Churchillandstalin:notechurchillsrelationswithstalin,degaulleandFDR,upuntil

1944casablancaandterran
Churchillsviewofstalinwasnotsimple.Itcontainedelementsofillusion,butalsoof
asupremerealism.Eventuallyhisviewandtreatmentofstalinbecameentirely
separatefromhisviewandtreatmentofcommunism.
Inchurchillscasethereweretwoelementsatworkinthisnowevolvingrelationship.
Onewashisrelief,attimesrisingtoadmiration,inseeingstalinasagretnational
leaderinwar;theotherwaschurchillsenduringcontemptforCommunism.
MeetingsinMoscow,1942:
Churchillhadtobreakthebadnews,thattherewastobenosecondfrontinwestern
Europe,andstalinspokeroughly,butchruchillgaveasgoodashegot,which
impressedstalinwhoodtenappreciatedthecourageandspiritofthosewhostoodup
tohim.Churchillwasalsoimpressedbystalin,hisroughreadiness,hisqualitiesofa
nationalchirftanbutalsothoseofafather,bystalinsinvocationofgod,atleastonone
occasion.Churchillwasalsorelieves,andimpressed,bystalinsreactiontotheonly
considerablegoodnewshehadbrought:thatoftheplannedAmericanBritish
invasionofFrenchNothAfricainNovember.Stalinwasnotexcessivelygratefulbut
seemedtoinstantlycomprehenddwhatthatmeantforthewar.
Thistookanastyturnin1943asstalinrealizedthattherewouldbenosecondfron
thisyear,someofhisgestures(e.gthewithdrawalofhisbestknownambassadors
fromLondonandWashington)wereoinous.Hethoughthebritishsimplywerent
doingenoughtocarrytheirfullweightinthewar.Therewasalsorealtroubleswirling
aboutPoland,aschirchilldidnotthinkthetimewasrighttoconfrontstalinabouthis
postwarpurposes.HeadmiredhowtheRussiansfought.Itwasnothisideatopresent
stalinatTeheranwiththeswordofStalingrad,butitwasinaccordwithhisromantic
sentiments.
TherewasadualtendencyinhismindaboutstalinandtheRussians,asualitythat
wasnotoscillatingbutnearlualwaysconstant.Therearemanyevidencesforthis,in
October1943generalhenrypownallrecordedthatchurchillthorouglydislikedthe
Russiansandtheirwaysandisundernoillusionsaboutthem.Theyaredoingwhat
theyaredoingtosavetheirownskins.Hteirfuturepolicywillbeentirelytosuit
themselvesandnobodyelsewillcount.AtanothertimeChurchillsaidthathesoviets
werelikecrocodiles,oneneverknewwhentopattheirheadsorhitthem.
ThencametheTeheransummit.Churchilllosthisoncedominantposition,andhe
knewit:HehadslippedbehindRooseveltandstalin.Hisdisappointmentwaswith
Rooseveltratherthanwithstalin:fortheAmericanpresidentmadeashowof
distancinghimselffromChurchill,tryingtoimpressstalinthathe,Roosevelt,wasat
leastasclosetohimashewastotheBritish.

FDRandChurchill,thespecialrelationship.
AtthebeginningofWorldWarII,whenWinstonChurchillandFranklinDelano
RooseveltfirstcametogethertoformanallianceagainstHitler,theywereastudyin
contrasts:Roosevelt,secretive;Churchill,transparent.Roosevelt,calculatedandat
timesmanipulative;Churchill,expressiveandattimesimpulsive.Roosevelt,intenton
keepingtheUnitedStatesoutofthewar;Churchill,equallyintentonbringingthe
UnitedStatesintothewar.Thetwocouldnthavebeenmoredifferentinpersonality,
interests,orbeliefs.
Fromthestart,thecorrespondencebetweenthetwomenwasmarkedbyaneasyand
affablewritingstylethatforeshadowedthefriendshipthatwastocome.Inhisvery
firstletter,FDRnotedtheircommonexperienceinNavalmatters,(FDRhadservedas
AssistantSecretaryoftheNavyunderU.S.PresidentWoodrowWilsonduringWorld
WarI),aswellastheircommoninterestinhistory.Churchillrespondedwithalacrity
andmildhumor,choosingthetransparentcodename"NavalPerson,"thathewould
laterchangeto"FormerNavalPerson"oncehehadlefttheAdmiraltyandmovedto
thePrimeMinister'sResidenceatnumber10DowningStreet.
ThefriendshipthatdevelopedbetweenChurchillandRooseveltwasnotwithoutits
difficulties,anditisimportantnottolosesiteofthefactthattheprimary
responsibilityofbothmenwastolookafternationalinterests.Thisinevitablyledto
tensions,whichattimesbecamequitepronounced.Seriousdifferencesarose,for
example,overthequestionofwhenandwheretoopenthesecondfrontinEurope,
andahostofotherissues,particularlywithrespecttoeconomicmatters.Furthermore,
astheyearspassedandvictoryinEuropeappearedmoreandmorecertain,Roosevelt
begantocultivateabilateralrelationshipwithStalinthatwoundedChurchill'spride
andsignaledtheemergenceofabipolarpostwarworld,dominatednotbytheBritish
Empire,butratherbythetwonewSuperPowers.
Nevertheless,thedegreeofcooperationandunityofpurposethatexistedbetweenthe
BritishandAmericangovernmentsduringthisperiodremainsoneofthemost
remarkableaspectsoftheSecondWorldWar.Thiscooperationreacheditsapogeein
December1941,withthesigningoftheAngloAmericanAllianceandthecreationof
theCombinedChiefsofStaffajointBritishandAmericanmilitarycommandwith
authorityoverallAngloAmericanoperations.Itwouldcontinueforthenextfour
years,andleadamongotherthingstotheinvasionofNormandy,thedevelopmentof
theatomicbomb,thecreationoftheUnitedNations,andofcoursethefinalandutter
defeatofthetwinevilsofGermanNazismandJapanesemilitarism.

