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British strategy in a certain eventuality (1940) [pdf]
- godelmachine 8y agoOverall the British outlook in the early days of the war was quite pessimistic. They relied heavily on USA for success.
- lainga 8y agoUpon learning of Pearl Harbor, even before FDR's address to Congress, Churchill realized that: "So, we had won after all! …We had won the war. England would live; Britain would live; the Commonwealth of Nations and the Empire would live. How long the war would last or in what fashion it would end no man could tell, nor did I at this moment care. . . . We should not be wiped out. Our history would not come to an end. We might not even have to die as individuals. Hitler’s fate was sealed. Mussolini’s fate was sealed. As for the Japanese, they would be ground to powder. All the rest was merely the proper application of overwhelming force."
- perl4ever 8y ago"the Commonwealth of Nations and the Empire would live" ...that belies the overall sense of prescience you might get from the quote.
- gballan 8y agoGreat language: "MOST SECRET" and "TO BE KEPT UNDER LOCK AND KEY" and "It is requested that special care may be taken to ensure the secrecy of this document."
- scrumper 8y agoNever mind the fascinating subject matter and insight into early war thinking in government, this is a great example of how to write a broad report. It's brilliantly structured and written with real clarity.