Britain and World War II

Appeasement

• Popular

• Ignored treaty violations

• Cared more for Hitler’s moods than lives of powerless

• Didn’t work

The Phoney War (1939-1940)

• Allies on defensive mentally

• Dithered about

The Year Alone (1940-1941)

• Goal: survival

• Bombing cities prevented defeat

• Waiting for Franklin

Forging the Grand Alliance (1941-1942)

• Hitler created his own defeat

• No way to defend British Empire

Years of Victory (1942-1945)

• Time it took not surprising

Enigma Machine

Churchill

• Wanted to delay European invasion

• Aware Russian alliance for convenience only

Economy and Society

National Mobilization

• New Ministries

• War Cabinet

• Nationalized Industries

• Emergency Powers Act

• Minster of Labour

Reallocation of Labour

• Increases– Farm acreage and mechanization– Industries– Armed Forces (1.5 m in 1939 to 5 m in 1945)– Full Employment

• Decreases– Clothing, Automobiles, furniture, home

building, food processing

Finance

• Tax increases

• Overseas Borrowing

• One third of overseas assets sold

• Lend-Lease

Debits

• Death and Destruction

• Infrastructure ignored

• Exports fell

Credits

• Spirit of National unity

• New technology

• Full Employment

• Culture mattered

• Long-range social planning

Beveridge Reports

• First: social security from cradle to grave

• Second: Government pledge to create full employment

Education Act of 1944

• School leaving age raised to fifteen

• Eleven plus exam

• Opportunity for working classes

Britain Transformed

• Socialist Government

• Assimilation of armed forces

• Rebuilding

• Cold War

• Empire Dissolving