1940

Churchill war ministry

Winston Churchill becomes British prime minister

Churchill took office on the morning German forces opened their assault on the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France.

10 May 1940: a resignation and a commission

Neville Chamberlain resigned as prime minister on 10 May 1940 and advised King George VI to ask Winston Churchill to form a government. That Friday evening, Churchill received the King's commission to form a new administration.

The change of prime minister happened on the same day Germany invaded the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France.

Churchill had been First Lord of the Admiralty until he accepted the commission.

Why Chamberlain could not stay

The failed Allied campaign in Norway produced the Norway Debate of 7–8 May and exposed a collapse in Chamberlain's parliamentary authority. His government won the division, but with a gravely reduced majority — a political loss of authority rather than a formal defeat.

Labour had refused to join a coalition headed by Chamberlain while agreeing to cooperate under another leader, which made his continuation in office untenable.

Viscount Halifax, the foreign secretary, had widely been expected to succeed him.

A War Cabinet of five

Churchill rapidly formed a broadly based coalition and a five-member War Cabinet containing Conservatives and Labour representatives; Clement Attlee, whose party's participation made an all-party government possible, entered it.

He presented the new government to the Commons on 13 May, three days after his appointment.

That was also when he delivered the "blood, toil, tears and sweat" speech — not on the day he took office.

Sources

Researched 23 Aug 2026 5 sources 2 audit passes Date corrected

How this was checked

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Date corrected. The research places this at 1940-05-10.