Thesis
"Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth lasts for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour!'"
- Winston Churchill, Speech to The House of Commons on June 18, 1940
On September 1, 1939, World War II began with Germany's
invasion of Poland. The Nazis soon had removed the obstacles in their way of total European domination by using the strategy of "blitzkrieg" or Lightning Warfare. On June 14, 1940 France fell to Germany, and now the last country standing against Hitler was Great Britain. Before Hitler could invade the island nation, he had to take control of the air. The Germans began a full-scale assault on July 14, 1940. Instead of bending to Germany's power, Britain stood strong against a ferocious onslaught. Against all odds, Britain emerged victorious from the ashes of battle. The Battle of Britain was not only a decisive victory for the British, but it was a huge turning point in the fight against Nazi domination. |