‘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 support this interpretation, that the Germans had scored a great victory at Dunkirk.

Source 1From 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 3A 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

Source 2A 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.

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soon took over the capital, Paris.

Source 4A television documentary, ‘Britain’s 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. Churchill’s 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 5The Documentary ‘Britain’s Finest Hour’ went on to say……

After Dunkirk, Churchill’s 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 6A 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 victory.

German losses were 10,000 killed 42,500 wounded 8,500 missing.

In comparison, Hitler announced that

1,212,000one million, two hundred and twelve

thousand Dutch, Belgian, French and British prisoners

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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 7From 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 8A cartoon produced in Britain in 1940.

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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

1

2

3

4

4

5

6

7

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 contradict 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 9From 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 Luftwaffe’s bombers and Stukas.

Source 10From 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

5

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 11A 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

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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 13From a book written by a historian, A.J.P. Taylor to celebrate

the 100th anniversary of Churchill’s 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 14From 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 15From 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 16Written by a psychiatrist, Dr Anthony Storr.

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Psychiatrists study the way people’s 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

isn’t 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 17An account by Marion Holmes, Churchill’s 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 18An American poster published in

1940

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

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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 20A poster produced by the British

government.

9

Source 21A picture of Winston Churchill

during World War II

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

1940.

10

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

11

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 24Dunkirk 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 ……….

12

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

‘Bloody Marvellous’

Source 26A cartoon published in a British newspaper at the time of

the evacuation,The name of the paddle steamer is the Brighton Belle.

Source 27British cartoon, May 29th 1940.

13

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 everyone’s

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

14

useful to us in finding out whether Dunkirk was a crushing victory for the Germans.

Type of source

SourceNumbe

r

What it tells us. Possible weaknesses

Newspapers 11

25

History books 12

13

14

19

15

Cartoons 26

27

Posters 18

20

Speeches/ memories

17

22

Photographs 21

16

23

24

Psychiatrists 16

17

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.

18

Source 29Entrance to a public shelter

Source 30An anti-aircraft gun

Timeline of World War II.

19

1939 Germany invades Poland

1940 Germany invades NorwayGermany invades Holland and BelgiumDunkirk and fall of France

Battle of BritainThe Blitz on Britain begins

1941 Battle of the Atlantic beginsHitler calls off the Blitz on BritainGermans invade Russia

1942 Britain wins the Battle of El Alamein in North AfricaAllies start to bomb Germany

1943 Germans lose the Battle of Stalingrad in Russia

1944 Britain wins the Battle of the AtlanticD-Day landings –Allies land in Europe

1945 Germany surrenders

Key

German victoriesBritish and Allied victories

Task

20

Explain what each of the following sources suggest about whether the Germans had scored a crushing victory at

Dunkirk.

Source What it suggests about whether Dunkirk was a crushing victory.

28

29

30

Timeline

21

‘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?

22

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

Documentaries

23

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 Dunkirk……………as shown in evidence such as……….

about what was happening in Britain at the time, which turned defeat into victory……….as shown in evidence such as…………….

24

about what happened after Dunkirk, as shown in………………………..

25