1.

Do you believe that Winston Churchills leadership was influential in the battle
of Britain? If so how?
Churchills leadership was critical to Britain following the resignation of Neville
Chamberlain and the fall of France. He was an effective and forceful wartime leader who
made a series of important strategic and (especially) diplomatic moves.
That said, the Battle of Britain was all about the state of the Royal Air Force and a new
and important technology: radar. It was the ability of the RAF to use radar to its
advantage, and some strategic blunders from Hitlers air force, the Luftwaffe, that
enabled Britain to survive the massive bombings. Many historians would even say that,
because the Nazis never did any major damage to the Royal Navy, that they could not
have invaded Britain even if they had been successful in the aerial Battle of Britain.
Churchill did not invent these new technologies, nor was he solely responsible for
developing the strategy of the RAF in this battle. He was important in maintaining morale
by staying in London and through a series of inspirational speeches. But, overall, we tend
to overestimate Churchills importance to the Battle of Britain.
2. How do you think Winston Churchill affected the Invasion of Normandy?
In this case too I think Churchill is not important for the day-to-day operation of the
Allied army. Rather, his importance lies in earlier decisions. Specifically, Churchill
convinced Franklin Roosevelt of a number of key strategic decisions. The first is that
Churchill convinced FDR to focus on the European, rather than the Pacific theater.
He also made the case that the Allies should wait to open up a second front against the
Nazis in Europe. At the time (1942-1944), the Soviet Union was the only power fighting
the brunt of the Nazi armies in Europe. Churchill thought that it was more prudent for
American and British forces to first build up strength and test out their armies in Africa,
and ultimately in Italy, before invading the heart of Nazi Europe in France.
This decision can be looked at in a number of ways. Churchills defenders would argue
that this was a smart and rational plan of gaining experience and building up strength
before making a massive attack. Churchills opponents might say that he simply wanted
the Nazis and Soviets to drain each other of manpower and resources.
3. How do you think Churchills early life affected his time in office?
This is a great question! By the time Churchill became Prime Minister in 1940, he had
been a public figure for over four decades. He was raised as a wealthy son of an
important public official. He spent time as a journalist in many parts of the British
Empire and wrote about it for quite some time. In World War I he was made First Lord of
the Admiralty- meaning he was the leader of the British navy for a time.
So he had a long career being in Parliament, serving in various ministries, and gaining

experience- all of which were important in determining his wartime policies in World
War II. Overall, these experiences made him a very competent and experienced leader
capable of shouldering the enormous strain of leading Britain during the Second World
War.
4. In what ways do you think Churchill has affected the modern world?
Churchill has been and continues to be an important figure in British and world history.
His contributions to the Allied cause in World War II were enormous. He was also
influential in the early stages of the Cold War, where he coined the term Iron Curtain to
refer to Soviet control over Eastern Europe.
Less well known in America are some of Churchills other decisions regarding the British
Empire. He was a staunch imperialist- meaning he did not want to grant more rights to
territories and peoples controlled by the British. This was especially the case in India,
where he opposed concessions to the Indian leader Gandhi. In his writings and diplomacy
he also showed signs of racial thinking, which colored his treatment of non-white
peoples.
All in all, Churchill was a complex leader whose very long career was extraordinarily
influential on a number of fronts- and not always in a positive way.
5. What do you think was Churchills most important decision?
Tough question! I would have to say that Churchills most important decision was to not
open a second European front in WWII until 1944. This proved to be very significant in
the conduct of the war, but it also affected the relationship between the US, the UK, and
the Soviet Union long after the war.
6. Is there anything else that you would like to say about Winston Churchill?
Churchill was obviously a major world leader in the 20th century, but I think it is
important for us to not overestimate his importance. Average, ordinary people are what
allowed Britain to survive in World War II: ordinary citizens of London who not only
survived a massive bombing campaign but worked tirelessly for the war effort; ordinary
soldiers, sailors, and pilots who kept the military going even as Britain faced the Nazi
menace alone; and people from all across the British Empire- Indians, South Africans,
Canadians, Australians, and many other groups. All of these groups deeply sacrificed and
contributed to the defeat of Adolf Hitlers Nazi regime.