Churchill Archives - Richard M. Langworth

Was WW2 Avoidable?

13 November 2015 Comments 0 Comments

Churchill and the Avoidable War

Preface

This book examines Churchill’s theory that “timely action” could have forced Hitler to recoil, and a devastating catastrophe avoided. We consider his proposals, and the degree to which he pursued them. Churchill was both right and wrong. He was right that Hitler could have been stopped. He was wrong in not doing all he could to stop him. The result is a corrective to traditional arguments, both of Churchill’s critics and defenders. Whether the war was avoidable hangs on these issues.

Chapter 1. Germany Arming: Encountering Hitler, 1930-34

“There is no difficulty at all in having cordial relations between the peoples….But…

Churchill as Motorist

2 October 2009 Comments 0 Comments

Could you tell me if Winston Churchill drove an automobile? I’m interested in establishing whether the major World War II leaders, on both sides, could drive a car. So far, I know only that Franklin Roosevelt drove his own Ford at Hyde Park (hand controls but he was his own driver when he needed to be). This may seem an odd line of investigation, but I think it might be illuminating. —P.C., New Hampshire

I have a long-simmering article about Churchill and automobiles; he owned quite an assortment, from Morrises and Land Rovers to a big Daimler given him by his friends in 1932.…