Churchill Takes Command: Britain Faces Nazi Threat Alone
Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on May 10, 1940, the same day Germany launched its invasion of France and the Low Countries. Neville Chamberlain had resigned after losing the confidence of Parliament following the failed Norway campaign. Churchill, at 65, had been a political outsider for most of the 1930s, ridiculed for his warnings about Hitler. His first act was to form an all-party coalition government. Three days later, he delivered his famous "blood, toil, tears, and sweat" speech to the House of Commons. Within six weeks, France had fallen, the British army had been evacuated from Dunkirk, and Britain stood alone against Nazi Germany. Churchill's leadership during those dark months is widely regarded as the most consequential individual contribution to Allied victory.
May 10, 1940
86 years ago
Key Figures & Places
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
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Winston Churchill
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Neville Chamberlain
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Winston Churchill
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Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
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Neville Chamberlain
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Invasion of Iceland
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British
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Geschichte des Vereinigten Königreichs von Großbritannien und Nordirland
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