ABSTRACT
In February 1943, the Beveridge report for social security in Britain was completed. It was a noble document to produce in the midst of a death struggle with three great world powers. During the first five months of 1943 British and American troops slowly pushed back the German defenders in Tunisia. In Russia, also, Hitler’s forces were withdrawing. In April 1943, Churchill, after pressure from backbenchers for some years, announced that church bells would no longer be reserved for use as a warning of invasion. As usual in military matters, Roosevelt gave way in the end to Churchill. It was agreed that plans would be made for invading Italy. Churchill agreed that the cross-Channel invasion would definitely take place after that, and was even pinned down to a date, 1 May 1944. In order to find the necessary shipping for the Mediterranean campaign, British sailings to the Indian Ocean were cut by more than half; there was famine in Bengal.
