Background May_1940_War_Cabinet_crisis

1 background

1.1 chamberlain falls
1.2 churchill becomes prime minister
1.3 churchill , conservative party
1.4 military situation

background
chamberlain falls

on 8 may, neville chamberlain s government survived motion of no confidence following norway debate on deteriorating military situation in norway. government, majority in house of 213, won vote majority of 81: 33 conservatives , 8 of allies voted opposition parties , 60 abstained. churchill, had grudgingly been appointed first lord of admiralty in september 1939, had nevertheless mounted strong defence of chamberlain , government in debate, ending closing speech these words:

at no time in last war in greater peril now, , urge house deal these matters not in precipitate vote, ill debated , on discursive field, in grave time , due time in accordance dignity of parliament.

with prime minister being criticised on both sides of house , there being strong desire national unity, vote catastrophic. afterwards, chamberlain told churchill dejected , did not think go on , try form coalition government labour , liberal parties. churchill opposed , later wrote:

aroused antagonisms of debate, , being sure of own past record on issues @ stake, disposed fight on. has been damaging debate [he told chamberlain], have majority. not take matter grievously heart. have better case norway has been possible convey house. strengthen government every quarter, , let go until our majority deserts . effect spoke. chamberlain neither convinced nor comforted, , left him midnight feeling persist in resolve sacrifice himself, if there no other way, rather attempt carry war further one-party government.

churchill becomes prime minister

at meeting next day, attended halifax , churchill, chamberlain asked leader , deputy leader of opposition labour party, clement attlee , arthur greenwood, if serve in coalition. replied might possible different prime minister , before give official answer, need approval of annual labour party conference, in session in bournemouth. asked telephone result of consultation following afternoon.

churchill s own account of these events, written 6 years later, misleading. describes events of 9 may taking place following day, , description of chamberlain attempting persuade him agree tacitly halifax s appointment prime minister not quite tally halifax s having expressed reluctance chamberlain @ meeting between 2 men on morning of 9 may.

in memoirs, halifax later wrote:

i had no doubt @ in own mind me succeed him create quite impossible situation. apart altogether churchill s qualities compared own @ particular juncture, in fact position? churchill running defence, , in connexion 1 not remember relationship between asquith , lloyd george had broken down in first war.... should speedily become more or less honorary prime minister, living in kind of twilight outside things mattered.

the labour leaders telephoned @ 5 p.m. on 10 may report party take part in coalition government not under chamberlain s leadership. accordingly, chamberlain went buckingham palace tender resignation, recommending king george vi ask churchill form government. 1 of churchill s first actions form new, smaller, war cabinet replacing 6 of conservative politicians had been in previous body greenwood , attlee , retaining halifax , chamberlain.

churchill , conservative party

churchill s political position weak; although popular labour , liberal parties stance against appeasement in 1930s, unpopular members of conservative party. regarded suspicion because of history of poor judgement, including, in particular, failed attack on dardanelles in 1915 (he had been highly partisan liberal @ time , did not rejoin conservatives until mid-1920s). in opposition in 1930s, churchill had criticised conservatives support of government of india act 1935 provincial self-government india , on appeasement of germany. not until september 1939, when britain , france forced declare war, churchill again made first lord of admiralty.

military situation

on 10 may 1940, day churchill became prime minister, germany launched invasion of belgium, netherlands , france, beginning war in west in earnest. german forces crossed meuse @ sedan on 13 may. on 15 may, french prime minister paul reynaud declared (on telephone churchill), defeated . on 16 may, churchill flew paris, , in response question maurice gamelin, où est la masse de manoeuvre? , received reply aucun ( strategic reserve? none ). 20 may, first german units reached abbeville on channel coast. 22 , 23 may, after abortive counterattack @ arras, german forces pushing towards english channel, isolating british expeditionary force.

however, suffering fatigue , loss of half of vehicles, germans unable continue offensive. luftwaffe commander hermann göring convinced hitler air force, point in campaign had performed exceptionally, destroy remained of allied forces on beaches of dunkirk. on 24 may, hitler approved colonel-general gerd von rundstedt s order armies halt armoured vehicles repaired.

the british , french navies, assisted royal air force, began dunkirk evacuation of surrounded allied forces (27 may-4 june). clear germans had won smashing victory, not yet clear france collapse altogether. (in franco-prussian war in 1870 , 1871, france had fought on 4 months after battle of sedan, caused defeat of armies on frontier, , in 1914, had snatched survival jaws of defeat @ first battle of marne.)