Winston Churchill succeeded to highest office amidst turbulent and extraordinary events. In the early 30's, his powerful warnings about the dangers of Nazi fanaticism had been dismissed as alarmist: but by the time he became Prime Minister on the afternoon of May 10, 1940, his grimmest forebodings had been proved all too true.Western Europe was a cauldron of war. That morning, German divisions had poured irresistibly into Holland and Belgium, thrusting for the French frontier.
The prospects for Britain and her new war leader were inconceivably bleak. French intelligence estimated that Britain could withstand a German onslaught for no more than 3 weeks. Hitler's forces had enjoyed unbroken, astonishing success, and even the highest levels of power in London thought Hitler could not be beaten. Churchill alone never faltered, announcing to the British people that his aim was "Victory - victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror; victory however long and hard the road may be."
Given the circumstances, it was an extraordinary goal to set before the exhausted nation. Yet what followed is history, from the defeat of the mighty Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain, the Battle of the Atlantic against the U-boats to the annihilation of the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front.
It is easy now, to criticise Churchill. Good commanders like Wavel were treated unfairly by him. The ill-fated convoy PQ17, set sail to disaster at the Prime Miniser's insistence. But these decisions, at the time, were far from simple. And whatever Churchill's failings, they are far outweighed by the splendour of his achievements. From the outset, he recognised the Nazi regimen for what it was, and fought it unswervingly. His masterful oratory not only inspired a nation, but kept priceless hope alive in the hearts of enslaved millions on the Continent.
In President Kennedy's words, "Churchill took the English language to war."
This video takes us through Churchill's war, using much newly discovered footage and featuring, where possible, original recordings of the great speeches.
