1 Despite the undoubted setback represented by the Allied evacuations from Dunkirk, Hitler had scored a crushing victory.

Is this a valid interpretation of the events in Dunkirk in June 1940? Section A There many sources that this interpretation, that the Germans had scored a great victory at Dunkirk. Source 1 From a school textbook written in 1990. On the 9th June 1940 the phoney war suddenly ended. Germany attacked Denmark and Norway. Denmark was occupied on the first day. Norway held out for a little longer, but eventually surrendered. Behind their massive defensive system, the Maginot Line the French felt that they were safe from German attack. They were wrong. On the 10th May, Germany struck against Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg. The Allied troops, who had been waiting along the Maginot Line, fled to the coast. As they did do, German tank (Panzer) divisions smashed through the Ardennes forest, where no one thought they could penetrate. They surrounded the Allied forces, squeezing them into the area around Dunkirk. In the last days of May, when all seemed lost, a third of a million men were rescued from the beaches by a fleet of small boats. But nothing could save France. Hitler was now the master of western Europe. Source 2 A newspaper of the time stated.. The beaches now are littered with decaying bodies and the twisted shapes of hundreds of battered vehicles. Weapons of all kinds are scattered besides the coastal lanes along which the retreating army marched, still in disciplined style, despite the Junkers screaming out of the sky overhead.

support

Source 3 A historian, J. Cambell, writing in his book The Experience of World War II With their backs against the wall at Dunkirk, the leader of the British forces, General Weygand, intended to organise another defensive line. But, with the Maginot Line outflanked, and the morale of the French army shattered, this was an empty hope. Although individual fighting units showed courage, France was invaded by the Germans, who soon took over the capital, Paris.

Source 4 A television documentary, Britains Finest Hour stated. Just a fortnight after taking office, Churchill was facing the prospect of a German invasion of Britain. Joseph Kennedy, the American ambassador in London, warned Roosevelt, the American president, that any aid sent to Britain would be wasted because London would be under German control within weeks. Churchills secretary said this seemed understandable since Britain was facing the might of the German army ill-prepared. One member of the British government, Lord Halifax, started to talk about making peace with Germany. Source 5 The Documentary Britains Finest Hour went on to say After Dunkirk, Churchills secretary said there was enormous anxiety. Britain was gearing up for total war. One man who was at Dunkirk said, With our backs to the enemy, one felt an appalling sense of doom. After Dunkirk, out of forty British tanks only twelve survived. For the Germans the road to the coast was now open. Residents of Dover could hear the guns of the enemy that was menacing the country. One resident said, Suddenly it burst in on us in Dover. We never realised how bad things were in France. The propaganda kept it from us. Source 6 A senior officer in the British army, Brigadier Peter Young wrote in 1972, in his book entitled Dunkirk.. Despite the undoubted setback to Hitler of the Allied evacuations form Dunkirk, Hitler had scored a crushing

3 victory. German losses were

10,000 killed 42,500 wounded 8,500 missing.

In comparison, Hitler announced that

1,212,000 one million, two hundred and twelve thousand Dutch, Belgian, French and British prisoners
had been taken. In addition, his armies had captured from the British army alone

1,200 field guns 1,250 anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns 11,000 machine guns 75,000 vehicles.
Source 7 From a book written by a historian, Richard Collier, in 1961, after he interviewed 1070 witnesses. He also looked at official papers about Dunkirk that had not been seen by anyone else before. One man I interviewed talked about a hotel cellar in Dunkirk packed with British and French troop hiding from the Germans. These men were singing and weeping. Many of them were screaming drunk. Another man told me about groups of men who had been deserted by their officers, prowling about the town in a mood of savage violence. Yet another spoke of an officer shot through the head by a fellow officer because it was the only way of preventing him from capsizing the boat. Many of the men who survived and who arrived back in Britain were reported by a police inspector in Kent, to have thrown their rifles out of the train window because they never wanted to use them again.

Source 8 A cartoon produced in Britain in 1940.

