Endnotes- Winston S. Churchill, Thoughts and Adventures (London:
Thornton Butterworth, 1932), p. 181. - Diary entry, 4–6 September 1918, Riddell Diaries, Ad. Ms.
62982, British Library, ff. 55–66. Churchill would write about
this flight in “In the Air,” Thoughts and Adventures, pp. 187–88. - Stephen Broadberry and Peter Howlett, “The United
Kingdom during World War I: Business as Usual?” in Stephen
Broadberry and Mark Harrison, eds., The Economics of World
War I (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005), p. 212. - Martin Gilbert, Winston S. Churchill, vol. IV, The Stricken
World (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1975), p. 44. - Churchill speech in Parliament, 13 April 1933, Robert
Rhodes James, ed., Winston Churchill: His Complete Speeches,
vol. V (New York: Chelsea House, 1974), pp. 5260–66. - Adam Tooze, The Wages of Destruction: The Making and
Breaking of the Nazi Economy (London: Allen Lane, 2006),
p. 125. - Winston S. Churchill, The Second World War, vol. I, The
Gathering Storm (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1985 paperback
edition), p. 103. - Churchill speech in Parliament, 7 July 1934, Complete
Speeches, pp. 5376–77. - Churchill speech in Parliament, 14 December 1950, Martin
Gilbert, Winston S. Churchill, vol. VIII, “Never Despair”
(London: Heinemann, 1988), pp. 573–75. - Churchill, Gathering Storm, p. 106.
- One defense of the National Government was offered by
A. W. Baldwin, My Father: The True Story (London: George
Allen and Unwin, 1955), pp. 180–287. - Quintin Hogg, The Left Was Never Right (London: Faber,
1945), p. 53. - Sir Herbert Samuel speech, 13 July 1934, Martin Gilbert,
Winston S. Churchill, vol. V, Prophet of Truth (Boston:
Houghton Mifflin, 1977), p. 552. - Viscount Templewood, Nine Troubled Years (London:
Collins, 1954), pp. 25–36 and p. 332. - Churchill, Gathering Storm, p. 207.
- Hitler to German military leaders, 22 August 1939,
J. Noakes and G. Pridham, eds., Nazism 1919–1945, vol. III,
Foreign Policy, War and Racial Extermination (Exeter: Exeter
Studies in History, 1988), p. 471. - Joseph Kennedy to John F. Kennedy, 2 August 1940, in
Amanda Smith, ed., Hostage to Fortune: The Letters of Joseph P.
Kennedy (New York: Viking, 2001), pp. 453–54. - Gabriel Gorodetsky, The Maisky Diaries: Red Ambassador to
the Court of St. James, 1932–1943 (New Haven: Yale University
Press, 2015), pp. 288–89.
John H. Maurer is the Alfred Thayer Mahan Distinguished
Professor of Sea Power and Grand Strategy at the
US Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.British military chiefs, in their strategic appraisal, also
asked: “Whether the morale of our people will withstand
the strain of air bombardment.” Uncertainty hung over
the question of whether the RAF could blunt Germany’s
air offensive against the British homeland. The indeci-
siveness of the British governments during the 1930s in
racing to stay ahead of Germany in air power called into
question Britain’s ability to keep fighting after the defeat
of France.
Churchill and the British people were fortunate that
they possessed an outstanding military commander in Air
Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding to conduct the Battle
of Britain. The aerial contest became an attrition battle,
fought out over the British skies rather than in the mud
of Flanders. Both air forces suffered heavy casualties in
their constant clashes. Germany lost this battle of attri-
tion. Dowding’s cool leadership and superb handling of
the forces under his command accomplished the mission
of defeating the German offensive to break down Britain’s
defenses. The “few” held the line and grew stronger as the
battle progressed.
Yes, the bomber did get through, as Stanley Bald-
win predicted. Nothing can conceal the heavy loss of life
suffered by the British civilian population. By the end of
1940, German bombing raids killed about 25,000 British
civilians. To put that number in some perspective, this
loss of life amounted to eight times the fatalities suffered
by the United States on September 11, 2001. The few
of the RAF could not prevent the many from suffering.
British civil defense measures contributed greatly to Brit-
ain’s resilience when hit by German bombs. The courage
of the British people provided an answer to the question
posed by the British military chiefs of whether they could
withstand the strain of air bombardment. Not only could
the British people take this horrific punishment, they also
could bring about a renewal of Britain’s power to take the
fight to the enemy. Britain’s RAF would grow stronger
and mete out great loss on the German armed forces and
Germany’s cities during the war.
Churchill’s leadership stood as a decisive factor in
winning the air struggle against Nazi Germany. Before
the war, out of government, he raised his voice to spur
rearmament. Would the National Government, so com-
mitted to avoiding an expensive arms race, have taken the
tentative steps that it did to rearm if Churchill had not
spoken out so forcefully about the importance of building
up British air power? When the storm broke upon them,
the lion heart of the British people drew courage and hope
from Churchill’s roar. Air power, the determination of the
British people, and Churchill’s will to extirpate the Nazi
tyranny turned the tide of war. ,ARMING FOR ARMAGEDDONEndnotes
1.WinstonS.Churchill,ThoughtsandAdventures(London:
ThorntonButterworth,1932),p.181.
2.Diaryentry,4–6September1918,RiddellDiaries,Ad.Ms.
62982,BritishLibrary, ff. 55–66. Churchill would write about
thisflightin“Inthe Air,” Thoughts and Adventures, pp. 187–88.
