Churchill
Churchill: The war leader
Winston Churchill was an inspirational leader for the country as a whole but his relations with Britain's top brass were often tempestuous.
He questioned all aspects of military policy, obliging his commanders to justify their strategies in great detail. But he rarely completely ignored their advice. Thus, in June 1940, he allowed Dowding to persuade the War Cabinet that the RAF should preserve its fighter strength for the Battle of Britain.
Churchill believed that the key to winning the war was U.S. support. If he couldn't get America to fight, then at least he could persuade Roosevelt to give material help. The "Lend-Lease" programme poured thousands of tonnes of military supplies into Britain, including much-needed ships to replace those lost to U-boats in the Atlantic. After the war, Churchill declared that his biggest worry was the threat U-boats had posed to Britain's vital supply lines. Convoy protection was a naval priority for Churchill.
The decision to open up another front in North Africa by attacking Italian-held territory was a bold one. But it drew German forces into a desert conflict they were eventually too stretched to prosecute effectively.
When America entered the war, Churchill urged Roosevelt to make defeat of Germany the priority, rather than counter-attacking Japan. Once Roosevelt had agreed on this strategy, Churchill pushed for Allied landings in northwest Africa. Experience gained during these operations was put to good use during the D-Day assault.
Area bombing - the targeting of cities as a whole rather than individual strategic targets - was one of the Allies' most controversial policies. Churchill believed overwhelming air power would undermine Nazi Germany's ability to wage war. But the widespread destruction and high numbers of civilian casualties caused by area bombing attracted considerable criticism.
Churchill had always been keen on drawing the Germans out to the fringes of their territory and then bogging them down. His support for an invasion of Sicily was part of that strategy. It also allowed more time to build up a potent invasion force for D-Day.
Eisenhower was a natural choice for the Supreme Allied Commander. A brilliant strategist, he was also a gifted diplomat who was able to juggle the wide range of military disciplines needed to stage the D-Day operation.
Churchill believed that the key to winning the war was U.S. support. If he couldn't get America to fight, then at least he could persuade Roosevelt to give material help. The "Lend-Lease" programme poured thousands of tonnes of military supplies into Britain, including much-needed ships to replace those lost to U-boats in the Atlantic. After the war, Churchill declared that his biggest worry was the threat U-boats had posed to Britain's vital supply lines. Convoy protection was a naval priority for Churchill.
The decision to open up another front in North Africa by attacking Italian-held territory was a bold one. But it drew German forces into a desert conflict they were eventually too stretched to prosecute effectively.
When America entered the war, Churchill urged Roosevelt to make defeat of Germany the priority, rather than counter-attacking Japan. Once Roosevelt had agreed on this strategy, Churchill pushed for Allied landings in northwest Africa. Experience gained during these operations was put to good use during the D-Day assault.
Area bombing - the targeting of cities as a whole rather than individual strategic targets - was one of the Allies' most controversial policies. Churchill believed overwhelming air power would undermine Nazi Germany's ability to wage war. But the widespread destruction and high numbers of civilian casualties caused by area bombing attracted considerable criticism.
Churchill had always been keen on drawing the Germans out to the fringes of their territory and then bogging them down. His support for an invasion of Sicily was part of that strategy. It also allowed more time to build up a potent invasion force for D-Day.
Eisenhower was a natural choice for the Supreme Allied Commander. A brilliant strategist, he was also a gifted diplomat who was able to juggle the wide range of military disciplines needed to stage the D-Day operation.
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