1
The Battle of Britain
Never in the field of human conflict was so much
owed by so many to so few.
Prime Minister Winston Churchill, August 1940
Thoughts and Reflection
Defending the Nation -The Nation at War
Press Esc at any time to end the presentation.
2
Did the Luftwaffe underestimate Britains
defences and resolve ?
Images provided by The Battle of Britain
Historical Society
3
Adolf Hitler called off the invasion of Britain
on 17th September 1940. The invasion was
postponed indefinitely. Key Question Was the
Battle of Britain and its outcome a major turning
point in World War Two?
Fighting Germany alone, Britain had managed to
defeat a numerically superior force. The British
defensive system had ensured that the fight
against Germany and her allies would continue and
the victory provided the armed forces with a
breathing space that enabled Britain to regroup.
The British Empire gathered its strength and
planned for future conflict in other theatres of
war Africa and the Mediterranean, the Atlantic
and eventually the European Continent. Germany
meanwhile turned her attention to the east,
launching Operation Barbarossa against Russia in
1941. She had now opened a war on two fronts.
4
What would have happened if Great Britain had
been invaded and defeated?
Luftwaffe failed to gain air superiority over
Great Britain
The Defeat of France June 1940
Was the Battle of Britain a Turning Point during
World War Two?
Invasion of Russia 1941
Operation Sealion Postponed
The bombing of German towns and cities by British
and U.S. forces
D - Day June 1944
5
Can the Battle of Britain be seen as a major
turning point of World War Two?
Three major battles signalled the end of the
initial, defensive, phase of the conflict for the
Allies in the west the Battle of Britain in
Russia, the halting of the German advance in
front of Moscow and in the Pacific, the Battle
of Midway. In each case, following a succession
of disastrous military setbacks, Allied forces
secured a victory that stopped the Axis advance
in its tracks and established a breathing space
in which to build up their strength before going
over to the defensive. The Battle of Britain was
the firstand, arguably, the most important had
it not been won by the R.A.F., the other battles
might never have taken place or, if they had
taken place, their outcome might have been
different.
Alfred Price, The Battle of Britain (1990)
6
Can the Battle of Britain be seen as a major
turning point of World War Two?
If Goerings air fleets had succeeded in
destroying the British defences, Hitler would
almost certainly have seized his chance to launch
an invasion.Dowdings 3,000-odd pilots haddone
an enormous amount to convince America that
Britain could survive, and was worth supporting.
Len Deighton, The Battle of Britain (1980)
7
Can the Battle of Britain be seen as a major
turning point of World War Two?
The Battle of Britain did much to change both
attitudes and expectations. It was fought in full
daylight in full view of millions of spectators.
It was fought to the encouraging and incomparable
commentary of Winston Churchill, whose words
affected attitudes far beyond BritainThe David
and Goliath nature of the conflict, the reports
and photographs of the bombing of London and
other British cities, the undoubted heroism not
only of British airmen but of millions of men and
women on the ground, tilted sympathy our way. All
of that added up to a factor of enormous
importance in the development of the war against
Germany.
Richard Townshend Bickers, The Battle of Britain
(1990)