OCR Specification focus:
‘Why Churchill was out of office 1929–1939; his views about rearmament and appeasement.’
During the interwar years, Winston Churchill found himself on the political margins. His exclusion from office, coupled with his vocal opposition to appeasement, shaped his reputation as both an outcast and a prophet.
Churchill Out of Office 1929–1939
The Fall from Government
In 1929, the Conservatives were defeated by the Labour Party under Ramsay MacDonald. Churchill lost his position as Chancellor of the Exchequer, leaving him without ministerial office for a decade. This period, often referred to as his “wilderness years”, was marked by political isolation and strained relations with Conservative leaders such as Stanley Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain.
Churchill’s absence from office was due not only to electoral defeat but also to:
His reputation as unpredictable and self-promoting.
Disputes with his own party over major issues, particularly India and constitutional questions.
His failure to adapt to shifting political priorities during the 1930s.
Political Marginalisation
While he remained a Member of Parliament, Churchill was frequently at odds with party leadership. His stance on issues such as opposition to Indian self-government made him appear reactionary and out of touch. These positions reduced his chances of holding significant office.
Wilderness Years: The period between 1929 and 1939 when Churchill was excluded from high office, marked by political isolation and limited influence.
Despite this marginalisation, Churchill retained a reputation as a powerful orator and defender of Britain’s imperial and strategic strength.
Churchill’s Views on Rearmament
Concerns over Defence Policy
Churchill consistently warned of the growing threat posed by Nazi Germany. From the early 1930s, he pressed for increased spending on defence, especially the Royal Air Force. He highlighted Germany’s rapid rearmament programme after Hitler’s rise to power in 1933.
Opposition and Criticism
Churchill’s warnings were dismissed by many as alarmist. Baldwin and Chamberlain prioritised balanced budgets and the avoidance of confrontation. They believed the electorate had little appetite for military expansion during a period of economic hardship.
Yet Churchill’s focus on air defence and radar development was prescient, later contributing to Britain’s survival in 1940.
Rearmament: The process of building up a nation’s military capacity, particularly in preparation for war.
His repeated calls for rearmament, although unpopular at the time, strengthened his image as a statesman with foresight when war eventually broke out.
Churchill’s Criticism of Appeasement
Policy of Appeasement
British governments during the 1930s pursued a policy of appeasement, seeking to avoid conflict by making concessions to Germany and Italy. This strategy reached its peak with the Munich Agreement of 1938, when Chamberlain accepted Hitler’s claims to the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia.
English-labelled map of the Munich Agreement showing Czechoslovak territories ceded to Germany in 1938. It clarifies where the Sudetenland lay and why the concession mattered strategically. Labels and borders are kept simple for readability. Source
Appeasement: A diplomatic policy of conceding to aggressive powers in order to avoid conflict, widely associated with British policy towards Hitler in the 1930s.
Churchill regarded appeasement as a dangerous illusion that encouraged aggression rather than preventing it.
Churchill’s Opposition
Churchill’s criticisms were rooted in his conviction that Hitler’s ambitions were unlimited. He argued that concessions weakened Britain’s strategic position and emboldened dictators. His speeches in Parliament accused the government of betraying allies and abandoning moral responsibility.
He stressed that:
Hitler’s Germany would not stop at limited territorial expansion.
Concessions undermined Britain’s credibility as a great power.
The delay in confronting Germany only made eventual conflict more likely and more dangerous.
Reaction to Munich
The Munich settlement of 1938 was widely celebrated in Britain as a triumph of peace, yet Churchill condemned it as a humiliating betrayal of Czechoslovakia and a disaster for European stability.
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain holds aloft the Anglo-German declaration on arriving at Heston Aerodrome after the Munich Conference. The moment fed the belief that peace had been secured—precisely the illusion Churchill challenged. Black-and-white photograph; includes the crowd and the paper he read from. Source
The Road to Premiership
By 1939, as Hitler invaded Poland and war became unavoidable, Churchill’s warnings seemed justified. Although still without ministerial office at the outbreak of war, he was recalled to government in September 1939 as First Lord of the Admiralty. His persistent criticism of appeasement and advocacy of rearmament prepared the ground for his eventual elevation to Prime Minister in May 1940.
Key Points of the Wilderness Years
Out of office due to political disputes and party conflicts.
Called for rearmament long before the government acted.
Condemned appeasement as naïve and dangerous.
Regarded by many contemporaries as alarmist, but later seen as prophetic.
Churchill’s decade in the wilderness defined his political character. His marginalisation was caused by disputes with party leaders and unpopular views, yet his steadfast opposition to appeasement and insistence on rearmament ultimately justified his return to leadership at Britain’s most perilous hour.
FAQ
Churchill criticised Baldwin for prioritising balanced budgets over defence spending, arguing this left Britain exposed to German rearmament.
He also accused Baldwin of deliberately underestimating the scale of the Luftwaffe in public, which Churchill believed misled Parliament and the public about the real danger of air attack.
Churchill maintained close contacts with officials in the Air Ministry and civil servants sympathetic to his concerns.
He obtained leaked figures on German aircraft production.
These data allowed him to argue in Parliament that Britain faced a significant and growing disadvantage in air power.
This reliance on unofficial channels both strengthened his case and alienated colleagues who saw him as reckless.
Churchill opposed moves towards Indian self-government, particularly the 1935 Government of India Act.
He believed granting Indians more autonomy threatened the unity of the Empire and Britain’s global standing.
However, many Conservatives and the public saw this opposition as outdated and reactionary, making it harder for him to be trusted on broader issues.
The memory of the First World War and the Depression created strong public resistance to high defence spending.
Many voters prioritised social welfare over military budgets.
Pacifist movements, such as the Peace Pledge Union, had wide appeal.
Churchill’s calls for rearmament often seemed out of touch with these attitudes, limiting his influence until the late 1930s.
Though lacking office, Churchill used speeches to present himself as a defender of national security.
He employed vivid language to warn of Britain “sleepwalking” into danger, contrasting his urgency with Chamberlain’s optimism.
These speeches enhanced his reputation as a prophetic figure, even if most MPs dismissed him as alarmist at the time.
Practice Questions
Question 1 (2 marks)
Why was Winston Churchill out of government office between 1929 and 1939?
Mark Scheme:
1 mark for identifying that Churchill lost his position when the Conservatives were defeated in the 1929 General Election.
1 mark for noting that his unpopular stances (e.g. on India, Empire, or constitutional issues) kept him isolated from party leadership.
Question 2 (6 marks)
Explain why Churchill opposed the policy of appeasement during the 1930s.
Mark Scheme:
1–2 marks: General explanation that Churchill opposed appeasement because he distrusted Hitler and saw concessions as dangerous.
3–4 marks: Development with reference to Churchill’s belief that Hitler’s ambitions were unlimited and that appeasement weakened Britain’s credibility.
5–6 marks: Detailed explanation showing knowledge of Churchill’s parliamentary speeches, his insistence that rearmament was vital, and his denunciation of the Munich Agreement as a betrayal of Czechoslovakia.
