AFTERMATH OF MUNICH STRATEGIC PRIORITIES IN BRITISH REARMAMENT OCTOBER 1938 - AUGUST 1939. IAN RODERICK GRIMVOOD M. P h il. VAR STUDIES. 1 UMI Number: U615185 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U615185 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 7 k - b l + - ABSTRACT, Slessor, Douglas, Spaight etal justified the Munich Agreement as providing a 'breathing space' to accelerate British rearmament. Whilst Chamberlain realised Britain's military weakness, feared a German 'knock-out blow', and underestimated the Czech Army^ His prime motive was to prevent, not postpone, a war which he abhorred. Nevertheless he realised the need to accelerate defensive measures such as fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft guns and civil defence. A n x ie tie s th a t Germany would invade Holland, s e iz in g strategic airfields and the Channel Parts, over ruled the policy of 'limited Liability'. French pressure, and Lord Halifax's support enabled Hore-Belisha to raise equipment for an enlarged field force. Chamberlain opposed conscription for fear of alienating the trade unions; whilst he believed a Ministry of Supply would lose industrialists' co-operation with rearmament and undermine economic recovery. Hitler's Czechoslovakian coup, French requests for an appropriately enlarged British field force and the Premier's desire for a permanent couverture of anti-aircraft guns, combined to beget conscription. Disclosure of 50-60 week delays for deliveries of machine tools finally ended opposition to a Ministry of Supply. Extensions of subcontracting and the shadow factory system enabled British aircraft production to match Germany's by September 1939. By then both F ig h ter and Bomber Command enjoyed improvements in number and quality. Radar now covered most of Britain. However Germany gained co n sid era b ly by annexing Czechoslovakia. She seized equipment for 15 infantry divisions. Czech tanks provided three additional armoured d iv is io n s in 1940. Greater Germany was th e second la r g e s t industrial power and less vunerable to bloQtCctola- Mismanagement denied her the heavy bombers and submarines necessary to defeat Britain. Had Britain acted with greater urgency to establish a Ministry of Supply and provide a substantial field force, the Battle of France might have been extended or even won, thus postponing or avoiding the Battle of Britain. 2 CflJTTEKTS Biographical note*, I I I I II I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Abbreviations, I • I I I I I I I I I I « I I I I I I I » I » I Introduction, I I »( I I I I I I I I I I f I Chapter I, The Road to Munich I I I I I I I I I I I i I I I I I I I Chapter 2, Iiniediate Aftermath of Munich ...................... Chapter 3, Debate on Strategic Priorities .................. November 1938 - January 1939, Chapter 4, Rebirth of the Army, ,,,, ........................... Chapter 5, Introduction of Conscription ..................... Chapter 6, Creation of a Ministry of Supply in Peat et imei,,,,i,,,,,i,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Chapter 7, Rearmament after Munich, Contrast of the RAF and Army,,,,, .............. Chapter 8, German Progress in Rearmament 1938-1939 & The Impact of her Territorial Gain on Her Economy, i i i i i i i i i i i i i « i i i i • i i i I i a i Conclusion ........................................................................ Appendices, I, RAF Mobilizable Squadrons,,,Munich,Sept 1938 compared with Sept, 1939, 2, Statement of Air Deficiencies, Oct,1938, 3, Note on growth of the A,A,Defence, 4, Recommendations of the Committee for Defence Programmes & Acceleration,, 5, S,S,A, Proposals for RAF expansion, 6, Hore-Belisha's memo,Preparing the Army for its Role, 7, F.P.C's recommendation of 27th Jan,1939, 8a, Numbers of Aircraft Programmed and Delivered,Jan - June 1939, b, Aircraft Production of Major Powers,1933-1940, c, Deliveries of New Aircraft,,,U,K,,,1938-1940, 9a, Comparison of Approved Requirements with orders placed, b, Deliveries of some War Stores , Oct,1938-June 1940, 10, Major industries of Incorporated Sudetenland 1939, 11, Military equipment seized in the invasion of Czechoslovakia 1939, 12, Comparative Naval strengths of Britain 6 Germany, 1933-1938-1939, Bibliography,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,i,,,,,,,,,,,,,, BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES, ANDERSON, Sir John, 1st Viscount Waver 1ey: Permanent Under Secretary at Hone Off ice,1922-1932; Hone Secretary and Minister for Hone Security, 1939-1940; Lord President of the Council, 1940 BALDWIN, Stanley: (1867-1947), 1st Earl of