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Winston Churchill led an extraordinary life, but perhaps the most remarkable element in his life was how he became prime minister in 1940. Just a few years earlier he was widely seen as politically isolated and was widely ridiculed for his views. Yet in 1940, he was appointed his nation’s Prime Minister at its darkest hours and became the leader of the fight against Nazi Germany. <ref> Hastings, Max. ''Finest Years: Churchill as Warlord, 1940–45''. (London: Harper Press, 2009), p. 112.</ref> The reasons for this astounding change of political fortune was due to Churchill’s unstinting opposition to Nazi Germany and the realization by Parliament that he was the leader Britain needed its most desperate hour.

==Background==

==Outbreak of War==

In September 1939, the German war machine invaded Poland. The Prime Minister Neville Chamberlin declared war on Nazi Germany. The British adopted a cautious policy. The send the British Expeditionary Force to France. The Allied British and French adopted a defensive posture and waited for a German attack. This was the period of the Phoney War, where the allies waited for Hitler’s next move.<ref>Hastings, p. 117 </ref> Chamberlin knew that Churchill, was wildly popular, and he invited him to join the war cabinet and the First Lord of the Admiralty, on the day that Britain declared war on Germany. Churchill began to prepare the British navy for war against Germany. 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 following to Germany. <ref>Hastings, p. 117 </ref>