The Raf and the Battle of Britain

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Advanced Higher History Dissertation How important was the RAF victory in the Battle of Britain in preventing a German invasion in 1940? “Since England, despite of her hopeless military situation, shows no signs of being ready to come to an understanding, I have decided to prepare a landing operation against England, and, if necessary, to carry it out. The aim of this operation will be to eliminate the English homeland as a base for the prosecution of the war against Germany and, if necessary, to occupy it completely.” The Führer and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Directive 16 16 Jul 1940 Contents Introduction 3 The Battle of Britain 4 The RAF Victory 8 The Invasion of Britain? 13 Other Factors 14 Conclusion 17 Bibliography 18 Introduction Britain’s victory in ‘The Battle of Britain’ is arguably the most decisive incident of the Second World War. Our victory could be claimed to have prevented an invasion of Britain in the summer or autumn of 1940 and the subsequent defeat of the Western allies, also it was the first time Hitler’s mighty Luftwaffe had been defeated. This dissertation will examine the strength of the Royal Air Force and explain how vital ‘the few’ were to Britain’s wartime survival. It will judge the validity of the Revisionist argument that Britain’s home defences and navy were strong enough by September 1940 to have precluded the real possibility of a German invasion; historians Peter Fleming and Stephen Bungay believe such an operation would have most likely resulted in a disaster for the Germans. The Home Guard had been set up by September 1940 and radar technology secured our advantage over Germany’s air force and Navy. The massive strength
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