The Great Britain In The Second World War

Министерство науки и высшего образования Республики Казахстан Карагандинский Университет Бизнеса Управления и Права Факультет иностранных языков

Курсовая работа по дисциплине: «История Британии» на тему: «The Great Britain in the World War II»

Выполнил: Студент гр. А-97-2 _______________ Шалаев А.В. Проверил: преподаватель факультета иностранных языков _______________ Колмакова Е.Ю.

Дата защиты: «________» Оценка «__________» Члены комиссии _______________________

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Караганда 2000

1. Introduction

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2. Some words about politic tendencies in Britain in 30th

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3. W. Churchill

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4. Britain in war

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5. Conclusion

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Dedicated to the people of the Earth wars Introduction On September 1st., 1939, 1.8 million German troops invaded Poland on three fronts: East Prussia in the north, Germany in the west and Slovakia in the south. They had 2600 tanks against the Polish 180, and over 2000 aircraft against the Polish 420. Their "Blitzkrieg" tactics, coupled with their bombing of defenseless towns and refugees, had never been seen before and, at first, caught the Poles off-guard. By September 14th. Warsaw was surrounded. It was only the beginning of the world conflict, which latter was called ‘the bloodiest conflict in the world history. A half of the world was involved in this horror. During this war many people were killed, many beautiful cities, also London, were destroyed, the destinies of great number of people were broken or changed. I remember one professional cyclist who was the great in sport. He won many starts in the prestige race called ‘Giro d’ Italia’ (tour in Italy), he could win it more times then he did it, but the war prevented it. The same with others: engineers, math men, businessmen etc. But before this date 1st September 1939, which considered as the moment of the beginning of the World War II were a lot of very important events, which had influenced on the further European, and then the World Drama. In this work I would speak about The Great Britain in that dramatic years and its role in this conflict. I hope with help of my work, to see and to understand the Great Britain political and social life of those hard years. Because this great country with reach history, that time losing its positions Empire, impressing me much. And one more until last time I had habit to know about this war only from our, Soviet Un ion side. But reading the book about England I’ve knew one another. And my opinion about this war has changed.

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Some words about politic tendencies of Britain in 30th After the 1st World war there were many changes in Europe and in Britain in particular. There were several things that caused the coming of World War II. One of these was the Great Depression. This was a drastic decline in the world’s economy in the 1930s. The disaster was in influences of USA economics on Britain economic life. The British could see weaken of Britain power. The great reserves of gold were burned in World War 1st, and industry couldn’t find market to sell the production. The industry of cultivation, metallurgy ‘had been worn out’ in years of ruthless exploitations. The number of unemployment people mirrored loses in markets. On foreign political arena the Britain also had crisis. The Great Britain Empire which was found in 16s century, got its high point of number of lands. In 30 th the Britain could see itself the Great military power in the world, but the country, which was the 1st on the see and in railways industry, lost its position on roads and in aviation. If to remember the pride and hope of British airways super airplane R-101, which had to show the power of Great Britain in flight to Karachi. But It was broken in near the Paris in 4th October 1930. The death of R-101 was sighed by minute of silence. This was the minute of Power of British Empire. Just those years of Britain silence, in Germany Hitler got the Chancellorship and the third Reich was born. With rises of whom, the military ambitions of Germany raised. We all know that Germany after The Treaty of Versailles was the weakest country in Europe. And England played not the last role in Europe and had dominant positions. But at the end of 30s the situation changed and changes were not positive for the Britain. But the British society and its government didn’t exactly understand what is going to be in 40’. The government with Prime Minister Chamberlain as a head determined to bring relationships with Nazi Italy and Germany. According to the Churchill opinion that the Britain shouldn’t do it because he saw in face of Germany an aggressive country who wanted dominate in Europe and in the world. That’s why he suggested to develop the British military forces, Aviation, but not to play political games with Nazi.

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In August 1935 Italy attacked the empire of Ethiopia in Africa, announcing that it had appraised Britain and France at Stresa of its intentions of doing so. As I mentioned above British public opinion was torn between a desire to avoid war and an unwillingness to sanction unprovoked aggression. The compromise was a retreat to the fiction of "collective security," which meant a dependence upon action by the League of Nations at Geneva. Support for the League of Nations became the Conservative position on foreign policy in the general election of November 1935. At this time, Britain was interested in pursuing friendship with Italy and immediately after the election, the British foreign secretary, Sir Samuel Hoare, and the French premier, Pierre Laval, put together a plan for the rescue of part of Ethiopia that required the cession of certain areas to Italy. This made its way to the press and received a general denunciation of compromise with evil. Hoare resigned and the first attempt at appeasement had failed. In the spring of 1936, while the league was till debating what to do, Ethiopia collapsed. Hitler took advantage of the distraction and sent troops back into the Rhineland, violating The Treaty of Versailles. But in Britain there was no reaction-after all it was German territory-the effect on France, and on the French army command in particular, was devastating. The France gave up the direction of its foreign affairs. The initiatives were in London, but it was late, the contradictions between Paris and London came to end. France needed an ally, but it was late as I told. The power of German Ambitions became strongly. When Germany overran the Austrian republic in March 1938, incorporating the small state into the Reich, Britain took no action. Similarly, when almost immediately Hitler began to denounce what he styled the Czech persecutions of the militant German minority in the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia, Chamberlain1 searched for a means, not to prevent the Czech borderland from being transferred to Germany, but to ensure that it was accomplished peacefully. Because Czechoslovakia had a military alliance with France, war would surely result if it resisted the Germans and called upon French aid.

