He Stopped Rommel Cold. Six Weeks Later, Churchill Fired Him Anyway.
WW2 Inside Histories
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Late June 1942. Tobruk has just fallen. Thirty-three thousand British and Commonwealth troops have surrendered, and Churchill, in the middle of the crisis, writes directly to General Claude Auchinleck: "you have my entire confidence."
Six weeks later, Churchill fired him.
Not for losing. By then, Auchinleck had taken personal command of the Eighth Army, chosen the ground at El Alamein, and stopped Rommel's advance on Cairo and the Suez Canal in the First Battle of El Alamein. But a stalemate wasn't the dramatic victory Churchill needed after Tobruk, a no-confidence debate, and the darkest year of Britain's war. Auchinleck was removed. His planned replacement was killed in a plane crash two days later, and Bernard Montgomery took over an army, a defensive position, and an intelligence advantage that Auchinleck had largely built.
This is the story of the first battle of El Alamein, the historians who argue Montgomery's famous victory was built on Auchinleck's foundation, and the ones who argue that's an over correction. Either way, one of the most consequential defensive stands of the war has been left out of the popular story.
If you're into WW2 history, the command decisions behind the famous battles, and the generals the popular story left out, subscribe to WW2 Inside Histories for more deep dives like this one.
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He Stopped Rommel Cold. Six Weeks Later, Churchill Fired Him Anyway.
WW2 Inside Histories
333 views
Late June 1942. Tobruk has just fallen. Thirty-three thousand British and Commonwealth troops have surrendered, and Churchill, in the middle of the crisis, writes directly to General Claude Auchinleck: "you have my entire confidence."
Six weeks later, Churchill fired him.
Not for losing. By then, Auchinleck had taken personal command of the Eighth Army, chosen the ground at El Alamein, and stopped Rommel's advance on Cairo and the Suez Canal in the First Battle of El Alamein. But a stalemate wasn't the dramatic victory Churchill needed after Tobruk, a no-confidence debate, and the darkest year of Britain's war. Auchinleck was removed. His planned replacement was killed in a plane crash two days later, and Bernard Montgomery took over an army, a defensive position, and an intelligence advantage that Auchinleck had largely built.
This is the story of the first battle of El Alamein, the historians who argue Montgomery's famous victory was built on Auchinleck's foundation, and the ones who argue that's an over correction. Either way, one of the most consequential defensive stands of the war has been left out of the popular story.
If you're into WW2 history, the command decisions behind the famous battles, and the generals the popular story left out, subscribe to WW2 Inside Histories for more deep dives like this one.
đź”” New WW2 history videos every week
đź‘Ť Like, comment, and share to help others discover forgotten chapters of World War II.
🕰️ History deserves to be seen — thank you for watching.
#Auchinleck #ElAlamein #WW2History