler regime 1933 as extremely dangerous
- attitudes to developing in Germany
- repeatedly voiced his concerns from 1934
- warned against strong air power
- Hitler reintroduced conscription in 1935
- C was worried that this was a sign of militarism revival
- BR response was to limit it through 1935 Anglo-German naval Treaty
- C said this was a sign of weakness
- saw it as short sighted to fall out with Mussolini (opponent of Hitler) over Ethiopia invasion
- repeatedly voiced his concerns from 1934
- why did he not gain any support from these views
- some thought that the Treaty of Versailles was harsh
- anti war feeling so rearmament was unpopular
- people saw him as initiating an arms race
- seemed hypocritical as he called for disarmament
- believed that naval race led to WW1
- some Germans and right of England sympathised with Hitler
- he was against communism
- he was seen as alarmist
- not putting BR own needs first
- over view
- appeasement
- overview
- appeasement was pursued by Chamberlain
- key element was Munich agreement of 1938
- agreed to dismembering of independent state of Czechoslovakia
- making the Sudetenland part of Germany
- allow slovakia to become separate
- agreed to dismembering of independent state of Czechoslovakia
- accepted the annexation of Austria
- accepted Germany taking over territory
- his reaction
- highly critical
- looked weak after Chamberlain had given in
- BR were dominated by Germany
- munich agreement strengthened Germany
- moral defeat
- his policy
- he believed that BR should have gone to war in 1938
- seemed unrealistic
- many people in BR saw slovakia as a far away country
- so didnt really care
- wasnt guaranteed that BR could find some allies
- did not have time to rearm
- commonwealth could not be relied on
- he thought a strong stance would deter Germany
- he believed that BR should have gone to war in 1938
- why was it criticised
- uncertainity that others would join
- but it had some merits
- breaking of Munich agreement was weak
- munich gave them time to rearm
- GER rearmed fast
- chance of working with FR and USSR
- ignored Japan threat
- ignored GER allies
- little evidence of anything bad happening
- overview
- why did chamberlain resign
- difficult for him to become a war time leader
- feeling in Parliament that he wasn't waging war well
- not done well against Germany in Norway
- no attempt to engage with GER forces in west
- wavering support was visible in House of Commons over Norway
- 40 conservative members had voted against govt
- 40 abstained
- accepted by many that it was time for a change
- reasons for Churchill's appointment
- popular support in the country due to his stand against Appeasement and determination to go to war
- support of Tory MPs and labour
- but Lord Halifax was the preferred candidate
- but he was associated with appeasement
- but Lord Halifax was the preferred candidate
- powerful speaker
- newspaper articles widely read
- experienced
- sense of destiny
- determined war time leader
- he became PM on 10th May 1940
- why was Churchill out of office
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