Churchill Ordered French Navy Vessels To Surrender Or Be Destroyed

Posted:

Trigger

Just saw this great history documentary on PBS Churchill's Deadly Decision (Unfortunately, it expires on 12/31/2014). Again my question, why does PBS expire such great videos. Do not taxpayers and viewers make those videos possible? Why are these videos not posted on YouTube?

This documentary portrays Winston Churchill in his first few months as the new prime minister in 1940 having to make a tragic and consequential decision. The video contains great footage and shows how the pressure build up quickly within weeks to make such a decision and under what circumstances.

This documentary also shows how reluctant U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt and the U.S. Congress was to come to the military aid of United Kingdom in the face of the Nazi threat.

Piqued My Interest

I am not a history buff in general and certainly not about World War II. However, I believe, I am fairly knowledgeable about key events, persons etc. of WW II.

But that Winston Churchill in 1940 had ordered the surrender or destruction of all critical French Navy vessels was either really unknown to me or I had already forgotten this event. Perhaps, because Churchill is such a towering figure, this controversial decision by him is perhaps not much talked about.

Brief Paraphrased Story

The German war machine quickly overran Belgium and France. France, the ally of the UK, quickly caved in and the French government collaborated with the Nazis. The second most powerful fleet of navy vessels in Europe besides UK and Germany, i.e. the French Navy, were about to be taken over by the Nazis.

In a speech to Parliament, Churchill repeated that the French armistice with Germany was a betrayal of the Allied agreement that forbade each country from surrendering to the Germans without notifying its allies.

To make a long story short, Churchill issued an ultimatum to French navy officers; British navy ships attacked French navy ships in Algeria (see Attack on Mers-el-Kébir), where almost 1,300 French sailors died.

Documentary Implied Churchill’s Culpability

For some reason, the documentary suggested that Churchill went too far and had significant numbers of Allied soldiers killed. Point in case according to the documentary, then chief French Admiral Darlan had promised to Churchill that no French navy vessels would fall into the hands of Nazis. Further, the documentary shows that Darlan’s promise was executed when the Nazis invaded southern France. French officers and sailors sabotaged French navy ships mooring in ports of southern France before German soldiers arrived.

The documentary also suggested that U.S. President Roosevelt was informed about the British operation and that he approved of it including the destruction of French navy vessels.

The documentary omitted to inform the viewer that it was not just Admiral Darlan, but a member of the Vichy government and a close confidant of General Petain, i.e. French Navy Minister Admiral Darlan. Thus, it was probably difficult to ascertain what role the French minister would play and whether he would carry out his promise. Churchill or anyone else in his position could not have relied on the word of one allied general, who could have been killed or replaced at any time.