Finest Hour – July 2019

end. Britain’s superiority in the air over the battlefields

of France and Belgium proved an important factor in the

defeat of Germany during the closing year of the Great

War. Churchill thus understood the industrial foundation

for waging war in the air. Alas, British governments of the

1930s did not take advantage of Churchill’s considerable

experience in managing industrial production of weapon-

ry by putting him in an executive position where he might

have expedited rearmament against Nazi Germany.

Air power formed part of Churchill’s strategic design

for defeating Germany in the two world wars. To his top

leadership at the Ministry of Munitions, Churchill made

plain the strategy that guided his actions: “There are only

two ways left now of winning the war, and they both be-

gin with A. One is aeroplanes and the other is America.”^4

Churchill grasped a fundamental strategic truth that Brit-

ain’s ability to defeat Germany—whether it was led by

the Kaiser and his generals, or by Hitler—required air

power and American strength. This understanding of the

international strategic environment—the growing im-

portance of both air power and the special trans-Atlantic

partnership with the United States—guided Churchill’s

strategy in both world wars.

The New Threat

W

ith the Nazi seizure of power, Churchill did

not hesitate to warn that a competition in air

strength would start up between Britain and

Germany. Hitler’s takeover in Germany destroyed one of

the main pillars supporting the peace in Europe. An ex-

tremist nationalist regime, led by a man who envisioned

himself as a Nordic war god, made renewed German ag-

gression practically inevitable. Churchill quickly recog-

nized the danger. On a tour of Germany during 1932, he

witnessed firsthand the extremist nationalist demonstra-

tions of German youths, marching in support of the Nazi

movement. The increased threat posed by Nazi Germany

changed dramatically the whole international strategic

environment, which Churchill correctly called a gather-

ing storm. Weathering this storm would require a protec-

tive umbrella of air power.

In this new international environment, Churchill

stood in the forefront of those advocating a rapid and

huge rearmament effort to deter Germany from under-

taking wars of conquest. Not long after the Nazis took

power, Churchill warned about the ramifications for Brit-

ain brought about by the change of regime in Germany:

Winston Churchill as Minister of Munitions at Beardmore's Gun Works

Glasgow, 8 October 1918

end.Britain’ssuperiorityin theairoverthebattlefields
ofFranceandBelgiumprovedanimportantfactorinthe
defeatofGermanyduringtheclosingyearoftheGreat
War.Churchillthusunderstoodtheindustrialfoundation
forwagingwarintheair.Alas,Britishgovernmentsofthe
1930sdidnottakeadvantageofChurchill’sconsiderable
experienceinmanagingindustrialproductionofweapon-
rybyputtinghiminanexecutivepositionwherehemight
haveexpeditedrearmamentagainstNaziGermany.
Air power formed part of Churchill’s strategic design
for defeating Germany in the two world wars. To his top
leadership at the Ministry of Munitions, Churchill made
plain the strategy that guided his actions: “There are only
two ways left now of winning the war, and they both be-
gin with A. One is aeroplanes and the other is America.”^4
Churchill grasped a fundamental strategic truth that Brit-
ain’s ability to defeat Germany—whether it was led by
the Kaiser and his generals, or by Hitler—required air
power and American strength. This understanding of the
international strategic environment—the growing im-
portance of both air power and the special trans-Atlantic
partnership with the United States—guided Churchill’s
strategy in both world wars.

The New Threat

W

ith the Nazi seizure of power, Churchill did

not hesitate to warn that a competition in air

strength would start up between Britain and

Germany. Hitler’s takeover in Germany destroyed one of

the main pillars supporting the peace in Europe. An ex-

tremist nationalist regime, led by a man who envisioned

himself as a Nordic war god, made renewed German ag-

gression practically inevitable. Churchill quickly recog-

nized the danger. On a tour of Germany during 1932, he

witnessed firsthand the extremist nationalist demonstra-

tions of German youths, marching in support of the Nazi

movement. The increased threat posed by Nazi Germany

changed dramatically the whole international strategic

environment, which Churchill correctly called a gather-

ing storm. Weathering this storm would require a protec-

tiveumbrellaofairpower.

In this new international environment, Churchill

stood in the forefront of those advocating a rapid and

huge rearmament effort to deter Germany from under-

taking wars of conquest. Not long after the Nazis took

power, Churchill warned about the ramifications for Brit-

ain brought about by the change of regime in Germany:

Winston Churchill as Minister of Munitions at Beardmore's Gun Works

Glasgow, 8 October 1918