Search results
Sep 3, 2020 · Britain was one of the nations that signed the treaty but also played a role in allowing Germany to return as a European powerhouse. During the mass rearmament of Nazi Germany in the 1930s, Britain agreed to a policy of appeasement - allowing Hitler to expand German territory.
Key points. Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933. He had aggressive and ambitious foreign policy aims. Britain initially pursued a policy of appeasement, seeking to give Hitler...
- The Battle of Britain
- The Unsinkable Ship
- The North African Campaign
- British Intelligence
- The British Empire
- The Royal Navy
Between June and October 1940, the RAF engaged in a deadly battle over the skies of southern Englandwith wave after wave of Luftwaffe bombers and fighter planes. At stake was the supremacy of the air and, in turn, the survival of the United Kingdom. Following the fall of France, the only country still standing in the way of Hitler’s total dominance...
Free from occupying forces, Britain became an unsinkable ship, able to launch constant bombing raids against German industrial, military, and civilian targets. This hampered the Germans’ ability to fight the war effectively and severely lowered enemy morale. As well as being a base for both British raids on the German homeland and its military inte...
Unable to fight in continental Europe, the British instead turned their attention to North Africa, fighting several battles against the Italians and the Germans to drive them from the continent. The battles fought between General Bernard Montgomery and his opposite number, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, culminated in Rommel’s defeat in the Battle of E...
The British knew they hadn’t much hope of taking the fight directly to the Germans at the start of the war, but what they did have was an intelligence network that was second to none. The full weight of British intelligence was thrown into the war effort and produced astonishing results that proved vital. The Special Operations Executive (SOE), for...
With an empire stretching from Canada to Australia, Britain was able to raise a fighting force the Germans and the Japanese could never hope to match. In India alone, Britain raised an army of 1.4 million troops who went on to play vital roles in both the European and Pacific theatres. While many people see the Pacific as primarily a war between Ja...
Of course, it wasn’t just on land that Britain made an invaluable contribution to the war. At sea, the gigantic Royal Navyplayed a pivotal role in defeating the Axis powers from day one of the conflict to the very end of the war. In Europe and the Middle East, Royal Navy blockades confined the Italian and German navies to port due to a chronic shor...
The Battle of Britain was a pivotal moment in World War Two, when the country stood alone against Hitler's seemingly unstoppable military power. This guide explores this historic period through...
- The Legacy of the First World War. The First World War and its subsequent peace settlements gave rise to new ambitions, rivalries and tensions. People had high expectations that the post-war peace settlement would create a new world order and ensure that the slaughter of the First World War was never repeated.
- The Retreat from Democracy in Europe. The instability and insecurity of the 1920s and 1930s gave rise to political extremism in many European countries.
- Italy and Germany on the March. On 3 October 1935, Italy invaded Abyssinia (present day Ethiopia). Both countries were members of the League of Nations, and Italy's aggression compelled the League to intervene.
- Germany Expands. Hitler's ambitions for German expansion became increasingly evident throughout 1938. German troops marched into Austria on 12 March and, with the enthusiastic support of most Austrians, the country was annexed to Germany the next day.
- BBC Bitesize. Key points. When World War Two broke out in September 1939, Britain called upon countries from across the British Empire for help. The contribution from people across the empire was...
People also ask
What did Britain do during WW2?
How much did Britain contribute to WW2?
Was World War 2 the first time Britain sought help from other countries?
How did World War II lead to the end of the British Empire?
Why did Britain go to war in 1939?
Why did Britain not want a war in Germany?
6 days ago · On July 16, 1940, Hitler issued a directive ordering the preparation and, if necessary, the execution of a plan for the invasion of Great Britain. But an amphibious invasion of Britain would only be possible, given Britain’s large navy, if Germany could establish control of the air in the battle zone.