Churchill Key Idea 1

1.1: Fear of Communism and social unrest

Unpopularly encouraged British military intervention to aid the Whites in the Russian Civil War
Objected 1920 Anglo-Soviet Trade Treaty.
Successfully threatened to resign over 1922 proposal to officially recognise the Soviet State.
UK Trade Union membership doubled to 8 million during WW1.
Feared the spread of Communism, especially to Germany.
Feared a revolution in Britain.
Zinoviev letter in Daily Mail (later proved to be fake) highlighted a link between the Labour Party and Russian Communists.
Called Communism a "cancer" and "foul baboonery".
Horrified by 1918 murder of Russian Royal family as he feared losing his own privileged status and viewed Communism to be brutal.
Urged colleagues to use force against 1919 coal strikers.
Approved of the use of gas in Iraq.
Proposed use of force against unrest in Ireland.

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Appointed by Baldwin to be Chancellor in 1924.
Was 2nd choice behind Chamberlain.
Gold Standard ensured money supply and stability but was set too high at pre-war levels, resulting in expensive exports and raised interest rates.
A Labour-appointed committee had supported his return to Gold.
Keynes: "The Economic Consequences of Mr Churchill" 1925.
Working class believed only socialism could solve unemployment.
Extended the welfare state and reduced military spending, for example refusing to allow a naval base in Singapore (stated there would be "no war with Japan" in his lifetime).
Tried to reduce government spending and decreased income tax.
Permanently renewed the 10 Year Rule in 1928.
Became a competent Chancellor.

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Supported initial subsidy but coal industry was inefficient.
Viewed the Daily Mail's refusal to print an anti-strike article as a threat to freedom of speech.
Saw the General Strike as a threat to democracy despite sympathising with the miners.
The strike lasted 10 days (3rd - 13th May 1926).
Editor of the British Gazette where he supported the use of armed forces against the strike.
Denied the New Statesman's accusations that he said "a little bloodletting" wouldn't go amiss.
Baldwin's scapegoat; Baldwin knew Churchill would be an extremist, allowing himself to look like a calm negotiator.
Signed the 1927 Trade Disputes Act which put a ban on general strikes.

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Supported the payment of a subsidy to the coal miners whilst the industry faced investigations.
Sympathised with the coal miners and tried to compromise over their continued strike.
Persuaded the mine owners to negotiate wage cuts on a national level - this is what the workers had wanted.
Aimed to impose a settlement so that miners could get back to work.

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Criticised for his budgets.
1929 Labour election victory, Labour-led government until 1935.
Gold Standard was abandoned in 1931.
Wrote "My Early Life" in 1930 and went on a speaking tour of the US.
Strongly opposed Indian Independence, formed the India Defence League, and so was viewed as out-dated and extremist especially upon describing Gandhi as a "half naked fakir".
Seen as trying to challenge Baldwin after his 1931 resignation from the Shadow Cabinet.
Seen as war-mongering when he urged rearmament following Hitler's appointment as Chancellor in 1933.
Did not press for an armed response in 1936 when Hitler broke the Treaty of Versailles by remilitarising the Rhineland.
1937: "I will not pretend that if I had to choose between communism and Nazism I would choose communism".
Fooled by Henlein that Hitler had peaceful intentions in 1938.
Criticised appeasement in the Munich conference of 1938, calling it "peace with dishonour", then faced a vote of no confidence in his own constituency.
Sat on the Air Defence Research Committee in 1935.

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Wallis Simpson was undergoing her second divorce whilst in a relationship with Edward VIII.
Edward VIII and Churchill had been friends since 1911, as Churchill helped Edward to draft his speeches.
Churchill wanted the issue to be made public in order for the King to gain support but this was very unpopular and he was shouted out of the Commons.
He was accused by some of trying to overthrow Baldwin and form a King's Party.
Resulted in a great dislike of Churchill by the new monarch, George VI.

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