Another influential factor was that German bombers could not carry a sufficient number of bombs to cause extensive damage and break the will of the British public. If the bombers had carried heavy amounts, dropping almost continuously for a long period, then Britain may have had to surrender by a public vote and be defeated.
The Battle of the Atlantic was also a major contributory factor to Britain staying undefeated to Germany. After the failure of ‘Operation Sealion,’ Hitler began destroying Merchant ships carrying food, raw materials and War materials from America and the Commonwealth. The continuous attack from German U-boats in ‘Wolfpacks’ destroyed many ships, damaging the vital lifeline and supplies to the isolated island of Britain.
Convoys were set up, with faster Battleships and more accurate guns. Another factor was the introduction and development of Sonar and Radar. Previous radars had limited range, but the development of the Shorts Sunderland and B-24 Liberator aircraft, which could cover large areas of the ocean, enabled the RAF to detect ‘Wolfpacks.’ Primarily the development of the Flying Grumman Avengers gave air cover, locating and destroying U-boats that moved too close to the surface. This influentially affected the morale of the German Navy, and the threat of the German War machine began to diminish. Attacks on Convoys were less drastic, allowing supplies to get through, reducing the chance of defeat.
Moreover, the foremost important factor was the breaking of the German Enigma code. On the 9 May 1941, the German U-boat U-110 was blown to the surface by depth charges near Iceland. A boarding party from the destroyer ‘Bulldog’ transferred to safety the entire Enigma package aboard U-110. With the German codes broken, the Allies achieved a major turning point of the War, destroying more U-boats than any other time. However, the German Navy realising this, soon changed the coding again and also introduced a fourth rotor named, ‘SHARK.’ Nevertheless, the British decrypted this code 10 months later. They were able to track where U-boats sailed and fill the gaps in the Atlantic. With the advantages of faster British and American Destroyers, the 10cm wavelength radar which is undetectable by U-boat Metox receivers and more efficient convoy systems, the Allies were beginning to win the Battle of the Atlantic. By October 1943, more German U-boats were being destroyed than Allied ships. Without the determination of Churchill and Roosevelt, the continuation of the Navy to send supplies to Britain and the bravery of the Sailors, Britain would have undoubtedly had to surrender.
Britain’s Colonies and the Commonwealth Empire made troops, raw materials and vital supplies accessible, allowing Britain to continue in the War successfully. Without this continuous supply, the frequent U-boat attacks on Merchant ships would have left the people of Britain isolated and starving and led to inevitable surrender.
In Meine Kampf, Adolf Hitler had proclaimed his interest in the Lebensraum policy, which was mainly directed at the Soviet Union. On the 15 May 1941, the invasion of the Soviet Union began, ‘Operation Barbarossa’. The War had now developed on two fronts, allowing Britain to recover. With less concentration on the Western front, invasion was always going to be less of a threat.
German Forces on the Eastern Front, made up of 3 million men, advanced in three groups. The North group headed for Leningrad, the centre group for Moscow and the Southern forces into the Ukraine. Within weeks Hitler had surrounded Leningrad and was reaching the outskirts of Moscow. Hitler had covered 600 miles through Russia, a great achievement; however, the immense size of Russia had drained the German Army physically and mentally, the Russians leaving nothing under the ‘Scorched Earth’ policy.
In the summer of 1942, Hitler made the devastating mistake of moving a large concentration of his troops from Moscow to Stalingrad, preparing for the planned invasion. If Hitler had taken Moscow, it would have been the unequivocal defeat of Russia, leaving Britain alone again, with the full might of the German army preparing for invasion.
The Russians put up a strong resistance, fighting for every building. However, by November 1943, the Germans had taken 90% of Stalingrad. Soon the Russian Winter set in, the roads turning to mud, the oil in the tanks froze; the men starved, as the supply line was unable to reach the men scattered around the City. Moreover, the Russians were prepared and made a colossal counterattack, pushing the German troops out of the City. More and more troops were sent into Stalingrad, weakening the West front, further allowing Britain to recover.
One of the most influential turning points in the War was when the USA joined the Allies. America brought a great boost physically, with troops, supplies, military power, and a monumental boost in moral. This gave the people of Britain a feeling of relief and the belief to hang on. On the 2 August 1941 the USA lend- lease aid was given to the USSR, mainly Sherman Tanks. Without this supply the USSR would have been almost certainly been defeated, Britain again would be alone in Europe, and Hitler’s force would be preparing for a full invasion of Britain.
Another reason was Churchill’s excellent leadership skills. After becoming Prime Minister of Britain in early May 1940, he brought a new pace to Government and how events were treated politically and physically. His determination to win the War aroused the British public and acclaimed their support, by using inspiring speeches, such as, ‘Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will say, This was their finest hour.’ These passionate speeches gave hope to the people, causing them to realise that there is only one option, which is to fight. This passion aroused everyone that with a united front; Britain could last against the German War machine.
Churchill also had a good relationship with Roosevelt. With this, Churchill was able to persuade Roosevelt to commit his concentration of troops on Europe rather than focus on the conflicts in the Pacific. This therefore meant, Churchill had greater support, causing Hitler to rethink about invading or concentrating his troops near Britain, relieving the pressure of a certain invasion or attack.
The Battle of El Alamein in October 1942 was a major victory for the Allies. This was the first consequential sign that the German forces could be defeated and pushed back towards Germany. Rommel had been supplied insufficiently by Hitler and was pushed back to Tunisia which ended the Desert Campaign. This major victory gave the Allies hope and again, a feeling to hold on and not give in to the Nazi regime. This also ultimately led to the invasion of Italy, to the point where Germany was beginning to retreat, as by October 1943, Italy had changed sides.
In conclusion, many major factors enabled Britain to stay opposed and undefeated to Hitler throughout the period June 1940 to October 1943. However, there were more important factors in completing this and other contributory factors. In my opinion, the invasion of Russia was the most important because it proved that the German War machine could be defeated, injecting passion into the Allied people, giving them the urge and power to hang on. In addition, it initiated a two front War, meaning there was less concentration of military force on the West front, which relieved pressure on Britain and to Hitler, invasion was not seen as significant or vital to winning the War. It also drained significant German supplies, especially troops, weakening the German army and lines.
Two other incredibly crucial events in this period was the ‘Battle of Britain’ and ‘The Battle of the Atlantic.’ These halted any invasion plans and kept Britain from starving out of lack of supplies and an inevitable attack.
After the counter attack at Stalingrad, the German Forces were now in retreat from Russia. The invasion and the capitulation of Italy in October 1943 had altered the balance of forces and Germany was retreating throughout Europe. Any invasion plans or concentration of attack on Britain was no longer a possibility or threat.
Bibliography:
The Illustrated Book of World War II
The World at War (video)
Class Notes
BBC History Internet Site