DBWI could the UK have kept fighting after Dunkirk?

Perhaps, but Halifax quitting the war in 1940, then re-entering in 1943 was far more effective than three extra years of war. It'd have bankrupted the country otherwise.
 
It is ingenious to claim Halifax reentered the war: it was a national government dominated by labours majority. He was merely a member of cabinet.
 
We could have fought on if the RAF fighter command grew some balls and covered the evacuation fleet instead the Royal Navy lost HMS Hood along with HMS Norfolk trying to cover the evacuation fleet.
 
But the Royal Navy had the last laugh due to the carriers HMS ARK ROYAL and Illustrious launching there swordfish bi plane torpedo bombers sinking sharnhorst and crippling lutzow
 
Maybe it would have been for the worst since Germany withdrew it´s forces from France and the low countries after regaining Alcass Lorraine and Luxemburg plus 10 % of the yearly income for 20 years from France. Who knows, maybe the jews like the Dutch PM Anne Franke would have been sent to Death camps.

After the Japanese attacked PH Germany sent what was left of it´s Surface navy to try to help the British relieve Singapore. The Surface battle betwen Prinze Eugen, George V and Prince of Wales against Yamato is stuff of legends. The German U-boats hurt the Japanese more than the US subs that had defective torpedoes until Doenitz gave them some. With a war in Europe it would have taken longer than 1943 to defeat Japan.

That the allies and Germany then had a second war was only expected, especially since Soviet had been pushed beyond Ural
 
Possible? Sure, main defence of British isles has always been Royal Navy and its still thwre, but HMG needs two things to stop things simply falling apart on the home front, moral support and cash. Both are available from USA if they can be convinced to end their policy of isolation.
 
Germany fights Great Britain and France. Then Great Britain and Germany have peace. Germany then fights on Britain's side against Japan. And a short time after than, Britain goes back to war with Germany. Then there is the Soviet Union and its relationship with Germany and Britain. Is it any wonder that the USA kept its policy of staying away from Europe. It was part of the whole "unofficial" arrangement between the USA and Japan starting in early 1944. Both trusted each other more than they trusted any of the European powers.
 
Was it ever possible for the United Kingdom to continue its war against Germany after Dunkirk?
I think the UK and empire could have continued fighting. Having to fight both Germany and Italy would be difficult. The Royal Navy was still strong - proportionally the Kriegsmarine had lost more of it strength than the RN had, even after the Dunkirk battles. In the Med, it was a naval stalemate between Italy and the UK. But, the loss of so much of the BEF, the loss of capital ships to both Germany and Italy, the fear of invasion, South Africa flirting with dropping out of the war (and eventually doing so) - the United Kingdom needed to have gotten past their crisis of morale.
 
Maybe if Winston Churchill had become Prime Minister instead of Lord Halifax?

Whiteshore... seriously? This again? There's a reason the whole bloody Churchill Saves the Day scenario has gotten the infamous "Operation Sea Donkey" moniker, since he was the one plan that almost certainly would have lost the war in an afternoon. His bone-headed insistence on trying to hold on and push back under any circumstances had turned every other one of his military adventures on their head (If I qoute the Yankee dity on the subject; From the Plains of Shaka Zulu, to the Cliffs of Gallipoli, he is there to spread the British Red of their blood '''ovr the land and sea).

The British Expeditionary Force was trapped, full stop, and the attempt at a breakout attack to"Rekindle the French Fighting Spirit" as patterns show he would have suggested would have resulted in a soul crushing and lose of any negotiating position that Halifax used so brillently to buy the Empire time to tune up it's domestic war economy (Thus allowing the efficent use of Imperial monetary resources, reducing the strain on American credit and allowing the post-war rebuild), strategically outmanuver the Japanese, and make Uncle Joe do the bleeding. Churchill would have burned England"s future to Ash just to get an immediate blaze of glory
 
I do remember reading that Churchills famous speech on the deck of HMS repulse after the battle of narvik.
 
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It is ingenious to claim Halifax reentered the war: it was a national government dominated by labours majority. He was merely a member of cabinet.

It was Halifaxs policy to prepare the British empire for a rematch. The economic and industrial policies, the arms development, ect... were set in motion and nurse maided by Halifax. The labor government was walking on the bridge Halfaxs team built. He, Dill, BeaverBrook, Pound, & a number of others have never received the recognition for the heavy lifting they did in the recovery years of 1940-42.
 
Perhaps, but Halifax quitting the war in 1940, then re-entering in 1943 was far more effective than three extra years of war. It'd have bankrupted the country otherwise.

Yes, the fifty fully mechanized British and Commonwealth divisions which performed the "Reverse Sickle Cut" could not have been built if Britain had fought Italy and Germany all alone between 1940-1943. Not to mention all the equipment they had in store for the French "Voluntary Fire Brigades" and "Civilian Construction Corps" in 1943...
 

Deleted member 94680

It is ingenious to claim Halifax reentered the war: it was a national government dominated by labours majority. He was merely a member of cabinet.

Oh, here we go... time for the Halifax bashing. Revisionist nonsense. One man extracted the Empire from the mess Chamberlian had got us into and it wasn’t any of the Labour Johnny-come-latelies in the National Government of the “glory years”.

There’s a reason the navy named its best Carrier HMS Halifax - and it ain’t a love of Canada!
 
What about the other way round? What if I need 1940 it would be Germany that continued their Blitzkrieg now upon the British isles. The UK may have wanted peace, or at least a little breathing time to lick their wounds, but it was pretty much at it's knees with only it's air Force remaining at some level of strength.

All it needed was a particular brash NAZI commander winning Hitler for the idea that if they were to strike now, they could, if not defeat them, then at least knock the British oh of the war permanently and .... Voila. Now you have the same bomber force that flattened Guernica suddenly appearing over London.
 

Dolan

Banned
. Is it any wonder that the USA kept its policy of staying away from Europe. It was part of the whole "unofficial" arrangement between the USA and Japan starting in early 1944. Both trusted each other more than they trusted any of the European powers.
Especially since China end up trying to invade The Philippines with their newly bought second hand British and German ships.

The Japanese themselves are also appalingly cruel conquerors, but at least they have Honor to not launch sneak attacks to friendly nation like what Chinese does.

Sure, half of American public will scream and reject outright alliance against Japan before 1955 due to presence of Chinese lobby, but to half the others, giving Japanese support to end the Madness at Asia would be the best situation.

At least reasons and economic carrots win the day as East Asia become stabilized in 1953. Nixon's plan to have Emperor of Japan taking the Mandate of Heaven in China under personal union is definitely a stroke of genius. Forcing Japan to actually treat the conquered Chinese as their citizens instead of colonial subjects.

Sure, the remnant ROC operating in South China still thought the Yamato Dynasty as foreign usurper, but after 50++ years of stability, the Yamato Dynasty has been regarded as Chinese Emperor by everyone north of the Yangtze river
 
Britain was defended by the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, not the British Expeditionary Corps. Loss of most (not all) of the BEF really didn't change the strategic picture and was used by the government as an excuse for the armistice.

Britain made the armistice with Germany because the government knew that France was about to throw in the towel and Britain could not prevail against a continental European power without a strong continental European ally. There was no serious prospect of invasion by Germany, but even the British empire would have been bankrupted trying to find some way to defeat Germany militarily. By the way, Churchill knew all this perfectly well but argued in cabinet that the United States could become the new British ally.

Dunkirk was a dramatic episode but as a POD is pretty irrelevant. You have to at the least have Churchill and Halifax swap jobs, which at least almost happened, or more likely change the government of the USA to prevent the 1940 armistice.
 
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