Churchillanddegaulle:
OfhisfirstmeetingwithChurchillatDowningStreetdeGaullelaterwrote:Mr.
Churchillseemedtometobeequaltotherudesttask,provideditalsohad
grandeur....Thehumour,too,withwhichheseasonedhisactsandwords,andtheway
inwhichhemadeuse,nowofgraciousness,nowofanger,contributedtomakeone
feelwhatmasteryhehadoftheterriblegameinwhichhewasengaged.3
ChurchillflewtoFrancefourtimesinMayandJune,tryingtobolstertheFrench
leadership.DeGaullesupportedtheBritishWarCabinetsofferofindissoluble
unionbetweenthetwonations,transmittedtoReynaudon16June,togetherwith
ChurchillsproposaltomeetReynaudinBrittanythenextday.ButtheFrench
Council,ledbyWeygandandPtain,washostiletotheproposal,sayingthatinthree
weeksEnglandwillhaveherneckrunglikeachicken.AunionwithBritain,Ptain
added,wouldbefusionwithacorpse.5
DeGaullewasnotinformedofthedestructionoftheFrenchfleetuntilithad
commencedandhisinitialreactionwasanger,butwhenGeneralSpears,British
LiaisonOfficertotheformerFrenchgovernment,metwithhimtwodayslater,he
founddeGaulleastonishinglyobjective.On8JulydeGaullebroadcasttoFrance:
thegovernmentatBordeauxhadagreedtoplaceourshipsattheenemys
discretion....onedaytheenemywouldhaveusedthemagainstEnglandoragainstour
ownempire.Well,Isaywithouthesitationthatitisbettertheyshouldhavebeen
destroyed....Ourtwoancientnations,ourtwogreatnations,remainboundtoone
another.Theywilleithergodownbothtogetherorbothtogethertheywillwin.8
On24August1940ChurchillspokeintheHouseofCommonsOuroldcomradeship
withFranceisnotatanend.InGeneraldeGaulleandhisgallantbandthat
comradeshiptakesaneffectiveform.TheseFreeFrenchmenhavebeencondemnedto
deathbyVichy,butthedaywillcome,assurelyasthesunwillrisetomorrow,when
theirnameswillbeheldinhonour,andtheirnameswillbegraveninstonesinthe
streetsandvillagesofaFrancerestoredinaliberatedEurope,toitsfullfreedomand
itsancientfame.9
InNovember1940,withoutadvisingChurchillortheBritishGovernment,deGaulle
announcedanEmpireDefenceCouncil,withthewordingofthemanifestoreading
likeadeclarationofwaronVichy.Heincludedanunrealisticandarrogantoffertothe
UnitedStatesofairandnavalbasesintheFrenchpossessionsoftheWestern
hemisphere,whichwereadministeredbyVichy.12
InNovember1940,withoutadvisingChurchillortheBritishGovernment,deGaulle
announcedanEmpireDefenceCouncil,withthewordingofthemanifestoreading
likeadeclarationofwaronVichy.Heincludedanunrealisticandarrogantoffertothe

UnitedStatesofairandnavalbasesintheFrenchpossessionsoftheWestern
hemisphere,whichwereadministeredbyVichy.12

