Britain in WWII: The Early Months Quiz

Answer: The Phoney War

Although there were no major conflicts involving the British Army, the RAF was active in this period, dropping leaflets on Germany in an attempt to convince the German people that Hitler was evil; and of course the Battle of the Atlantic started with the declaration of war.

Answer: HMS Royal Oak

This showed the effectiveness of the U-Boats to German naval commander Donitz. This event was also a major embarrassment to the Royal Navy as the Scapa Flow naval base was a symbol of British naval supremacy.

Answer: Norway

Although the British navy performed well in Norway, sinking 10 German destroyers whilst keeping their own losses to a minimum, the army did not have as much success. There were many reasons for this, including the lack of preperation the British army had and the lack even of maps and skis.

Answer: Neville Chamberlain

Opposition politicians declared that they would not serve under Chamberlain. The two candidates who looked likely to get the position as Prime Minister were Churchill and Halifax. Many politicians did not want Churchill as Prime Minister as they saw him as volatile.

However, in the end it was Halifax himself who admitted that Churchill had the qualities needed to lead Britain in the time of war. Halifax also had the disadvantage of sitting in the House of Lords and he had been heavily committed to appeasement.

Answer: Through the forests of the Ardennes

This was an incredibly effective tactic as the Allies were taken completely by surprise. The French believed that the main attack would not come at the German-French border (due to the Maginot Line) nor through the forests of the Ardennes, which they believed to be impassable.

Answer: The Meuse

The Allied generals did not realise the threat of this German invasion until the Germans reached the Meuse. However, the German army held their positions during the Allied air attacks, and then broke out across France to the coast, which they reached on 20th May.

Answer: Gamelin

An example of Gamelin's incompetence was the fact that his command quarters in Paris did not even have radio contact. He even avoided using the telephone whenever possible!

Answer: Lord Gort

The French disliked the Dunkirk evacuation, as they believed the British were abandoning them. After the evacuation the Germans outnumbered the French by two to one. The fight only lasted 10 days and by 18 June 1940 France had been defeated.

Answer: German soldiers drowned in nearby rivers

The weather was also a major factor in the success of Dunkirk. This along with the actions of the RAF meant that Goering could not keep his promise to Hitler, a promise to prevent the Dunkirk evacuation using the might of the Luftwaffe.

Answer: The Miracle of Dunkirk

This emphasised, perhaps even mythologized, the role of small boats in the evacuation and the fact that many boats belonged to civilians. However, in truth, most of the work was done by larger naval ships. This, however, does not diminish the part played by the small boats.