Battle of Narvik
Discusses Narvik and Dunkirk with French leaders.
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill Biography and Timeline — Page 20
Follow Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill through 1,398 dated historical records for Great Britain.
Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
1,398Distinct records
20 of 35Page
1940–1940Years on this page
1940
Supreme War Council
Attends as Allied leaders discuss evacuation from Norway and France.
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Supreme War Council
Discusses Dunkirk and Norway with French leaders.
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Supreme War Council
Discusses Narvik and Dunkirk with French leaders.
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Enemy Aliens
Clamps down on "the enemy within" & strongly supports the deportation of enemy aliens
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Raid
Sets up raiding forces to keep German troops tied down in occupied countries
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Evacuation
The Germans enter Dunkirk
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Operation Dynamo
"We shall fight on the beaches...... we shall never surrender"
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Speech
"We shall fight on the beaches...... we shall never surrender"
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
We Shall Fight on the Beaches
Warns Parliament that Britain will fight on whatever happens.
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Battle of Narvik
Continues evacuation arrangements after the temporary Allied victory at Narvik.
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Operation Alphabet
Continues evacuation arrangements for Allied forces in northern Norway.
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Battle of Narvik
Allied withdrawal from Narvik is completed as Norway becomes untenable.
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Withdrawal from Narvik
Allied evacuation from Narvik is completed despite the earlier victory.
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Withdrawal from Narvik
British and Allied forces complete withdrawal from Narvik during Operation Alphabet.
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Declaration of War
Benito Mussolini declares war on the Allies
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Italy Enters War
Responds as Mussolini brings Italy into the war.
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Supreme War Council
Meets French leaders as the French front collapses.
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Meeting with De Gaulle & greets him with the
Meets de Gaulle & greets him with the words "Lhomme du destin"
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Result of Surrender of France
Britain refuses to support a separate French peace and commits to continuing the war.
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Result of Surrender of France
The collapse of the French military position forces the government toward an armistice decision.
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Surrender of France
Promises the Allies will restore France after the war. Forbids France making a separate peace with Germany
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Surrender of France
Informed of the imminent collapse of France. Flies to Tours where the French Government is now based
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Supreme War Council
Urges Reynaud's government to continue fighting.
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Capture of Paris
Paris falls to the Germans. Churchill realises that Britain will be the next target for Hitler after France
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Fall of Paris
Faces the strategic shock of Paris falling to Germany.
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Anglo-French Union
Offers a political union to encourage France to remain in the war.
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Battle of Britain
Churchill uses his skilful rhetoric to harden public opinion against capitulation, and to prepare the British for a long war. In his "This was their finest hour" speech on 18 June 1940, he said "the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin"
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Battle of Britain
Tells Parliament the Battle of Britain is about to begin.
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Battle of Britain
Declares that the Battle of France is over and the Battle of Britain is about to begin.
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Battle of Britain
Uses the Finest Hour speech to prepare Britain for the coming air campaign.
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Arrest of 27,000 enemy aliens
Persuades the Home Office to intern 27,000 enemy aliens
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Enemy Aliens
Persuades the Home Office to intern 27,000 enemy aliens
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
French Armistice
Prepares Britain to continue alone after France seeks an armistice.
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Operation Collar
1st British Commando raid on occupied France at Boulogne-sur-Mer, attackers failed to achieve any of their objectives
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Siege of Boulogne-sur-Mer
1st British Commando raid on occupied France at Boulogne-sur-Mer, attackers failed to achieve any of their objectives
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Capture of Great Britain
All French ships in British ports are seized by the royal Navy
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Free French
Recognizes Charles de Gaulle as the leader of the Free French
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Recognition of Charles de Gaulle as the leader of
Recognizes Charles de Gaulle as the leader of the Free French
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Free French Support
Supports de Gaulle and the Free French movement in London.
Role range: 1939-1945 – 1940-1945
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.