3.StephenBroadberry and Peter Howlett, “The United
KingdomduringWorld War I: Business as Usual?” in Stephen
BroadberryandMark Harrison, eds., The Economics of World
WarI(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005), p. 212.
4.MartinGilbert,Winston S. Churchill, vol. IV, The Stricken
World(Boston:Houghton Mifflin, 1975), p. 44.
5.Churchillspeech in Parliament, 13 April 1933, Robert
RhodesJames,ed., Winston Churchill: His Complete Speeches,
vol.V(NewYork:Chelsea House, 1974), pp. 5260–66.
6.AdamTooze,The Wages of Destruction: The Making and
BreakingoftheNazi Economy (London: Allen Lane, 2006),
p.125.
7.WinstonS.Churchill, The Second World War, vol. I, The
GatheringStorm(Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1985 paperback
edition),p.103.
8.Churchillspeech in Parliament, 7 July 1934, Complete
Speeches, pp.5376–77.
9.Churchillspeech in Parliament, 14 December 1950, Martin
Gilbert,WinstonS.Churchill, vol. VIII, “Never Despair”
(London:Heinemann, 1988), pp. 573–75.
10.Churchill,Gathering Storm, p. 106.
11.Onedefenseof the National Government was offered by
A.W.Baldwin,MyFather: The True Story (London: George
AllenandUnwin,1955), pp. 180–287.
12.QuintinHogg,The Left Was Never Right (London: Faber,
1945),p.53.
13.SirHerbertSamuel speech, 13 July 1934, Martin Gilbert,
WinstonS.Churchill, vol. V, Prophet of Truth (Boston:
HoughtonMifflin,1977), p. 552.
14.ViscountTemplewood, Nine Troubled Years (London:
Collins,1954),pp. 25–36 and p. 332.
15.Churchill,Gathering Storm, p. 207.
16.HitlertoGerman military leaders, 22 August 1939,
J. NoakesandG.Pridham, eds., Nazism 1919–1945, vol. III,
ForeignPolicy,War and Racial Extermination (Exeter: Exeter
StudiesinHistory,1988), p. 471.
17.JosephKennedy to John F. Kennedy, 2 August 1940, in
AmandaSmith,ed., Hostage to Fortune: The Letters of Joseph P.
Kennedy(NewYork: Viking, 2001), pp. 453–54.
18.GabrielGorodetsky, The Maisky Diaries: Red Ambassador to
theCourtofSt.James, 1932–1943 (New Haven: Yale University
Press,2015),pp.288–89.JohnH.Maureris the Alfred Thayer Mahan Distinguished
ProfessorofSea Power and Grand Strategy at the
USNavalWar College in Newport, Rhode Island.British military chiefs, in their strategic appraisal, also
asked:“Whetherthemoraleofourpeoplewillwithstand
thestrain ofairbombardment.”Uncertaintyhung over
thequestionofwhethertheRAFcouldbluntGermany’s
air offensive against the British homeland. The indeci-
sivenessoftheBritishgovernmentsduringthe1930sin
racingtostayaheadofGermanyinairpowercalledinto
questionBritain’sabilitytokeepfightingafterthedefeat
ofFrance.
ChurchillandtheBritishpeoplewerefortunatethat
theypossessedanoutstandingmilitarycommanderinAir
ChiefMarshalSirHughDowdingtoconducttheBattle
ofBritain. Theaerialcontestbecameanattritionbattle,
foughtoutovertheBritishskiesratherthaninthemud
of Flanders.Both airforcessufferedheavycasualtiesin
theirconstantclashes.Germanylostthis battleof attri-
tion.Dowding’scoolleadershipandsuperbhandlingof
theforcesunderhiscommandaccomplishedthemission
ofdefeatingtheGermanoffensivetobreakdownBritain’s
defenses.The“few”heldthelineandgrewstrongerasthe
battleprogressed.
Yes, the bomberdid getthrough, as Stanley Bald-
winpredicted.Nothingcanconcealtheheavylossoflife
sufferedbytheBritishcivilianpopulation.Bytheendof
1940,Germanbombingraidskilledabout25,000British
civilians.Toputthat numberinsome perspective,this
lossoflifeamountedtoeighttimesthefatalitiessuffered
by theUnited Stateson September 11, 2001.The few
oftheRAFcouldnotpreventthemanyfromsuffering.
BritishcivildefensemeasurescontributedgreatlytoBrit-
ain’sresiliencewhenhitbyGermanbombs.Thecourage
oftheBritishpeopleprovidedananswertothequestion
posedbytheBritishmilitarychiefsofwhethertheycould
withstandthestrainofairbombardment.Notonlycould
theBritishpeopletakethishorrificpunishment,theyalso
couldbringabouta renewalofBritain’spowertotakethe
fightto theenemy.Britain’sRAFwould growstronger
andmeteoutgreatlossontheGermanarmedforcesand
Germany’scitiesduringthewar.
Churchill’s leadership stood as a decisive factor in
winning the air struggle against Nazi Germany. Before
the war, out of government, he raised his voice to spur
rearmament. Would the National Government, so com-
mitted to avoiding an expensive arms race, have taken the
tentative steps that it did to rearm if Churchill had not
spoken out so forcefully about the importance of building
up British air power? When the storm broke upon them,
the lion heart of the British people drew courage and hope
from Churchill’s roar. Air power, the determination of the
British people, and Churchill’s will to extirpate the Nazi
tyranny turned the tide of war. ,
ARMING FOR ARMAGEDDON