Generalissimo Churchill

270 Pages·1973·54.706 MB·English

by  Reginald William Thompson

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In May 1940, in the hour of supreme crisis, ^.^
Churchill became the War Leaderof Britain by 0^
the will of Parliament and People. At once he
added the Ministry of Defence to the office of
Prime Minister, and it was swiftly evident that
it was his determination and overwhelming J^S'WI.TBeZrEn,R,LAN/'D-"V^V^.,r^/.-.^
ambition to usurp the role of Commander-in-
Chief. It is with this aspect of Churchill's
leadership that the author is concerned In
this book.
As a War Leader Churchill was magnificent:
his indomitable courage, his restless energy,
his brilliant rhetoric infuriating Britain's ene-
mies and delighting the people. Yet as a ^
Prime Minister he was poor; as a Minister of
Defence, a faulty and dangerous strategist; -
and as a Commander-in-Chief a near disaster,^
imposing intolerable burdens upon his Chiefs
of Staff, the Planning Staffs, and on his
commanders in the field. SARDINIA
That he was not a complete disaster in the
military field was due to the undoubted cour- IS(5P)
age, integrity and devotion of his Chiefs of
Staff, notably Sir John Dill, secondly Sir Alan
Brooke, and to the high quality of Britain's
generals in the field through the desperate
years until mid-1942, when the ability to dic-
tate strategy moved out of Britain's hands. In
the air, Churchill had his own way. At sea
he often had too much of his own way, bear-
ing the major personal responsibility for the
loi-s of the Capital ships, the Prince of Wales /TUNISIA
and Repulse.
All attempts to persuade, or to force,
Churchill to relinquish his most dangerous
burdens or any part of his wide power, failed.
He was indivisible. The country could take
him or leave him. It took him, but it was at
times a hairline decision.
Jacket design by Drummond Chapman
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Generalissimo Churchill
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WILD ANIMAL MAN
PORTRAIT OF A PATRIOT
TO-MORROW WE LIVE
Generalissimo Churchill
W. THOMPSON
R.
CHARLES SCRIBMillS SONS
New York
Copyright © 1973 R. W. Thompson
Copyright under the Berne Convention
All rights reserved. No part of this book
may be reproduced in any form without the
permission of Charles Scribner's Sons.
I 3 5 7 9 II 13 15 17 19 C/C 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 64 2
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 73-19553
ISBN 0-684-13557-4
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This hook is dedicated with inexpressible gratitude
to my wife, Mel, whose loyalty andfortitude have
made it possible.
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At the summit true politics and strategy are one.'
Winston Churchill
'Political and strategic preparations must go hand in hand.
Failure ofsuch harmony must lead either to military disaster
or political retreat.'
Sir Eyre Crowe
'War is a choice ofoptions.'
General Wavell