2 Neutral states in a world at war, September 1939 to May 1940
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Karen Garner
Abstract
Chapter 2 examines the first months of war, as Neville Chamberlain and Winston Churchill, called back into government service in the War Cabinet, struggled to establish Britain’s war footing in response to the German Blitzkrieg attacks on Poland and the Western European allies. During these months, Eamon de Valera and Franklin Roosevelt also established their nations’ strikingly dissimilar neutrality policies. De Valera declared Ireland’s neutrality when Britain went to war with Germany and his Defence Minister, Frank Aiken, enforced a strict censorship of all war news and suppressed any expressions of bias toward the Allied or Axis Powers. Sir John Maffey was sent to Dublin as Britain’s diplomatic representative and established his credentials and wartime relationships with Eamon de Valera and Ireland’s Secretary for External Affairs, Joseph Walshe. Helen Kirkpatrick began reporting on Irish neutrality policy and on threats that the Nazi German Reich posed to all of humanity in efforts to inspire popular support for an American and Irish alliance with Britain. In February 1940, Roosevelt appointed David Gray as U.S. Minister to Ireland, his personal emissary to the formal diplomatic post, to assess de Valera’s government and to support Great Britain. Gray arrived in Dublin in March, just before Germany invaded and occupied the neutral states of Denmark, Norway, Holland, and Belgium in April and May. The invasion of the European neutrals, a major blow to the Western Allies’ war fortunes, prompted Chamberlain’s resignation and Churchill’s elevation to Prime Minister, mobilizing civilian and military resistance to the fascist powers.
Abstract
Chapter 2 examines the first months of war, as Neville Chamberlain and Winston Churchill, called back into government service in the War Cabinet, struggled to establish Britain’s war footing in response to the German Blitzkrieg attacks on Poland and the Western European allies. During these months, Eamon de Valera and Franklin Roosevelt also established their nations’ strikingly dissimilar neutrality policies. De Valera declared Ireland’s neutrality when Britain went to war with Germany and his Defence Minister, Frank Aiken, enforced a strict censorship of all war news and suppressed any expressions of bias toward the Allied or Axis Powers. Sir John Maffey was sent to Dublin as Britain’s diplomatic representative and established his credentials and wartime relationships with Eamon de Valera and Ireland’s Secretary for External Affairs, Joseph Walshe. Helen Kirkpatrick began reporting on Irish neutrality policy and on threats that the Nazi German Reich posed to all of humanity in efforts to inspire popular support for an American and Irish alliance with Britain. In February 1940, Roosevelt appointed David Gray as U.S. Minister to Ireland, his personal emissary to the formal diplomatic post, to assess de Valera’s government and to support Great Britain. Gray arrived in Dublin in March, just before Germany invaded and occupied the neutral states of Denmark, Norway, Holland, and Belgium in April and May. The invasion of the European neutrals, a major blow to the Western Allies’ war fortunes, prompted Chamberlain’s resignation and Churchill’s elevation to Prime Minister, mobilizing civilian and military resistance to the fascist powers.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front Matter i
- Dedication v
- Contents vii
- List of figures viii
- Acknowledgments x
- Map of Eire during the Emergency xi
- Introduction 1
- 1 Agreements made, pledges broken 21
- 2 Neutral states in a world at war, September 1939 to May 1940 43
- 3 “Unstoppable” Germany, “unbeatable” Britain, June to December 1940 81
- 4 In pursuit of America’s friendship, January to June 1941 109
- 5 British friend, Irish foe, July to December 1941 140
- 6 Efforts to “break the backbone” of Irish neutrality, January 1942 to December 1943 168
- 7 Eire, neutral to the bitter end, January 1944 to June 1945 198
- Conclusion 222
- Bibliography 237
- Index 246
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front Matter i
- Dedication v
- Contents vii
- List of figures viii
- Acknowledgments x
- Map of Eire during the Emergency xi
- Introduction 1
- 1 Agreements made, pledges broken 21
- 2 Neutral states in a world at war, September 1939 to May 1940 43
- 3 “Unstoppable” Germany, “unbeatable” Britain, June to December 1940 81
- 4 In pursuit of America’s friendship, January to June 1941 109
- 5 British friend, Irish foe, July to December 1941 140
- 6 Efforts to “break the backbone” of Irish neutrality, January 1942 to December 1943 168
- 7 Eire, neutral to the bitter end, January 1944 to June 1945 198
- Conclusion 222
- Bibliography 237
- Index 246
