Their Finest Hour - The Historical Significance of the Battle of Britain.

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Their Finest Hour: The Historical Significance of the Battle of Britain

                                                                                         

                                                                                         


“. . . if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, “This was their finest hour”.”—Winston S. Churchill (in a speech delivered to the House of Commons, 18 June 1940.)

        The history of the British Isles overflows with significant accomplishments and instances of great bravery. The Magna Carta, the defeat of the Spanish Armada, the Bill of Rights, the Industrial Revolution, Passchendaele, and the Battle of Mirbat, amongst others, represent some of the best moments in the long and proud history of a great nation. None of these events, however, can match, in either importance or bravery, the actions of the people of Britain, both military and civilian, during the Battle of Britain for this episode led to the defeat of perhaps the greatest threat civilization has ever faced and thus guaranteed the survival of the western world. While all of Britain’s accomplishments during World War II contributed greatly to the defeat of Nazi Germany it was, undoubtedly, victory in the Battle of Britain which played the central role in overcoming the forces of tyranny and this battle, therefore, ranks as the most significant event in British history.

        Prior to examining the Battle of Britain and the role it played in the defeat of Nazi Germany it would be prudent to explore the events which led up to the battle in order to place it in its proper historical context for, without context, there can be no real understanding of historical events. From the beginning of the war until the summer of 1940 Germany’s armed forces had enjoyed unparalleled success in their attempt to conquer Europe. Germany opened the war on 1 September1939 by attacking Poland with a new form of warfare which enabled them to quickly overwhelm Polish opposition.  The Poles, who fought bravely, had, in reality, little chance of surviving the German

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onslaught.  Forced to defend towns and cities using cavalry and aging biplanes against modern tanks and aircraft they could, at best, hope to delay their inevitable defeat.  Once the Russians, who had entered into a non-aggression pact with Germany, attacked from the east Poland was doomed. After the conflict in Poland was over Europe settled into the era known as the Phoney War. During this period the Germans consolidated their gains in Poland and prepared for the next phase of their plan. This second phase of the conquest began in April 1940 as the Germans attacked both Denmark and Norway. In May of that year Germany attacked the Low Countries in a brilliant manoeuvre designed to outflank the fabled Maginot Line. Once this flanking manoeuvre had been accomplished the French, although bolstered by the British Expeditionary Force, found themselves in full retreat. They were simply unprepared for the speed and ferocity of the German assault which pushed both them, and the British, back towards the Dunkirk Salient. Germany’s attack threatened to both encircle, and destroy, the British and French. Only the Miracle of Dunkirk prevented this disaster.

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        After Dunkirk Britain was the only European power still capable of resisting Germany. The German leadership was well aware that, in order to implement their plans for the complete domination of Europe, which involved an attack on the Soviet Union, Britain must either be convinced to negotiate a peace settlement or be defeated militarily so as to eliminate the possibility of Germany being forced into a two front war. As there was little or no desire on the part of the British government to sue for peace with

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Germany the only remaining option was for the Germans ...

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