During Britain’s Finest Hour, Winston Churchill Thanks the American People for Their Support

In the spring of 1940, when France collapsed and Europe cringed before Hitler, only Prime Minister Churchill and valiant Britain stood between the world and a new Dark Age. They rose to the occasion throughout that momentous year, with Churchill providing the inspiration, the “lion’s roar”.

Though Paris was surrendered rather than risk its destruction, Churchill refused to consider a peace with Hitler, and swore that the English would defend London house to house and see it razed to the ground rather than capitulate and lose the institutions of freedom that had been gained at such cost over a thousand years. From July to September 1940, all waited for the German invasion of Britain to begin, as the Battle of Britain was fought to secure air supremacy.

By mid-September it was clear that the RAF had denied the Luftwaffe the control the Germans needed to cross the English Channel, and the Nazi leaders decided to concentrate instead on bombing cities to pound the British people into submission. For months in succession the cities of Britain suffered night after night of air terror, and while the cities were being destroyed the people sought safety in air raid shelters, and in London, in Underground (subway) stations. This bombing of the civilian population came to be known as the Blitz.

In October Churchill and his government moved to the underground cabinet war rooms because of the air assault; in November Coventry was destroyed. Still the bombing continued, unrelenting (as it would until May of 1941).

Meanwhile, although the United States was officially neutral in the war, there was mounting concern that Britain might be bludgeoned into submission. President Roosevelt persuaded Congress to pass a neutrality bill which permitted Britain to buy American goods and munitions, and in September 1940, seeing that the British had no more funds available, he issued an executive order giving Britain destroyers in return for leases on some bases in the Caribbean. That same month, the threat to the U.S. was increased when Germany concluded an alliance with Japan and Italy. More and more Americans were stating publically that U.S. national security would be in jeopardy if Germany triumphed, and Congress recognized the danger in the situation by passing the first peacetime draft in American history.

There remained, however, a very strong America First movement which opposed U.S. involvement in the war and tied Roosevelt’s hands, limiting what he could say or do to assist the British. For his part, Churchill knew full well that, although Britain might hold out gallantly, American participation was the only hope for actually winning the war. He wanted to encourage those Americans who were openly offering support.

Typed Letter Signed on 10 Downing Street letterhead, underground war rooms in London, December 21, 1940 (the very day German bombers left Victoria Station in flames), to an American named Mrs. Sears. “Thank you very much for your kind letter. It is encouraging to feel that we have the ever-increasing sympathy and support of the people of the United States, and especially of New England, in this great struggle.”

This letter is historically important for two reasons. One lies in the knowledge that Churchill felt that Britain’s support in the U.S. was increasing, a prime goal of his and something crucial to Britain’s survival. Time would bear out the accuracy of this conclusion. The second lies in the view it provides into Churchill’s soul at this key moment in world history (and the high-water mark of the leadership which won him everlasting renown), evidenced by his classification of the war against Hitler, even at that early date, as “this great struggle.” Although Churchill left a voluminous correspondence, letters written during the Blitz in 1940 are so uncommon that a search of auction records discloses just one other comparable one having been offered over the last 30 years.