Churchill’s The Second World War, Part Twenty-Three

In the penultimate episode of their deep dive into Winston Churchill’s *The Gathering Storm*, Hugh Hewitt and Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn confront a pivotal and often overlooked chapter in World War II history: the 'phony war' and the disastrous Norway campaign. Churchill, as First Lord of the Admiralty, is portrayed not as a flawless strategist but as a man frustrated by bureaucratic inertia, committee paralysis, and the failure of allies to act decisively—despite clear intelligence, such as the crash of a German staff officer carrying the full invasion plan for Western Europe. The episode reveals how Churchill’s prescient warnings about German military innovation, particularly the use of blitzkrieg tactics and tanks, were ignored, leading to catastrophic consequences in France. Arnn emphasizes that Churchill’s memoir is not just a record of events but a deliberate effort to honor individual heroism—like Captain Vianne of the HMS Cossack and the 'Tin Can' destroyer commander who charged Japanese battleships—proving that courage, not just strategy, wins wars. The discussion culminates in a sobering reflection on the cost of inaction: the British Navy’s exhaustion in Norway crippled Germany’s ability to launch Operation Sea Lion, a critical turning point that saved Britain from invasion.