Due to a 1934 law , all countries that had defaulted on their WW1 debts (as did Britain) were to be denied credit, and had to purchase all their materials in cash or bonds.
The bases in Bermuda etc were traded for 50 WW1 vintage destroyers, for by the summer of 1940 Britain was virtually bankrupt. Churchill had negotiated the deal so it was an early precendent of exchange in part gift, part payment.
It was only when Roosevelt was satisfied that Britain was truly nearly bankrupt, that he introduced the Lend-Lease Bill. In dec 1940 the USS Louisville was sent to Sth Africa to pick up 42 million pounds in gold, the last of Britains negotiable assets after Britain was audited by the US treasury department to truly satisfy they were infact bankrupt. On the 1st of March 1941 depts of $540 million were due for settlement by Britain (not all to the US). It was double the amount cash Britain possessed.
Churchill had asked both the Norwegian and Dutch govt in exile for cash but was refused. Only a 60 million pound loan by Belguim's govt. in exile saved Britain from complete economic collapse.
Who supplied Britain in her darkest hour with her unlimited resources?
It could be seen that the US govt was quite happy to let Britain completely exhaust it self fighting the Germans, and only supplied the materials to fight the war because it knew it needed Britain as a base to invade Europe. It was only
free because Britain had nothing left to give.
They didn't abandon Poland, the Prime Minister just dithered about because he believed Hitler when he said he wouldn't be invading people
This is not true. By march '39 the British government knew war was inevitable. But the cost, and slow rearming of the British army had made even the idea of sending units to Poland after Sept3 impossible, let alone even finding a way to get there. The French army was even in worse shape.
The other point is, why the hell should Britain have had the responsibility of defending Poland and Czechoslovakia?
In 18 April 1939 Maxim Litvinov proposed a Russo-France/Anglo alliance of between 5-10 yrs, in the case of agression by Germany. The French were willing to explore the pact, however the British were told by Poland that in no circumstances would it allow Red Army units on Polish soil,
even if it was at war with Germany. Negotations between the British and Russians had significantly bogged down , when Stalin decided that a pact with Germany was in Russia's better interest.
Pretty frickin' arrogant statement there Dowding. But I suppose colonials don't really count
It is pretty safe to assume that even though the Dominion armies (Canada, New Zealand, Australia,and South Africa) were led by Dominion commanders that answered to their respective governments, that Dowdings statement of
Britain was on her
own also included these Dominion forces.
Tronsky
