"No lover ever studied every whim of his mistress as I did those of President Roosevelt."

So Winston Churchill remembered his efforts to secure material support from the United States in the 18 months between taking office as Prime Minister and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor which brought America into the Second World War.

Professor Richard Toye and Dr. Warren Dockter explore the nuances and fascinating details of this courtship as President Roosevelt navigated domestic resistance to entering a European war. They discuss the Atlantic Conference of August 1941 and its careful presentation to Roosevelt and Churchill''s domestic audiences. And Churchill's reaction to the news of Pearl Harbor.

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Professor Richard Toye and Dr. Warren Dockter discuss a decision which Winston Churchill called"the most hateful, the most painful and unnatural in which I have ever been involved." Namely the order to attack French warships at Mers-el-Kebir in Algeria, following the armistice between France and Nazi Germany.

They explore the background to the attack - and how Churchill explained and justified the move, one which bolstered his political position in Britain and improved Britain's standing in the US.

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The extraordinary story of how Churchill threw his weight behind a last-ditch attempt to keep France in the war against the Nazis - by joining the British and French nations together to form the "Franco-British Union".

And the story of how this daring plan crashed and burned...

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It's early June 1940. Though the Nazi invasion of France continues to progress at speed, Winston Churchill remains determined to keep France in the war.

Professor Richard Toye and Dr. Warren Dockter discuss whether, when Churchill said "We shall never surrender", he was actually referring to Britain and France.

And they explore Churchill's frantic efforts to sustain morale within the French government, making two dramatic flights o France in 48 hours.

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Professor Richard Toye and Dr. Warren Dockter explore the context and the impact of what's become one of most famous speeches in modern history. When despite weeks of military setbacks, Winston Churchill pledged that Britain would never give in to Hitler.

But when Churchill said "We shall never surrender", did "We" actually mean Britain and France?

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In the second episode of this new podcast on the dramatic life of WInston Churchill, Professor Richard Toye and Dr. Warren Dockter explore the military and political crises which propelled Winston Churchill into office as Britain's Prime Minister.

How was it that a disastrous operation against the Nazis in Norway came to benefit Churchill, when as the minister in charge of the Royal Navy, he bore primary responsibility for the fiasco? We'll reveal that Churchill himself couldn't quite understand...

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