Civilian precautions the search for allies economic precautions
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- Chamberlain spurned the efforts of President Roosevelt in his attempts to reach agreement with Germany’.
- ‘It is always safe to count on nothing from the Americans other than words’.
- The war machine resembled an expensive motor car beautifully polished, complete in every detail, except that there was no petrol in the tank”.
- Tobacco and sugar were taxed more heavily.
RUSSIA Chamberlain was greatly suspicious of Russia and thought that Russia planned to take over Europe and impose communism on her. He also believed that Russia wanted to see Britain and at war with other capitalist states. Russia was viewed as militarily weak. There was some justification in this especially following the Russo- Finish war of 1938.Chamberlain stated, ‘I must confess a most profound distrust of Russia. I have no belief whatsoever in her ability to maintain an effective offensive, even if she wanted to. And I distrust her motives, which seem to me to have a little connection without ideas of liberty’. Russia’s military weakness was highlighted in 1938 when they attacked Finland. The war did not turn out as planned and Stalin was forced to sue for peace without the terms she desired. Additionally, his purges had resulted in the deaths of 35,000 senior officers. The failure to reach an agreement with Russia can be regarded as a strategic error. Hence, many people within government did not want to ally Britain with a totalitarian military incompetent and backward country. The main criticism for not reaching an agreement with the Russians comes from Churchill. In his book the Gathering Storm he his very critical of Chamberlain for his failure to come to an agreement over this issue. On the other hand the Soviet Union, which (as Stalin had not forgotten) Churchill had tried to strangle at birth, was actually part of the problem, not of the solution; only a mentality as Anglo-centric as Churchill's could have imagined otherwise. This was because most of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe only survived, diplomatically, by balancing between Russia and Germany. Few liked Germany, but even fewer favoured Stalin's communist alternative. A few rulers, like the wily King Boris of Bulgaria, suspected that Communism was just the latest excuse for Russian imperialism; no one thought that Stalin was a solution to their problems. Furthermore, on the military front there were very real doubts about whether the recently purged Red Army would be a match for the Germans. In relation to Russia there was also a very obvious geographical problem, which Churchill overlooked. Russia could not help Czechoslovakia directly because she had no common border - and neither of the two countries with direct access to Czechoslovakia was likely to offer Russia any help. The Poles, who had suffered under Russian misrule for more than a century and whose independence had been won at Russian expense, would be unlikely, understandably, to want Soviet troops on Polish soil. That left only Rumania, where King Carol, facing a challenge from a strong local fascist movement, was not going to risk alienating it by co-operating with Communist Russia. THE USA Britain always hoped the USA would be an ally of theirs during the Second World War. However, it took 2 years for the USA to join the war and even then it was Germany and Japan who declared war on the USA. This was due to the Neutralities Act, signed by the states after World War One. The USA had become isolationist and did not want to get involved in any other conflict in Europe. Britain did receive loans from the USA during the war though. This was because of the policy of Lend Lease which said that America would help Britain in paying for war. The failure to ally with America had a significant effect when war broke out. As Chamberlain stated, ‘It is always safe to count on nothing from the Americans other than words’30. Yet at the same time it is important to point out that the USA, despite its isolationist credentials had shown a willingness to negotiate with Germany and Britain in 1938 and 1939 in order to resolve the differences that existed in Europe. In his epic war volume ‘The Gathering Storm’, Churchill points out that, ‘Chamberlain spurned the efforts of President Roosevelt in his attempts to reach agreement with Germany’. 
On the other hand however, Contrary to the view promoted by Churchill, Prime Minister Chamberlain did not reject his plans without taking official advice, but as far as the Foreign Office was concerned, Churchill's ideas were the equivalent of amateur night at the karaoke bar, and the arguments against them were very strong. America, the first part of the 'Grand Alliance', was still an isolationist power. It had no army capable of intervening in Europe and no politician arguing for such a policy. Britain always hoped the USA would be an ally during the Second World War. However, it took 2 years for the USA to join and even then it was Germany and Japan who declared war on the USA. This was due to the Neutralities Act, signed ratified after World War One. The USA had become isolationist and did not want to get involved in any other conflict. Britain did receive loans from the USA during the war through the policy of Lend Lease. The failure to ally with America had a significant effect when war broke out. As Chamberlain stated, ‘It is always safe to count on nothing from the Americans other than words’. Yet at the same time it is important to point out that the USA, despite her isolationist credentials had shown a willingness to negotiate with Germany and Britain in 1938 and 1939 in order to resolve the differences that existed in Europe.
