On May 10th, 1940 Winston Churchill took over 10 Downing Street and became the British Prime Minister, pushing Chamberlain out in disgrace and forming a new “all party” government. The collapse of the French army shocked the world, and Churchill feared they were next.
On May 15th Churchill sends his first message as Prime Minister to FDR. "“The scene has darkened swiftly. The small countries are simply smashed up, one by one, like matchwood. We expect to be attacked ourselves in the near future.
… But I trust you realize Mr. President, that the voice and force of the United States may count for nothing if they are withheld too long.”
On May 18th, FDR confronted Congress with the brutal reality of the war and demands massive increases in defense spending. "“These are ominous days--days whose swift and shocking developments force every neutral nation to look to its defenses in the light of new factors:
The brutal force of modern offensive war has been loosed in all its horror. New powers of destruction, incredibly swift and deadly, have been developed; and those who wield them are ruthless and daring.
No old defense is so strong that it requires no further strengthening, and no attack is so unlikely or impossible that it may be ignored.” FDR strikes a deal to give Churchill 50 destroyers in exchange for UK naval bases. #Leadership in crisis.
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