Bewdley,President of the Board of Trad 1921- 1922,Chancellor of the Exchequer 1922-1923, Prine Minister 1923-1924,1924-1929,1935- 1937, Lord President of the Council 1931-1935, BROWN, (Alfred) Ernest; (1881-1962),Minister of Labour 1935-40, Secretary for Scotland 1940-41, Minister for Health 1941-43, Chancellor of Duchy of Lancaster 1943-1945, Minister of Aircraft Production, May-July 1945, BUR8IN, Edward Leslie; (1887-1945, Minister of Transport 1937-1939, Minister of Supply 1939-1940, CHAMBERLAIN, Neville; (1669-1940), Director of National Service 1917, Postmaster General 1922-1923, Paymaster General 1923, Minister of Health 1923, 1924-1929 and 1931, Chancellor of the Exchequer 1923-1924 and 1931-1937,Prine Minister 1937-1940,Lord President of the Council 1940, CHATFIELD, Alfred; 1st Baron,First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff 1933-1938, Minister for Co-Ordination of Defence 1939-1940, CHRISTIE, Mai col n Graham; (1881-1971), Group Capt.R.A.F,, British Air Attache Berlin, 1927-1930, Source of intelligence on Germany,especially with Luftwaffe, for Foreign Office 1933-1940, DALADIER, Edouard; (1684-1970), French Statesman,French War Minister 1936, Premier April 1938-March 1940, DOUGLAS (William) Sholto; Marshall of the RAF,1st Baron of Kirtleside, Instructor Imperial Defence College 1932-1935,Director Staff Studies,Air Ministry 1936-1937, Asst,Chief of Air Staff 1938-40, Deputy Chief of Air Staff 1940, Commander in Chief Fighter Command,( Nov) 1940-1942, Q0RT#John Standish; (B,1885), Field-Marshal1, Lord,Director of Military Training India 1932-1936,Commandant Staff College 1936-1937,Military Secretary to Secretary of War 1937, Chief of General Staff 1937-1939,Commander in Chief BEF in France 1939-1940, H0ARE, Sir Samuel John; 1st Viscount Templewood, Air Secretary 1931-1929, Secretary of State for India 1931-1935, Foreign Secretary 1935, First Lord 1936, Home Secretary!937- 1939, Ambassador on Special Mission to Madrid 1940, HORE-BELISHA, Leslie; 1st Baron of Devonport, Minister of Transport 1934-1937, Secretary of State for War 1937-1940,Minister of National Insurance 1945, 4 INSKIP, Sir Thomas: 1st Viscount Caldecote, Minister for Co-ordination of Defence 1936- 1939, Lord Chancellor,(2nd Jan) 1939-1940, Leader of the House of Lords 1940, POWNALL, Henry Roydi; Lieutenant-General, Aniitint Secretary and Deputy Secretary CID1933-I936, Director of Military Operations and Intelligence 1938-9, Chief of General Staff, British Expeditionary Force 1939-40, ROBINSON,Sir (Niilian) Arthur; Chair of Supply Board of CIO 1935-1939,Secretary to Ministry of Supply 1939-1940, SIMON, Sir John Allesbrook: (1873-1954), Attorney General 1913-1915, Home Secretary 1915-1916, resiging in opposition to conscription, Foreign Secretary 1931, Home Secretary 1935-1937, Chancellor of Exchequer 1937-1940, Lord Chancellor 1940-1945, SLESS0R, Sir John C: (1897-1979),Marshall of the RAF,Instructor Camberley 1931- 1934,India 1935-1937,Deputy Director and Director Plans,Air Ministry 1937-1941,Air Officer Commanding 1941.Assistant Chief of Air Staff 1942-3, TRENCHARD, Hugh Montague; Marshall of the Royal Air Force Viscount Trenchard; Chief of Air Staff, 1918-29; Marshall of the R,A,F,,1927. Commisioner of Metropolitan Police 1931-5, WOOD, Sir Kingsley;.Post Master General 1931-1935,Minister of Health 1935-1938, Secretary for Air 1938-1940,Lord Privy Seal April - May 1940, Chancellor of Exchequer 1940-1943, 5 ABBREVIATIONS. A.C, Acceleration Contmiitee, A.D.G.B. Air Defence of Great Britain, A.E.U. Amalgamated Engineering Union, A.R.P, Air Raid Precautions, B.E.F, British Expeditionary Force, B.H.P, British Military Policy, C.A.S. Chief of Air Staff, c.o. Civil Defence, C.O.P.A. Committee of Defence Programmes and Acceleration C.I.D. Committee Imperial Defence, C.K.D. Ceskomoravska Kolben Danek, C.N.S, Chief of Naval Staff, C.O.B. Chief of Staff D.fi.H.P. Director 6eneral Munitions Production, D.G.P/A.M.Director General Production/Air Ministry, D.I.P. Director of Industrial Planning D.M.O.ftl. Director of Military Operations & Intelligence, E.E.F, Engineers Employers Federation, F.B.I, Federation British Industry, F, F, Field Force, F.F.A. Fleet Air Arn, F.O, Foreign Office, F.P.C. Foreign Policy Committee, F,S, Foreign Secretary G, S, General Staff M,of S. Ministry of Supply, M,P, Member of Parliament, N.S.A, National Service Appeal, M.8.L. National Service League P.M. Prime Minister, P.B.O.C. Principal Supply Officers Committee, R. A. Regular Army R.A.F. Royal Air Force, R.O.F. Royal Ordancnce Factories S, A, Secretary for Air, S.B.A.C. Society British Aircraft Constructors 8.S.A.