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http://saul.snu.edu/syllabi/history/s97projects/towar/britian.htm

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The attempted settlement of the Sudeten crisis, culminating in the so-called Munich agreement, was the climax of the appeasement policy. Between Sept. 15 and 29, 1938, Chamberlain traveled to Germany three times to meet Hitler. From the last meeting, held at Munich on September 30, he took back what he believed to be an agreement that the German portions of Czechoslovakia constituted Hitler's last territorial claim in Europe and that Germany, as well as Britain, would renounce war as a means of settling international claims. He had, he said with some pride, brought "peace for our time." Actually, Chamberlain failed because he didn’t see the depth of Hitlers' ambitions. He believed Hitler only wanted to reunite Germany, not to create a much vaster Nazi Europe. On March 15, 1939, the German army, without warning, occupied the rest of Czechoslovakia. And on March 18 Chamberlain, with angry, made an announcement that amounted to the end of appeasement. The following weeks saw Britain offer Poland a guarantee, signing a military alliance with Poland and began to prepare for war. But as I said it was too late. The German war machine was started and nothing could stop it.

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Winston Churchill "We shall never surrender." In London, opposite to the Westminster walls stands the strange memorial for the main hero of the Britain history of the 20th century. This heavy, colored in black figure of Britain Prime Minister Winston Churchill, has no grace of ancient heroes. Hump-backed old man with stick, who watching on the walls. Inside which he with his speeches amazed a lot of hearers. Winston Churchill was a remarkable man. He was born in 1874 in Blenhiem Palace in Oxfordshire, England. When he was fifteen his father offered him to join the army. Winston accepted the offer and was in the army for seven years. After the army Winston decided he wanted to get into politics. He gave speeches in front of thousands of people and said that he would not let his country down. At first they did not believe him because in his early years as a student he got straight F's. He wrote about ten books, one of his most famous was called The Story of Malakand Field Force.

He got very

frustrated with society. One example of his frustration was when they would not let him have the political role that he wanted. In other words he was a determined man. He gave about over 50 speeches in four years. Most of his speeches were about Parliament or wars. As he said, he did not let his country down. Churchill suffered a stroke on January 15, 1965. Nine days days later he died at the age of 90. In Blenhiem Palace, near his birthplace, Churchill's grave was made. 2 Winston Churchill was different from most people in his time. He did a lot of traveling to other countries just to talk to kings, queens and presidents. He had talked to Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Queen Elizibeth II and even King George the 6th. He wrote books about wars and risked his life just to write a book. He also served as Prime Minister. "We shall never surrender," 2

http://www.winstonchurchill.org/unite.htm

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said Sir Winston Churchill during World War II. Imagine thinking that you were going to be killed in a war because the enemy outnumbered you in everything including air power, firepower and even armies. The British had a good chance of loosing. It is a good thing that he said that because he led them to victory. Winston Churchill had an unbreakable spirit. I think Winston Churchill was one of that ‘good’ which helps to stay alive and to believe. In war, which was very painful for Britons he became one of that ‘good’ which unite people in bedtime. And this grate nation won, they didn’t lost their feeling of pride and then they revived and stayed The Great Britain. It was latter, but now at the end of 30th and the beginning of 40th Britons in trouble.

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Britain in war Britons have trouble. The cause of their trouble was ‘the Monster’ of 20 century, Hitler and of course Britons themselves. Because as I told above they didn’t see or didn’t want to see that Germany is going to Dominate in Europe. And they paid for it but the praise was too high, too high… The Battle of Britain, 12th August to 30th September) was the name given to the struggle between the Royal Air Force and the Luftwaffe (German air force) to gain control of the air space over Britain. Unless the Germans won control of the air, the Royal Navy would be free to sink the invasion craft of 'Operation Sealion'. The Battle began on 10 July 1940 and for the first few weeks the German bomber planes attacked convoys of British ships in the English Channel, ports and naval targets. In mid-August they spread the attacks more widely using nearly 2000 aircraft. Many German bombers - Junkers 88s, Dornier 17s and Heinkel Ills (31) -were shot down by the British fighter planes, the Spitfires and Hurricanes. What made the British fighters so effective was radar, a radio device which detected the approach of the German bombers. Göering, commander of the Luftwaffe, ordered more German fighters to escort the bombers. This meant that German attacks had to be limited to targets within about 150 km, the effective range of the Messerschmitt 109. The Germans hoped to destroy the British fighters by drawing them into battle. This would then put Britain at the mercy of the German bombers. Air Marshal Dowding, who masterminded the British defence, kept as many Spitfires and Hurricanes out of the battle as possible and ordered those in combat to go for the German bombers but evade the fighters, thus frustrating the German plan. Many German bombers, however, did get through to their targets and so much damage was done to British aerodromes that by early September it seemed as if the RAF would be unable to keep up the

