Britain in WWII

Impact of War

  • The amount of imports was reduced
  • Arrival of women in public transport, munitions industries, and shipyards
  • Increased unionization within industries
  • Land under cultivation doubled during the war
  • Bombing created a need for house building
  • War left Britain financially broken
  • Lost over 300,000 fighting men and 60,000 civilians
  • Battle of Britain involved intense German bombing that greatly affected Britain
  • Shortages of workers
  • Government had to take control of the economy
  • Great Britain became fairly dependent on the U.S. after the war – it lost some of its status as a great power
  • Destruction of factories and machines
  • Food rationing rates reached levels near malnutrition

Motivations for War

  • Failed attempt at appeasement with the Munich Pact (1938) – Britain wanted to appease Germany by signing it which gave Germany permission to invade Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia, however, Hitler invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia
  • Mostly because of support of other countries (allies)
  • Germany’s invasion of Poland caused Great Britain to get involved
  • On September 3, 1939 Britain declared war on Germany

Geography

Across the English Channel

Britain is an island nation, located across the English Channel from the rest of Europe, so no battles were fought on British land. Their navy and air force protected them from attacks, and some of their army and air force were sent to France to help. England had significantly lower death tolls, as the war was not fought on their land.

Air War

In June of 1940, Hitler believed the war was practically over, and so without their allies, Britain would quickly come to peace with Germany. He wanted to invade Britain which he could only do if his air force was superior to theirs, so during Operation Sealion, the German Air Force planned to weaken the Royal Air Force. After a short period of time Hitler grew impatient with their failing attempt to defeat the Royal Air Force, so he started to bomb British cities. London began being bombed daily, but Hitler had realized that an invasion would not work. By October of 1940 the regular bombings of Britain had ended and although an invasion was still planned, it was never carried out.

D-Day

Also known as the Normandy Landings, D-Day was an attack on Nazi Germany’s forces, using air and sea forces. The assault required a full moon and spring tides in order to work, so the actual date of the attack was beforehand, unsure. It ended up being June 6, 1944, just one day after the tentative plans. The British Second Army was sent to help for D-Day and landed on five different beaches in Normandy with the US First Army, and they eventually won the success of liberating Normandy.

Leaders and Government

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (1874-1965) was a British politician known for his leadership of the UK during WWII

Served as Prime Minister of UK from 1940-1945 and again from 1951-1955

Churchill was a salesman, orator, officer in the British army, Nobel Prize winning writer, and an artist

Winston Churchill was thrown out of power after the war, regaining it a few years later

Great Britain assumed state control and direction of industry that instituted “war socialism”

The government was a coalition government despite the fact that the Conservatives were the majority in Parliament

The Labour Party was involved in government through its ministers in charge of labor and conditions of employment

Timeline

Late 1938~ Britain attempts to appease Germany and avoid another world war

March 1939~ Britain announces their support of Poland if Germany were to invade it

Sept. 1939~ Britain declares war on Germany- marks the start of WWII in Europe

May 1940~ Winston Churchill replaces Neville Chamberlain as the Prime Minister

May 26 1940~ British troops were into one of the largest evacuations in history

July- Oct. 1940~ English people suffer under the Battle of Britain, intense German bombing

March 1941~ US begins giving direct support to the British in the form of arms and ammunition through the Lend-Lease Act

Jan 1942~ Roosevelt and Churchill agree to establish a combined chiefs of staff and to make defeating Germany their first priority

May 1945~ The allies win war in Europe, Germany surrendered unconditionally

Great Britain lost over 300,000 fighting men and over 60,000 civilians in World War II