ABSTRACT
Neville Chamberlain had tried to stop Hitler by concessions at Munich in 1938; he had tried to stop him by a declaration of war in 1939. In contrast to Chamberlain, Winston S. Churchill had already, on 3 September, 1939, produced the first of his always carefully composed wartime orations. Churchill enjoyed many advantages as wartime Prime Minister compared with Lloyd George. The swift triumph of Hitler's hazardous gamble in Norway brought about the downfall of Chamberlain, after two days of memorable parliamentary debate on 7-8 May 1940. The starting-point of the revolution, however, was a remark which Chamberlain had made in the course of a speech to a Conservative Party gathering on 4 April. Duff Cooper, too, expressed regret at Chamberlain's reference to his 'friends' and announced that he would vote against the Government. Another Conservative, Commander Bower, indicated that he would do the same, and echoed Amery.