ThenextfewmonthssawmanyincidentsofantiBritishactionsandcommentsbyde
Gaulle,butinJune1941cameaseriousdisruption.TwocountriesintheLevant,
SyriaandLebanon,hadbeenmandatedtoFranceafterWorldWarI,andafterthe
armisticeweregovernedbyVichy.InJune1941analliedforceofmainlyFreeFrench
troopscommencedanoffensive,andinJulyVichyaskedforaceasefireandan
armistice.DeGaullelaiddownhisconditions,butthesewereignoredbytheBritish,
andtheFreeFrenchwerenotpermittedtohaveanycontactwiththeVichyforces,
whichweregrantedfullhonoursofwar.13

Besidehimselfwithrage,deGaulleventedhisangeronGeneralSpearsandthe
BritishMinisterofStateintheMiddleEast,OliverLyttelton,whoinhismemoirs
admittedthattheFreeFrenchshouldhavebeenconsulted.LytteltonwiredChurchill
thatdeGaulleworkedhimselfintoastateofbitterhostilitytoeverythingEnglish
andwasrudeandoffensive.14

Churchillreplied:IamsorryyouarehavingallthistroublewithdeGaulle....Itmight
bewellifyoucouldlethimseethegulfontheedgeofwhichheisdisporting
himself.ChurchillalsotelegrapheddeGaullesuggestinghereturntoEnglandin
orderthatImaydiscusswithyoupersonallythedifficultieswhichhavearisen.
Torch,theinvasionofNorthAfrica,wassettocommenceinNovember1942.
ChurchillhadwrittentoRooseveltstatinghisintentiontoadvisedeGaulletheday
beforethelanding;butRooseveltdemandedthathenotbetolduntilafterasuccessful
landing.Wheneventuallyinformed,deGaulleroared:IhopetheVichypeoplewill
flingthemintothesea!YoudontgetFrancebyburglary!18

Again,however,deGaullecalmeddown,andatlunchatChequersthatsamedayhe
politelylistenedwhileChurchillexplainedthereasonsforthesecrecy.ButdeGaulle
interpretedthisasstemmingfromtheproVichyAmericanstance.
Ultimately,underpressurefromhisFreeFrenchNationalCommittee,deGaulle
relentedandarrivedinCasablancaon22January;heandGiraudcouldnotagree,but
theydidissueastatementontheirmutualobjective:theliberationofFrance.21De
GaullesstubbornnessleftChurchillinawhitefury
WhenChurchillanddeGaullearrivedbackinEngland,Churchillgaveordersthat
themonsterofHampstead(wheredeGaullelived)wasnottobeallowedtoleave
thecountryandstiruptroubleabroad.Thetwodidnotmeetagainuntil2April1943.
DeGaullebeganbysayingthathewasaprisonerandwouldbesenttotheenemy
alienprisonontheIsleofMan(whichhepronouncedeelomon).Churchill
responded,No,youareverydistinguished,andsowouldgototheTowerof
London!ButWSCdidagreetoallowdeGaulletotravelbacktoAlgiers.23
WhenmeetingwiththeU.S.Senateon19May1943,Churchillsaidthathehad
raiseddeGaulleasapupnowhebitthehandthatfedhim.24
TheanglophobicactionsofdeGaullecontinued,althoughthesedidnotreflecthis
respectandadmirationforChurchill,andsomelightmomentswererecorded.

AclashoccurredoverDDay,wherethedetailswereagainwithheldfromdeGaulle
beforehand.InvitedtoLondonfromAlgiers,deGaulletookhistimeandeventually
arrivedon4June.Churchillmetwithhimandafterdiscussingtheinvasionpassed
himontoGeneralEisenhower,whogavespecificinformationontheoperationand
askedhimtobroadcastafterthelanding.WhenEisenhowersaidhetoowouldbe
broadcasting,deGaullerespondedthathewouldnottakesecondplaceinthe
broadcastandthatEisenhowerhadnorighttoinstructtheFrenchpeopleoncivil
administrationmatters,whichwaspartofhisspeech.Churchill,alreadyinanagitated
stateovertheimpendinglanding,flewintoarage,onlyslightlylessenedwhen
informedthatdeGaullewouldspeak,butnotimmediatelyafterEisenhower.
AtCasablancain1943hesaidofdeGaulle:Hiscountryhasgivenupfighting,he
himselfisarefugee,andifweturnhimdownhesfinished.Welljustlookathim!He
mightbeStalin,with200divisionsbehindhiswords....Francewithoutanarmyisnot
France.DeGaulleisthespiritofthatArmy.Perhapsthelastsurvivorofawarrior
race.33
ChurchilladdedinAugust1944,Ihaveneverforgotten,andcanneverforget,that
hestoodforthasthefirsteminentFrenchmantofacethecommonfoeinwhatseemed
tobethehourofruinofhiscountryandpossibly,ofours.34