The menacing wrath of the Nazis during WWII did not intimidate all of Europes nations.

When it came to Great Britain, the Germans failed in their task to demoralize the British population with their unyielding bombing operations. Tim Clayton and Phil Craig offer a powerful look into Britains victory through the voices of those who experienced it in, The Finest Hour: The Battle of Britain. Clayton and Craig claim that Winston Churchill was the force of resistance, indicating that Churchills presence was pivotal in the Battle of Britain. Churchills ability to lead Great Britain to victory over Germany sent an influential message to the world: to never give up, because the Nazis control was not perpetual. His direct contributions between May to September of 1940 included encouraging speeches, his involvement around the nation inspecting the cities that had been targeted by the Nazis and his work on military and political proposals to re-claim the blitz. By May of 1940, Germany had control over several of Europes nations, making it clear to Britain that they would have to face Germany alone. During this time of fear under the obscure shadow of the Nazis, Winston Churchill, an old fashioned British imperialist and Prime Minister of Britain, was determined to inspire the people of Britain to stand firm against Germany. In his first speech as Prime Minister, Churchill made his aims clear stating, I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat, (PG 28) and in the end this would lead Britain to victory. Churchill was able to inspire not just the people of Britain, but the very soldiers that fought for Britain. During this time, the Germans were considered to have the most dominant airpower.

In fact, within days of coming to power Churchill was juggling military resiourses pg 26

However, he immediately went further and added, "We shall not lay down our arms till the Nazi curse has been lifted from the brow of mankind forever". Instead of talking of "evil men", he spoke of "the most monstrous tyranny in the long, lamentable catalogue of human crime". Here was a political leader with the kind of grasp of international affairs that British leaders of the 1930s had lacked, a man with a sense that a great nation and great empire has a global mission, that it was fighting for and on behalf of mankind. (Implicitly Churchill was calling, already in May 1940, for nothing less than the unconditional surrender of the Nazi regime, though it was not expressed in these terms). In the Battle of Britain it became clear that this was not mere rhetoric. Here was a nation determined to fight on. Churchill inspired hope at home and among the defeated nations of Continental Europe. Here was a nation that a growing number of American politicians felt was worth supporting. Even in Germany astute observers noted that the Western Front had NOT been eliminated, and that behind Britain hovered the USA. It is ironic that the British Empire collapsed after WW2, but I don't think it had would have lasted much longer anyway. All quotations are from memory. Durring the first months of 1940 there was very little reason for Britain to unite with enthusiasm for an all out war with Germany. Germany already had control over much of Europe, America was giving very little aid and France was likely to be soon over run by German tanks. The reality was that Britain would soon be completely alone, facing an enemy that had easily taken a large part of the European continent. On May 28, 1940, Belgium surrendered to Germany. Churchills long held suspicion that Hitler would stop at nothing, short of force, to dominate all of Europe was now an undeniable truth. Even so, there were some influential members of Britains War Cabinet, such as Lord Halifax, that still clung to the hope of negotiation with Hitler. Churchill stood strong at his point that any negotiation for peace with Hitler would not be honored. He felt that peace terms would inevitably lead to German control over Britain. 1The authors show the moment for political consolidation for armed resistance against Germany came with Churchill s first address to his wider cabinet. Churchill managed to touch all of the most important figures in British politics with a firsthand sense of his own determination. Churchill spoke of American intervention into the war after seeing a strong British defense. Above all, he completely dismissed the idea of any sort of peace with Germany which would inevitably place Great Britain under

German dictatorship. The Cabinet responded with overwhelming enthusiasm to Churchill.2Churchill placed morale at the heart of his policymaking. 3 Churchill s speeches often renewed the spirits of the British people. His determination to boost resolve of the people gave the British a profound sense of purpose. Churchill gave a powerful speech to a demoralized population on June 4, 1940. Churchill s skill was not in making light of a hard situation but in inspiring British people to work to overcome the odds. The authors give Churchill credit for boosting British resolve in a speech when he expounded on the battle of Dunkirk. They described him as painting a picture of the war as thrilling. He gave excitement and courage to the people by portraying the war as a heroic enterprise. 4The authors mentioned several first hand impressions Churchill made on British subjects during the war. This gives solid evidence that supports Churchill s importance to the British people. WAAFs are depicted listening and cheering to a radio broadcast of a speech by Churchill. The book gives an account of 2 WAAFs who had boyfriends in the RAF. They were inspired by Churchill s heroic description of the pilots. Marian Holmes was quoted when she remarked how Churchill made her feel like the British could win in spite of the odds stacked against them. He told her not to send her valuable paintings to Canada and recommended she put them in cellars and caves because he was sure of victory. 5 Jack Colville, who served Churchill during the war, is also referenced to give credit to the claim that Churchill, saved them all. 6 These examples given by the authors give good support for Churchill as a constant source of inspiration for the British people. Clayton and Craig provide adequate support to show Winston Churchill was the force of resistance during the Battle of Britain. 7 Finest Hour portrays him as an unwavering force that carried an entire nation to victory. Citations1.Tim Clayton and Phil Craig, Finest Hour, (New York: Simon and Schuster, Inc.), 1: 1031072.Clayton, Finest Hour, 2: 106-1073.Clayton, Finest Hour, 3: 234.Clayton, Finest Hour, 4: 1281295.Clayton, Finest Hour, 5: 126 and 1306.Clayton, Finest Hour, 6: 3007.Clayton, Finest Hour, 7: 107 When Britain found itself confronted by an utterly fanatical German nationalist, an able, traditional imperialist was exactly what Britain needed - the sort of person who lets others worry about finance, a man who had a very clear sense of national and imperial dignity, a man with a sound grasp of international affairs and a man with determination.-CONCLUSION: IN THE END, CHURCHILL TURNED OUT TO BE EXTACTLY WHAT BRITAIN NEEDED.A MAN WHO..