Tasks. 1. Complete the following table about the sources that suggest Dunkirk was a great victory for the Germans. Source. Type of source/ Date. Strengths Weaknesses

5 5

2. What do you think propaganda (Source 5) is, and how would it have kept the truth from the British people?

There many sources that this interpretation, that the Germans had scored a great victory at Dunkirk. Section B. Some sources suggest that the Germans were not as strong as they appeared at Dunkirk. Source 9 From a history book written in 1990, The Second World War by P. Calvocoressi, G. Wint and J. Pritchard. The Luftwaffe was not able to operate at full strength at Dunkirk. On some days they were unable to fly because of bad weather. At Dunkirk, the British RAF shot down many of the Luftwaffes bombers and Stukas. Source 10 From a TV documentary The World at War, made in the 1970s. The Welsh Guards astonished the Germans by keeping them back as long as they did. What shocked the Germans more than anything, though was the fact that the men were evacuated at all. The Germans were overconfident and on the 23rd of May the German commander had ordered his men to halt. They never thought the Allies would be able to escape. This gave them

contradict

6 time to get away. Tasks. 3. What mistakes on the part of the Germans are shown in these two sources? 4. Do you think these two sources are useful to a historian who wants to find out whether Dunkirk was a victory for the Germans or the British?

Section C Many of these contradictory sources show us what was happening in Britain at the time of the evacuations from Dunkirk. They show us that the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill would never contemplate surrender, and that he organised Operation Dynamo, to save the soldiers stranded in France at Dunkirk. Source 11 A newspaper from the time described what happened on June 4th 1940 in Dunkirk. Operation Dynamo, the great evacuation of Dunkirk is complete. Tonight men were still coming ashore from the huge fleet of destroyers, ferries, fishing vessels and even river cruisers which have saved the British Expeditionary Force, as well as Belgian and French troops. Crowds waving Union Jacks and yelling, Well done, boys! were waiting on the shore as the 338,226 troops who had been rescued came ashore. The men had fought off the Germans and had survived to fight another day. Source 12

7 A History book, The Second World War by P. Calvocoressi, G. Wint and J. Pritchard. The British troops were battered on the beaches and in the town, but bad weather made it difficult for the German Luftwaffe to attack, and more and more men could be rescued. The rescue was astonishing, with large and small craft of every description sailing to the aid of the stranded soldiers. The British Admiralty had hoped to save 100,000 troops. In fact, they saved three times that number. Source 13 From a book written by a historian, A.J.P. Taylor to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Churchills birth. Taylor knew Churchill after the war. Churchill talked as if Britain might overthrow Hitler all on her own. This was a fantasy, but it was what the British people wanted to be told at the time.

Source 14 From a history book written in 1987. At Dunkirk, Churchill ignored the advice of his generals, who said that Britain would have to surrender. He was restless for action, whatever the state of the British forces. Source 15 From a school textbook The Modern World by P. Sauvain, written in 1986. Dunkirk seemed to be a defeat for the British, but Churchill rose to the occasion and made a stirring speech. We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France. We shall fight on the seas and oceans. We shall fight with growing strength in the air. We shall defend our island no matter whatever the cost shall be. We shall fight on the beaches. We shall fight on the landing grounds. We shall fight in the fields and on the streets. We shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender. Source 16 Written by a psychiatrist, Dr Anthony Storr.

8 Psychiatrists study the way peoples minds work. When you are up against the threat of defeat, as we were in 1940 at the time of Dunkirk, you have to have someone like Churchill, who isnt weighing up the chances soberly, but who is trying to live out his fantasies in his speeches and who rallies everyone around, so that people become heroes and work twice as hard. Source 17 An account by Marion Holmes, Churchills secretary. When Churchill took over as Prime Minister, the whole place exploded. It was as if a current of electricity had been let loose. We heard elderly people running along the corridors to do what he told them to do. He introduced stickers saying, Action This Day. I never remember being released to go to bed before 1.00 am and it was more often 2.00 or 3.00 am.

Source 18 An American poster published in 1940

Source 19 From a school textbook, Peace and War written in 1993.