The question of Italy as an ally was inevitable. In 1935 the Italians had invaded Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and as a result the anti German alliance (signed by Britain, Italy and France) known as the Stresa Front collapsed. Britain therefore imposed economic sanctions on Italy. This had major strategic consequences as it forced the two fascist nations together in what was known as the “Pact of Steel”. They were forced into the arms of Hitler. Thus, Britain’s attempt to obtain an ally in the Mediterranean failed. It seems incredible that Britain, who at the time controlled almost one quarter of the earths surface, set about condemning the Italians who had invaded a country that most westerners had never even heard of. SPAIN Britain remained neutral during the Spanish Civil War, and as a result the long term consequences were to be seen in the fact that Spain remained Neutral also during the Second World War. Recent evidence suggests that Britain had supported the nationalists during the conflict in Spain and they allowed the nationalists to set up listening bases on Gibraltar. They signed trade agreements with the fascists and even denied that the bombing of Guernica happened. The Spanish thus did not turn to the Germans during world war two. In 1940 Hitler attempted to persuade Franco to join the axis powers but this failed. Hitler later stated he would rather have “all his teeth pulled out than go through another meeting with Franco”32. Again although Spain’s neutrality benefited Britain it is difficult to suggest that this was the long term intention of Britain. Had Spain turned to the Axis powers’ it would have been disastrous for Britain and her control of not only the Mediterranean but also the whole of Africa. THE EMPIRE During World War One, the Empire had made huge sacrifices for Britain. As tension built up in Europe there was a growing reluctance on the part of the white dominions to fight for Britain. Australia had suffered terribly at the ill-fated Gallipoli Campaign in World War One. Canada had also suffered many casualties during the conflict. At Vimy Ridge in France during World War One many Canadian soldiers were killed. Andrew Hunt states in ‘The Road to War’, ‘Would the Empire help? Britain already had the answer. South Africa had indicated that it would help. Australia and New Zealand wouldn’t commit themselves while only Canada said ‘yes’33. By following the policy of appeasement, the Empire and the Dominions could see that Britain had tried a peaceful approach in trying to deal with Germany but this had failed and therefore the dominions and the Empire rallied to the mother country when war broke out. FRANCE The Foreign Office analysis also ruled out help from France. Ever since Britain had refused to back the French in a hard-line anti-German policy in 1923, the French had relied upon a defensive strategy against Berlin; they were not going to change in the late 1930s at Churchill's behest. France was a badly divided country, where many right-wing politicians preferred Hitler to the socialist premier, Leon Blum. That left only Britain herself to make up the proposed 'Alliance'. Britain’s search for allies was unsuccessful. Britain did not have many allies and lost important support of Russia, Italy, and until later in the war, the USA. Britain had small accomplishments in that Spain did not become an ally of Germany and most of the Empire and Dominions came in on the side of Britain. Considering the search for allies, Britain made too many strategic errors. 
THE ECONOMY 
The first eight months of the war are often described as the "Phony War", for the relative lack of action abroad. Yet at home Chamberlain and the conservative government did very little to put the economy on a war footing. As Chamberlain himself stated it was to be “business as usual”. Yet a major war requires an all out effort on the part of everyone as was evident in World War One. Chamberlain however was unwilling to interfere in the workings of the economy. He was in the end hoping in the end for a negotiated peace. He himself stated “How he hated this war”. As Calder pointed out “the Government knew what had to be done but in the end the havered. They were frightened of interfering with private firms. They terrified of provoking the unions. They were scared of the middle class reaction to rationing and other belt tightening measures.”
The war machine according to AJP Taylor. “The war machine resembled an expensive motor car beautifully polished, complete in every detail, except that there was no petrol in the tank”. Calder argues that the first budget the Chancellor sir John Simon was a “timid affair”. Income tax increased from five shillings sixpence to seven shillings. Pint of beer increased by a penny. Tobacco and sugar were taxed more heavily. Directory: 2011 2011 -> Enterprise Network Management iPost: Implementing Continuous Risk Monitoring at the Department of State 2011 -> Voices of the Old Sea Norman Lewis 2011 -> Malevil Robert Merle 2011 -> The Elephant Keeper’s Children Peter Hoeg 2011 -> January 1: Ecstasy zZz January 2: King of Anything Sara Bareillis 2011 -> Tracks, Mixes, Masters, and More!: Analyzing Preservation Priorities for Multitrack Recordings 2011 -> Department of Electrical Engineering 2011 Annual Report 2011 -> Jv packet •Mars Colonization Affirmative •Mars Colonization Negative 2011 -> Asian Pacific Mathematical Olympiad(apmo) 2011 -> Registration Form (Rev. 8-86) omb no. 1024-0018 Download 1.62 Mb. Share with your friends:
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