Winston Churchill's Victory In Ww2 Essay

990 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Winston churchill role in ww2

This paper will explore the reasons behind Great Britain’s decision to turn against its ally France during the early years of World War II. More specifically, this paper will look deeper into why British Prime Minister Winston Churchill decided the best option for Great Britain, at the time, was to attack the French fleet located at Mers-el-Kébir on July 3, 1940. It will describe how Churchill’s decision to attack the French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir was detrimental to prevent Germany from completely turning the tide of the war in its favor. The attack of the French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir was truly devastating to France; however, this attack gave Great Britain the leverage it needed to stand its ground and to keep fighting in the war. This paper argues that Churchill ordered the attack …show more content…

Germany had already invaded the lands of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg by May of 1940. France’s forces did everything they could to defend its borders against Germany’s forces. However, France was no match for Germany’s ground forces. Churchill feared that France would follow its neighbors and fall to German forces, and he was not wrong. Germany’s forces pushed through the border, and France fell to the German forces as they marched on to Paris. According to David Dilks in the article titled “The Twilight War and the Fall of France: Chamberlain and Churchill in 1940,” the fall of France was a significant moment, and “it signified the defeat of assumptions with which all British governments of recent times had been identified: namely, that France was at least strong enough to hold Germany on land.” This change resulted in a tremendous shift in the balance of power during the war especially in Great Britain’s eyes. It did not help that France also decided to make peace with Germany and had plans to sign an armistice with Germany despite having an agreement with Great

Show More
Related

  • What If the Allies Had Invaded France in 1943?

    2421 Words  | 5 Pages

    The comparison of German forces in France in 1943 versus 1944 provides a compelling argument that allied forces should have transitioned from defense to offense at a decisive point in Western France. Clausewitz states that, “A sudden powerful transition to the offensive - the flashing sword of vengeance - is the greatest moment for the defense” (Clausewitz, 370). Handel also emphasizes “timing is everything” in relation to the optimal transition from defense to offense (Handel, 190). The Americans and British did transition in 1943 to the offensive with the invasion of Sicily and the Italian campaign (Murray, 375). However, they did not capitalize on the opportunity in 1943 to attack the weaker German forces in France to brandish the “flashing sword of vengeance” that Clausewitz advocates.

    Read More

  • The Treaty of Versailles as a Cause of WWII

    957 Words  | 2 Pages

    The coalitions brought by the Versailles Treaty contributed greatly to starting WWII. The Treaty was responsible for the formation of the Allies. However, when made, these alliances were based on promises from the superpowers, particularly France. This ensured that Germany would not have support from the smaller countries in Europe (Document B). Belgium had aligned itself with France previously, and it continued to do so, but Czechoslovakia and Poland...

    Read More

  • The Role of National Interest in World War I

    772 Words  | 2 Pages

    This statement begins to expose the fear felt by Britain of the imposing German fleet. Due to the militaristic views of Europe, many countries desired to have more power and control, by any means possible. This hunger initiated the Naval Arms Race, in which nations believed as one country increased its naval powers, they too were obliged to increase their armed forces, to maintain a balance of power. The British had dominated the seas and many far off colonies because of their naval fleet, granting them immense power. As the Germans began to propose a new and vast naval fleet, and France and Russia formed a new alliance sparking suspicion in Britain, Germany quickly became a threat to British supremacy. This created a chain reaction of stressed importance upon naval arme...

    Read More

  • World War 2 Turning Point Essay

    652 Words  | 2 Pages

    World War II was one of the most important wars in history. It featured multiple countries at constant conflict with each other. There were several battles that occurred in this 12 year long war. An example of two of the battles would be the Battle of Britain in the European theater of war, and the Attack on Pearl Harbor in the Pacific theater of war. Only one of these wars saw victory, while the other caused great devastation to the American military.

    Read More

  • Progressivism In Ww1 Essay

    641 Words  | 2 Pages

    America's Impact On WWI Through Progressivism. Many Americans today have little or no understanding of what progressivism is and why it is so important to American history. Progressivism is a broadly based reform movement that reached its peak early in the 20th century, which sought other ideas, impulses, and issues stemming from modernization of American society. It arose as a response to the vast changes brought by modernization such as the growth of large corporations, railroads, and fears of corruption in American politics. Little do people know is that America got involved in WWI not just because of German aggression toward the United States, but the mindset of Americans who believed that it was their duty to protect democracy and to eliminate modernization.

    Read More

  • Essay On The Causes Of World War 2

    534 Words  | 2 Pages

    Who started the World War 2?. World war 2 , also known as Second World War is a

    Read More

  • Effects Of Treaty Of Versailles

    1279 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The British Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, recognized the feelings of the British people when he said ‘the Germans are going to pay every penny: they are going to be squeezed … until the pips squeak” (. This was the general conscious the British and the French people had because they felt they were owed for all of the wartime damages that occurred, the civilian and Soldiers lives that were lost, and because of the recourses the allies used to fight central powers. Ultimately the British and the French wanted revenge on Germany and for the first time they were in the power to do it. “Germany was not invited; as the defeated party, it was only required to sign the treaty once the cost of defeat had been established”2. The German s had no say at the negotiating table at the treaty of Versailles and because of this the “Big Four” ultimately and the power to punish Germany however they sought fit. This was a long shot from “Wilson’s proposed, “peace among equals,”2 and created much resentment from the German people. “Acceptance of blame appeared in Clause 231 of the treaty, later known as the ‘War Guilt clause’. Once Germany was made to acknowledge that it was responsible for the

    Read More

  • Analysis of The Origins of Second World War by A.J.P. Taylor

    960 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... him to conciliate.” (pg. 216) Finally, Taylor explains, after Britain’s failure to help reach an agreement, the aggression dragged both France and Britain into war with Germany.

