The+Battle+of+Britain

The Battle of Britain

In the summer of 1940, the war was looking very bad for democracy. France, one of the strongest allied powers, had fallen. Europe was under Axis rule. Germany was practically on England's door step. To get to England, Germany would need to launch an invasion. The British surface navy was much stronger than the German surface navy, which would stand no chance. To remedy this deficiency, Germany launched an air war on Great Britain. The Luftwaffe began to launch bombing raids over England, targeting strategic locations such as airstrips and factories. If the Luftwaffe could attain control of the skies, it may be able to defeat the British Navy. All the Luftwaffe had to do was defeat the RAF (Royal Air Force). As two of the most powerful air forces in the world clashed, bombs rained, and the casualties began to add up. As the air battle wore on, German bombers began to target cities, and civilian casualties began to mount. But the British didn't give in, they fought on. Aided by new developments in radar, British pilots were able to target and destroy more and more German bombers. The two countries would continue to bomb each other's cities throughout the war. But the Battle of Britain was eventually won by the British. Led by Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the British people maintained hope, and protected by determined and resilient pilots, the country survived the bombs, and Hitler called off the invasion of Great Britain, and soldiered on in the war.

Works Cited //The Americans Holt McDougal //. Student ed. Orlando Florida: Houghton, 2012. Print.