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battle. But the British were given a breathing space when the Germans switched their efforts to raids on London, in revenge for a British raid on Berlin. This was a bad mistake on the part of the Germans because it relieved pressure on the British airfields at the critical moment. The Battle of Britain could have been said to be the first major turning point of the war for the Germans were checked for the first time; they were not invincible. Britain was to remain in the struggle thus facing Hitler with the fatal situation of war on two fronts. The decisive battles were fought on Sunday 15th September 1940, the worst of the German raids on London. British fighters were drawn into the fighter-to-fighter battle the Germans had been seeking. These battles between fighter pilots were called 'dog-fights'. The pilot's tactical plan in an aerial dogfight was to climb to a position above the enemy and, descending if possible out of the sun, to shoot him down from the rear, watching that another enemy was not trying to do the same to himself. The victim would try to turn out of the line of fire. At high speed the Messerschmitt 109 had to do this gradually in case its wings broke off but the Spitfire was more strongly built. Both sides lost many aircraft, the Germans 1400, the British 800. The RAF was well supplied with aircraft but nearly ran out of pilots. Some young men were sent into battle only two weeks after qualifying as pilots. The inexperienced ones were quite often soon shot down. The strain of the long battle exhausted and demoralised the airmen. One was found to have fallen fast asleep as soon as he landed his Spitfire. But these brave men prevented the Luftwaffe from gaining control of the air space over Britain and Hitler realised he could not risk an invasion. Britain had survived. As Churchill said of the RAF pilots: 'Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.' In the last stage of the Battle of Britain, which the British called the 'Blitz', the Germans concentrated on the night- time bombing, first of London, then of other cities. They sent about 150 to 250 bombers at a time and the British had little effective defence against them until night-fighters (planes which could fly by night) appeared in 1941. The German bombers had more advanced radio navigational systems than the RAF. They used these very successfully in the great raid on Coventry. Radio beams 10

from near Cherbourg guided 'pathfinder' planes towards Coventry, and other radio beams from near Calais triggered the dropping of marker flares over the city. Unfortunately, because of a mistake, British 'jamming' (distortion) of the radio beams did not work that night and the Germans carried out a massive bombing raid. In attacks on other cities the beams were jammed or bent and the bombing was less successful, although a huge amount of damage was done. London suffered worst: the River Thames helped the bombers find it. Britain had prepared her cities well for the Blitz with Air Raid Precautions (ARP). ARP provided warning sirens, wardens equipped with steel helmets and gas masks, air-raid shelters, rescue services and unified fire services. The 'black out' required that lights should not be seen from windows of buildings and streetlights were permanently off, in the hope that enemy bombers would not see towns. 'Bombed-out' families were evacuated from the cities. There was tremendous suffering, many people lost their homes and 50 000 civilians were killed. But this did not prove to be the knockout blow feared so much before the war. Some people panicked; but rather than terrorizing the nation, the air raids unified it and strengthened its will to fight especially against the Germans!

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Instead of conclusion So, I’m at the end of my imaginations about those tragic years of horror. I just want to say a pair of words about whole my work, which was directed, if you let me say so, to the detail study of one period of History of The Great Britain. Especially The World War 2d, part of its history. I hope this war was the lesson for the whole humanity in the World. And people will never repeat the same. Of cause some of you, who understands the live philologically, may say that we people need to fight sometimes and every cataclysm on the Earth is the part of natural process in which the nature makes clear itself, and we people are the part of this process. But, let me say a word that I disagree with it, and I see another aim of people on the Earth. We, people have to strive for to become better. Because we have a mind. And we should develop it. We should develop ourselves, and we should develop our life. And in my mind it will be the greatest achievement of the humanity when on the Earth will be no fights, no wars, and people will decide their problems with diplomacy, but not with sward.

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Literature 1. Churchill the winner of 2 wars,1999 Smolensk ‘Rusich’, Anatoly Utkin 2. http://www.kyrene.k12.az.us/schools/brisas/sunda/great/2ryan.htm 3. http://saul.snu.edu/syllabi/history/s97projects/towar/britian.htm 4. http://www.winstonchurchill.org/unite.htm 5. The big soviet encyclopedia 6. V.Suvorov, Ledocol. 7. V.Suvorov, Day M

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