General Chat

Nobody led Britain and France into war with Germany Sep 3 1939. Rather war was forced on them by a criminal pyschopath.

Despite popular myth that the 1930s was an economic disaster for the UK nothing could be further from the truth. Apart from the north east ( the UK's rust belt ) the country was booming having wisely left the gold standard. Chamberlain served as Finance Minister and PM for the National Government which brought in important social reforms such as paid holidays, improved safety at work and raising the school leaving age to 15.

Contrary to Churchill's myths the UK did indeed embark on a policy of rearming which was bitterly attacked by the Labour Party. In 1938 the UK was in no position to go to war with Germany, by 1939 it was able to do so. The RAF and radar defense system which fought off the Luftwaffe in 1940 was not suddenly magicked out of thin air by Churchill who only came to power in May 1940.

Chamberlain died not long after leaving office with cancer. As always the winners write the history.

Meanwhile the parallels with Comrade Putin and the Ukraine are to say the least uncomfortable. The MoD has had good reason to accelerate the withdrawal from Afghanistan with as much kit and caboodle as possible. It is less wise to rely on a phantom army of reservists to meet some of Osbourne's budget cuts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neville_Chamberlain

The prime minister who lead Britain into war in September 1939 died on this day in 1940.

He is well remembered for signing the Munich Treaty in 1938.

Britain declared war on Germany the following year, following Germanys invasion of Poland.