Sublime

Seventy-five percent of Allied ground forces in the theater were British, as were four out of every five naval vessels and half the air forces.

On his own authority, without seeking the approval of the Combined Chiefs of Staff, the British war cabinet, or Washington, he had installed a new government in France, saved Paris from destruction, and received the adulation of the French people. By providing de Gaulle the opportunity to occupy the Palais de l’Élysée, he outmaneuvered FDR and the

Churchill visualized the Cold War, and may even have been contributing to its onset. Eisenhower hoped that the defeat of Nazi Germany would lay the groundwork for a peaceful world in which the victorious Allies would cooperate.

M.D.1. was under the direct control of the War Cabinet, for there was no Ministry of Defence at this time, although there was a Minister of Defence — the Prime Minister. It was not surprising, therefore, that those who wanted to disparage the establishment should choose to call it ‘Winston Churchill’s Toyshop’. The toys we produced were rather dang

123 The prime minster had long been intrigued by irregular warfare. As a young man Churchill had observed the Cuban War of Independence and particularly admired the way the guerrillas used intelligence to enhance the effectiveness of their limited forces.124 He likewise observed the Second Anglo-Boer War at very close range—including capture by and

is not the individual performance that counts. Of this, I’m quite certain. You can have a great leader, you know. If the herd hasn’t got it in it, you can’t make the grade. The herd must have the capacity, the stamina, sufficient social cohesiveness to survive.

Lloyd George frequently emphasized to me in conversation that one feature that distinguished a first-rate political leader from a second-rate politician is that the former was always careful to avoid making any definite statement that could be subsequently refuted, as he was likely to be caught out in the long run.