The Second World War

By Winston Churchill

https://archive.org/details/secondworldwar0000chur_y7z2

Book 6 - Triumph and Tragedy

• Besides this, I was very conscious of the much more

important issue of Poland, and I did not want to do anything about Rumania which might harm the prospect of a Polish settlement.

• 500 I was deeply disturbed by this news, which was to prove a

pattern of things to come. The Russians had established the rule of a Communist minority by force and misrepresentation. But if I pressed him too much

he might say, “I did not interfere with your action in Greece; why do you not give me the same latitude in Rumania?” This would lead to comparisons between his aims and ours. Neither side would convince the other. Having regard to my personal relations with Stalin, I was sure it would be a mistake to embark on such an argument.

• 499 violation by the Russians both of the spirit and letter of our

agreements took place in Rumania. We were all committed by the Declaration on Liberated Europe, so recently signed, to see that both free elections and democratic Governments were established in the countries occupied by Allied armies. On February 27 Vyshinsky, who had appeared in Bucharest without warning on the previous day, demanded an audience of King Michael and insisted that he should dismiss the all-party Government which had been formed after the royal coup d’état of August 1944 and had led to the expulsion of the Germans from Rumania. The young monarch, backed by his Foreign Minister, Visoianu, resisted these demands until the following day. Vyshinsky called again, and, brushing aside the King’s request at least to be allowed to consult the leaders of the political parties, banged his fist on the table, shouted for an immediate acquiescence, and walked out of the room, slamming the door. At the same time Soviet tanks and troops deployed in the streets of the capital, and on March 2 a Soviet-nominated Administration took office.

• What would have

happened if we had quarrelled with Russia while the Germans still had three or four hundred divisions on the fighting front? Our hopeful assumptions were soon to be falsified.

• We are now entering a world of imponderables, and

at every stage occasions for self-questioning arise. It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link in the chain of destiny can be handled at a tim e

• 473 I felt bound to proclaim my confidence in Soviet good faith

in the hope of procuring it.

• 469 During the meal

we signed the final documents and official communiqués. All now depended upon the spirit in which they were carried out.

• 439 in 1939 although so ill-armed. It had nearly cost us our life,

not only as an Empire but as a nation. Great Britain had no material interest of any kind in Poland. Honour was the sole reason why we had drawn the sword to help Poland against Hitler’s brutal onslaught, and we could never accept any settlement which did not leave her free, independent, and sovereign.

• 433 If the British and French had sent a mission to

Moscow in 1939 containing men who really wanted an agreement with Russia the Soviet Government would not have signed the pact with Ribbentrop.

• 420 I answered that if you

wanted a horse to pull your wagon you had to give him some hay.

• 416 These awe-inspiring tides of feeling dominate

most people’s minds, and independent figures tend to become not only lonely but futile. There is therefore wisdom in reserving one’s decisions as long as possible

and until all the facts and forces that will be potent at the moment are revealed .

• Yalta - what the vast emotions of an outraged and

quivering world will be either immediately after the struggle is over or when the inevitable cold fit follows the hot. *400 -;Stalin sez -The position is that as early as December 27 the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R. informed the Poles in reply to an inquiry on the subject that it proposed to recognise the Provisional Government of Poland as soon as the latter was formed.*395: what measures and what organisation could the three great Allies provide for the future peace and good governance of the world?

• 390 Thus ended the six weeks’ struggle for Athens, and, as it

ultimately proved, for the freedom of Greece from Communist subjugation*357 unity becomes ever more important, as danger recedes and faction arises

• 354 "I do not accept a party as necessarily

representing democracy because it becomes more violent as it becomes less numerous."

• 350 EAM-ELAS revolt in Athens
• 300 Setting up French gummit, boundary of France to be decided at negotiating table
• An episode of profound and far-reaching gravity is

created by the Russian refusal to permit American aircraft to bring succour to the heroic insurgents in Warsaw, aggravated by their own complete neglect to provide supplies by air when only a few score of miles away

• 143 he air authorities out here assured me that the

Americans wished help sent from England to Warsaw, and that the operation was quite practicable, providing of course the Russians gave their consent. - regarding airlift help to Warsaw Uprising - and landing RAF in Russia.

• 73 Even our Mosquitoes, each

of which was probably no dearer than a rocket, dropped on the average 125 tons of bombs per aircraft within one mile of the target during their life, whereas the rocket dropped one ton only, and that with an average error of fifteen mile

• P49 They wanted to call the harbour “Port Churchill.” But this forvarious reasons I forbade.

Notes

• 220 - I thus acquired the chief power of the state which I wielded for 5 years and 3 months of world war, at the end of which time all of our enemies have surrendered unconditionally or were about to do so... I was conscious of a profound sense of relief. At last I had the authority to give direction over the whole scene.
• 193 Sweden was neutral and provided iron ore to the German war machine holy s*** what compliance traders bastards. Materialism wins again. There's no such thing as neutrality when you are fueling the enemy wtf
• 192 German war plans for the invasion of Belgium were captured but Belgium did nothing about it and was in denial and they could not be blamed based on all the appeasement of the day
• The human mind except in the condition of extraordinary genius can not surmount the force of the conclusions of the experience in which it was reared
• 188 it is a joke in the United Kingdom that the war office is always preparing for the last war
• 170 - Right after Poland was invaded there was a slight pause. France suggested to Britain that they don't bomb Germany because Germany would retaliate on France by destroying its war factories which were unprotected
• 165 - Churchill slept for at least 1 hour as early in the afternoon as possible and then he would work till 2:00 or so a.m. and wake up at 8:00 or 9 thus he said he had 1.5 days per day
• P161- speak for England Mr prime Minister
• P160 - war was preceded by a barrage of sabotage and murder. Churchill carried a gun
• 158 - Hitler pretended to. Negotiate with Pola d right to the day he invaded, so that England would not join and fight to help Poland, logistical move.
• 103 - england will bring the whole world against you, like last time - Churchill warned Ribbentrop
• 119 - this was the last I saw Herr Ribbentrop before he was hanged