Generalissimo Churchill PDF
Preview Generalissimo Churchill
•^K?SSxS^^ ' V / ^' HOLLAND t^ WEST BrtTssels^^x'J j.*' ^^ERMANY,J NBe'lcium'*! v -- \C> 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 H II (-•"•-^T--* Generalissimo Churchill Tir By the same author: MONTGOMERY, THE FIELD MARSHAL THE MONTGOMERY LEGEND AN ECHO OF TRUMPETS THE YANKEE MARLBOROUGH THE PRICE OF VICTORY THE EIGHTY-FIVE DAYS, THE BATTLE FOR THE SCHELDT THE BATTLE FOR THE RHINELAND DIEPPE AT DAWN MEN UNDER FIRE CRY KOREA 9 A.B. D DAY, SPEARHEAD OF INVASION LAND OF TO-MORROW VOICE FROM THE \X'ILDERNESS ARGENTINE INTERLUDE DOWN UNDER, AN AUSTRALIAN ODYSSEY GLORY HOLE BLACK CARIBBEAN DEVIL AT MY HEELS AN ENGLISHMAN LOOKS AT WALES HOME HAM IN BOY IN BLINKERS THE PINK HOUSE IN ANGEL STREET 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 o / This hook is dedicated with inexpressible gratitude to my wife, Mel, whose loyalty andfortitude have made it possible. cr» 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
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