Let's Put Cliffs of Dover in Context.

[fruitbat]

Avro, you've done it again, you really are the master!

Just a few things to add to the pot.

Neville Chamberlain gets far to much bad press, one thing that many people ignore or don't know is that in history books, written after the 30 year rule on official secrets rather than before, is that he was instrumental in the rearming of Britain after Munich, indeed in Oct '38 straight after Munich he told the cabinet, and i quote "It would be madness for the country to stop rearming until we were convinced that other countries would act in the same way. For the time being, therefore, we should relax no particle of effort until our deficiencies had been made good"

It is a fact that by the time war broke out, the RAF in particular was in a much much better position to fight, than in 1938. Munich bought much needed time. In fact it was Chamberlain from as early as 1935 that pushed for the RAF to be strengthened realising that Britain's traditional bulwark, the English Channel, was no defence against air power.

He was also the person who pushed for the treaties with Poland, getting France involved.

As for Churchill, there is no doubt that he was the right man for the job during the war years, but do not forget, that the same British people that loved him, unceremoniously booted him out of office at the wars end in a landslide victory for Clement Attlee.

[BadAim]

I never new that about Chamberlain! I shall have to return to my history books!

As for Winston's end, Themistocles much? History does tend to repeat itself, dunnit?

[major_setback]

Interesting speech on arming the forces:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkPptevWftw

I heard another of his speeches the other day in a documentary. He was warning Germany very strongly about the consequences of their planned expansion. I am trying in vain to remember which programme it was shown in (I saw it in England).

[arthursmedley]

Originally Posted by major_setback

consequences of their planned expansion.

They had a plan!?

[fruitbat]

yep, attack Russia and loose.

[zander]

Originally Posted by fruitbat

yep, attack Russia and loose.

Russia was doable, not with with US support though.

[arthursmedley]

Originally Posted by zander

Russia was doable, not with with US support though.

Not a hope in hell, with or without US support and Hitler realised this by Christmas 1941.

[WTE_Galway]

Originally Posted by arthursmedley

Not a hope in hell, with or without US support and Hitler realised this by Christmas 1941.

Possible with the support of recently liberated Soviet occupied countries like the Ukraine who were not particularly fans of Stalin. However the NSDAP agenda did not endear the German's to these recently liberated potential allies and instead they antagonized the local population and faced partisan warfare.