9 At Dunkirk a miracle was born. This land of Britain is rich in heroes. She had brave, daring men in her Navy and Air Force as well as in her Army. She had heroes in jerseys and sweaters and old rubber boots in all the fishing ports in Britain. That night, when the word went around in al the south east ports of Britain, there was not a man nor boy who knew how to handle a boat who was not prepared to give his own life to save some unknown son of his country. For almost a week the epic went on. The little ships dodged their way in the waters and hauled over their sides the soldiers who waded waist deep to safety. The RAF flew 2739 missions against the German Luftwaffe. By 4th June 338,226 men had been evacuated . At least Britain had the core of an army left to prepare the defence of the UK.

Source 20 A poster produced by the British government.

10

Source 21 A picture of Winston Churchill during World War II

Source 22 The notes Churchill made for his speech on the 18th June 1940.

11

Churchill went on to say Let us brace ourselves to our duty and so bear ourselves that if the British Commonwealth and Empire lasts for a thousand years men will still say, This was their finest hour. Churchill used speeches, pictures, Source 23 Tired but safe, men picked up from the beaches of Dunkirk

12 in late May 1940, arrive back in England aboard one of the many ships taken over by the Government to come to their rescue.

Source 24 Dunkirk evacuees one with a captured German helmet have a pie, a cup of tea and a laugh with an ATS girl as their train fills up at Dover.

posters and newspapers .

13 Source 25 A Daily Mirror headline from the time of Dunkirk.

Bloody Marvellous
Source 26 A cartoon published in a British newspaper at the time of the evacuation, The name of the paddle steamer is the Brighton Belle.

Source 27 British cartoon, May 29th 1940.

14

to keep the morale (spirit) of the British people up. There was not a single reporter at Dunkirk. To write the articles the journalists had to depend on what they were told by the Government. One Government department said that the story of Dunkirk grips our imagination. It inspires our minds and it tears at our heartstrings. The evacuation had been going on for five days before any reports were allowed in Britain. The Government obviously wanted to keep up everyones morale high, and it succeeded. At the end of 1940 an opinion poll asked whether people thought Britain might lose the war. The number who said yes was so small that it was impossible to measure.

Task. 1. Make a table like this to explain why sources 11-27, that suggest Dunkirk was not a victory for the Germans, are so

15 useful to us in finding out whether Dunkirk was a crushing victory for the Germans. Type of source Newspapers Source Numbe r 11 What it tells us. Possible weaknesses

25

History books

12

13

14

19

16 Cartoons 26

27

Posters

18

20

Speeches/ memories

17

22

Photographs

21

17 23

24

Psychiatrists

16

18 Section D. When we look at what happened in the war after Dunkirk, we can see that what happened in Dunkirk does not give us a complete picture of what went on. These are some of the thing that Churchill did at HOME after Dunkirk. Source 28 Civilians and military men unite in a scheme set up after Dunkirk to get men fit enough to fight either at home or abroad.

19

Source 29 Entrance to a public shelter

Source 30 An anti-aircraft gun

Timeline of World War II.

20

1939 Germany invades Poland 1940 Germany invades Norway Germany invades Holland and Belgium Dunkirk and fall of France Battle of Britain The Blitz on Britain begins Battle of the Atlantic begins Hitler calls off the Blitz on Britain Germans invade Russia Britain wins the Battle of El Alamein in North Africa Allies start to bomb Germany Germans lose the Battle of Stalingrad in Russia Britain wins the Battle of the Atlantic D-Day landings Allies land in Europe Germany surrenders Key German victories British and Allied victories

1941

1942

1943 1944 1945

Task

21 Explain what each of the following sources suggest about whether the Germans had scored a crushing victory at Dunkirk. Source 28 What it suggests about whether Dunkirk was a crushing victory.

29

30

Timeline

22

Despite the undoubted setback represented by the Allied evacuations from Dunkirk, Hitler had scored a crushing victory. Is this a valid interpretation of the events in Dunkirk in June 1940?

23

There is a lot of evidence that suggests this is a valid interpretation Consider

Events in Dunkirk Reports form people who were there Historians Newspapers

24

Documentaries

However, these do not give us the complete story.. They do not tell us

about the mistakes made by the Germans and the positives achievements of the British at Dunkirkas shown in evidence such as. about what was happening in Britain at the time, which turned defeat into

25

victory.as shown in evidence such as.

about what happened after Dunkirk, as shown in..