    Read More

  • The Battle of the Atlantic

    1647 Words  | 4 Pages

    Immediately, the Battle of the Atlantic began when “the British announced a naval blockage of Germany” on September 3, 1939(“World War II” 391). Eight days later the Germans ordered a “counter-blockage” of the Allies(“World War II” 391). The Germans hoped to stop the shipments of war supplies and food to the countries of France and Britain. After only four months into the war, German U-boats, mines, airplanes, and surface raiders had destroyed more than 215 merchant ships and two of Britain’s largest warships. Over 1,500 people had been killed in this short time. “It was clear that despite the lull on land, a long war lay ahead on the world’s water” (Pitt 8).

    Read More

  • The Battle of The Atlantic

    2036 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Germans did great damage, and they sunk many of the British merchant ships, (see appendix 1) and if this battle had not been declared, Britain would have been in a very bad situation. Britain was once the world’s largest ship-building nations, and they could easily replace the ships that were sunk but, soon they were not able to keep up with the damage that the German...

    Read More

  • Treaty Of Versailles Essay

    701 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Treaty of Versailles, one of the most controversial international agreements(“D.1. The Treaty of Versailles."), had been negotiated between January and June of 1919 (History. Staff). Although it was negotiated between January and June, the Treaty of Versailles was officially signed on June 28, 1919 (Hashall) at Versailles, a suburb of Paris (Benson). This treaty involved Germany and all allies of World War I (Benson). The peace agreement was established to aid in the termination of World War I.

    Read More

  • Essay On World War 1

    737 Words  | 2 Pages

    World War 1...what is it? Normally when you think about it you must be wondering how on earth am I still alive! World War 1 was also known as The Great War that took place from 1914-1918 within most parts of Europe. Within this informative essay I will be talking about the features, the results, the end, and how World War 1 changed the lives of the Europeans.

    Read More

  • Winston Churchill: We Shall Fight on the Beaches

    930 Words  | 2 Pages

    To this very day, this speech remains as one of the most influential and unforgettable speeches concerning World War II. Churchill’s remarkable speech was delivered after the events of the Dunkirk Evacuation, which forced 336,000 Allied troops to retreat from Dunkirk to Britain. Because of this Nazi power being exerted over allied forces, Churchill had to make sure his speech was profound and direct. He wanted to enthuse and excite the British people and to cause urgency that difficult times were upon them and an inevitable crisis was on the horizon. Churchill’s had articulated an essential determination and urgency to defend Britain “no matter what the cost”. He conveyed a message of necessary unity that was required to win the war and to fend off the Nazi influence and assault. Churchill wanted ...

    Read More

  • Balfour Declaration Essay

    2345 Words  | 5 Pages

    On November 2 1917 the Balfour Declaration was issued from Arthur James Balfour to Lord Rothschild conveying a promise to the Zionist Federation of a national home in Palestine. This appeared to be a step closer towards materially realising the early Zionist aspirations as previously articulated by Theodor Herzl in August 1897 when he envisioned “the creation of a home for the Jewish people in Palestine to be secured by public law.” Although professing to be a “declaration of sympathy with the Jewish Zionist aspirations” in reality the reasons behind the Balfour Declaration surpassed Zionist efforts in British politics or genuine pro-Zionist sympathies. Despite many Zionists becoming increasingly active in British politics, the formation of a Jewish state was not the intended consequence of the declaration; rather it was primarily in provision of British own interests in Palestinian territory. This land, to which the Balfour Declaration referred had been part of the Ottoman Empire since the 16th century and included contemporary Israel and a small section of present-day Jordan. It occupied a prime strategic position dividing two French colonies, Syria and Lebanon, and the British colony in Egypt whilst harbouring jurisdiction over the prized Suez Canal. Simultaneously British had imperialistic motives to take advantage of the power vacuum left vacant by the slow death of the Sick Man of Europe, the Ottoman Empire. The Balfour Declaration also temporarily allowed the Britain to hold the balance of power between the two opposing nationalist movements in Palestine however it did obligate them to both sides proving a future problem. It was also hoped that propagating a future national home to the Zionists at large would secure the ...

    Read More

  • The Great War And Modern Memory Essay

    715 Words  | 2 Pages

    With the Great War beginning over a hundred years ago in 1914 there are no survivors left to reflect or corroborate any first hand accounts of the war that ushered in deadly new practices like trench and chemical warfare. Paul Fussels book The Great War and Modern Memory explores not only the firsthand accounts but also literature to the subject published during that time. There are no shortage of war memories detailed in Fussels book, and many of them look into experiences had by soldiers during the war that are unique only to them. In a book that sets out to chronicle the memory of all of World War I why are these specific memories included? Obviously they are curated by Mr. Fussel, whose primary intention seems to be to give a well rounded

    Read More

More about Winston Churchill's Victory In Ww2 Essay

Open Document