The Churchill Series - May 11 & 12, 2006

(One of a series of weekday posts on the life of Winston S. Churchill."

Folks, Sorry to be late with this. I've been following and posting on developments in the Duke lacrosse case. John

Late on the evening of Friday, May 10, 1940 Churchill left Buckingham Palace with the King's charge to form a new government which would lead the nation in a fight for survival.

Upon his return to the Admiralty, Churchill immediately wrote his predecessor, Neville Chamberlain, who'd just broadcast to the nation the news of his resignation and Churchill's appointment.

My dear Neville,

My first act on coming back from the Palace is to write and tell you how grateful I am to you for promising to stand by me and to aid the country at this extremely grievous and formidable moment.[...]

With your help and counsel and with the support of the great party of which you are the leader, I trust that I shall succeed. [...]

The letter was hand-delivered to Downing Street.

A few hours later Churchill phoned Chamberlain. He asked him to remain as leader of the Conservative Party in the Commons and to serve in the war cabinet.

Chamberlain agreed to both requests. He served loyally in those posts until his death from cancer five months later.

Churchill's second act was to write a letter to the Foreign Secretary, Lord Halifax. He thanked Halifax, who had been his chief rival to succeed Chamberlain, for "the chivalry and kindness with which you have treated me." He asked him to stay on as Foreign Secretary and to lead the Conservative Party in the Lords.

Halifax agreed. He too served loyally as Foreign Secretary and later as Ambassador to the United States.

Chamberlain and Halifax were foremost among "the men of Munich." There were many who wanted "score-settling" with such men.

By his two gracious and wise letters as well as his invitations to Chamberlain and Halifax to assume important positions in his new government, Churchill made clear to friends and foes that they'd be no "score-settling." He would lead a government of national unity and get on with fighting the war.

Churchill's first meetings in the early hours of the 11th were with Labour and Liberal party leaders who agreed to serve in his government.

Shortly thereafter, Churchill was able to announce the names of the other four men who would serve with him in the war cabinet - Chamberlain, Halifax, and Labour Party leaders Clement Attlee and Arthur Greenwood - as well as the names of the new service ministers - A. V. Alexander (Admiralty, Labour), Anthony Eden (War, Conservative) and Archibald Sinclair (Air, Liberal).

Other cabinet offices would be filled during the next four days.

About 3 a. m. on the 11th, Churchill ended a "day" which had begun at 5:30 a.m. the previous morning when he'd been awoken and told of German attacks in the Low Countries and France.

Churchill later recorded his thoughts as he prepared for sleep. His words are familiar, imperishable, and always merit repeating:

I was conscious of a profound sense of relief. At last I had the authority to give directions over the whole scene.

I felt as if I were walking with destiny, and that all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour and for this trial.

Ten years in the political wilderness had freed me from ordinary party antagonisms. My warnings over the last six years had been so numerous, so detailed, and were so terribly vindicated, that no one could gainsay me. I could not be reproached either for making the war or with want of preparation for it.

I thought I knew a good deal about it all, and I was sure I should not fail.

Therefore, although impatient for the morning, I slept soundly and had no need for cheering dreams. Facts are better than dreams.

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Martin Gilbert, Winston Churchill: Finest Hour, 1939 -1941, (chs. 15 & 16) and Winston S. Churchill, Their Finest Hour. (pgs. 3-27)