Changes

Many believed that Chamberlin invited Churchill to join the war cabinet to ensure that he did not cause problems for the government in the House of Commons. It proved to be a popular move, and the public welcomed Churchill’s return to the cabinet. Poland was defeated within weeks by Germany, and after the Molotov-Rippentrop pact, Hitler turned his attention west towards France. Churchill argued strongly in favor of an aggressive strategy. He wanted the British and French to attack Germany, and he proposed that the Allies occupy Norway, to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Germans.<ref>Hastings, 211</ref> In the Spring of 1940, the German navy and army attacked Norway, even though it was a neutral nation. Like Churchill, Germany realized that Norway had great strategic importance. When Germany invaded Norway, it was the main source of their iron ore, and they need to keep Norway's iron ore flowing to Germany. <ref>Hastings, p. 117 </ref>

The Allies dispatched forces to Norway to help the Norwegian army to beat back the German invaders, but it was too late. The Germans landed paratroopers in the country and rapidly reinforced these forces with several divisions of German infantry. Germany quickly and easily defeated the Norwegian army. The French and the British arrived too late and in too few numbers. The Norwegian army regrouped in the north of the country, where they were joined by British and French forces. There were several fierce battles, and the Allies put up fierce resistance.

The Allies and the Norwegian were forced to evacuate their units from the Norwegian port of Narvik, taking with them the king of Norway and his government. The ‘loss’ of Norway caused consternation in Britain, and many feared that it could be used as a base to attack the British mainland. Once again Churchill had been proven right and if he had been heeded the allies could have held Norway. The public outcry over Norway meant that people had lost faith in the Conservative government and resulted in calls for the resignation of Neville Chamberlin.<ref> Hastings, 213</ref> Many Conservatives believed that it was time for a change, for the good of the country.

<div class="portal" style='float:right; width:35%'>

====Related DailyHistory.org Articles====

*[[What were the goals of the Axis powers and the Soviet Union during World War Two?]]