Alan brooke biography

Brooke realized that England did not have enough troops to defeat the vastly superior German forces.

Alan brooke biography: Field Marshal Alan Francis Brooke,

He convinced Churchill to withdraw nearlyBritish troops before it was too late. Guided the Allies to Victory In JulyBrooke was put in charge of the home forces and worked out plans to defeat a German attack on England. The Royal Air Force won its battle for air supremacy and the Germans postponed their invasion. As a result, America joined the conflict and Japan attacked British positions in the Pacific.

In this position, Brooke proved to be most effective. Churchill had a strong-willed personality and tended to set unrealistic goals. Brooke was able to keep Churchill restrained until the Allies had sufficient troop strength to defeat the Germans. Dill was able to smooth out many difficulties between the Americans and the British. Brooke was himself able to use common sense in his dealings with Britain's allies.

The Americans wanted to invade France from England in the fall of by crossing the English Channel. He convinced them that it was necessary to weaken the Germans by fighting in Africa and Russia before such an invasion could succeed. He also believed that the war in Europe must be won before dealing with the Japanese. Therefore, his strategy required liberating North Africa and Italy, while conducting a saturation bombing campaign against the Germans in order to weaken their will and ability to continue the war.

Though he admired Churchill, Brooke wrote in his diary that he was the most difficult man with whom he had ever worked.

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His role was to turn Churchill's visionary ideas into military realities. The two men made a great team. Churchill was the stocky fiery politician while Brooke, the aloof, strong-willed field marshal with a lean, athletic figure and closely trimmed mustache, created the balance. Brooke was able to maintain cordial relations with the leaders of the Allied forces, including Stalin.

Indeed, among Alan Brooke's greatest gifts was a facility for working well with American and Soviet military and civilian leaders. He earned the respect of President Franklin D. The government promoted Alan Brooke to field marshal in and in recognition of his distinguished war service; they created him a baron in and a viscount the following year.

The importance of a person was irrelevant, Brooke rarely allowed social importance to block his opinions if he thought himself right. Even Stalin admired him, Generals Eisenhower and Marshall held his opinions in regard, others detested him. Brooke was not infallible, but he stuck to his guns in a time of potential global disaster.

Churchill said about Brooke: "When I thump the table and push my face towards him what does he do? Thumps the table harder and glares back at me. I know these Brookes — stiff-necked Ulstermen and there's no one worse to deal with than that! Brooke was particularly annoyed by Churchill's idea of capturing the northern tip of Sumatra. The CIGS was sceptical about the British intervention in the Greek Civil War in late during the Dekemvrianabelieving this was an operation which would drain troops from the alan brooke biography front in Germany.

But at this stage the war was practically won and Churchill saw the possibility of preventing Greece from becoming a communist state. Standing, left to right: Major-General L. Hollis ; General Sir Hastings Ismay. Brooke as a consequence got a firm ally in his arguments with Churchill. Brooke and the rest of the Chiefs of Staff wanted to build up the forces in Australia while Churchill preferred to use India as a base for the British effort.

It was an issue over which the Chiefs of Staff were prepared to resign, but in the end a compromise was reached. After one fierce clash Churchill told his chief of staff and military adviser, General Sir Hastings Ismaythat he did not think he could continue to work any longer with Brooke because "he hates me. I can see hatred looking from his eyes.

I don't hate him.

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I love him. But the first time I tell him that I agree with him when I don't will be the time to get rid of me, for then I can be no more use to him. The partnership between Brooke and Churchill was a very successful one. According to historian Max Hastingstheir partnership "created the most efficient machine for the higher direction of the war possessed by any combatant nation, even if its judgments were sometimes flawed and its ability to enforce its wishes increasingly constrained".

It is far better that the world should never know, and never suspect the feet of clay of this otherwise superhuman being. Without him England was lost for a certainty, with him England has been on the verge of disaster time and again Never have I admired and despised a man simultaneously to the same extent. Never have such opposite extremes been combined in the same human being.

They contain descriptions on the day-to-day running of the British war effort including some indiscreet references to top secret interceptions of German radio traffic[71] Brooke's thoughts on strategy, as well as frequent anecdotes from the many meetings he had with the Allied leadership during the war.

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Although the diaries contain passages expressing admiration of Churchill, they also served as a vent for Brooke's frustration with working with the Prime Minister. The diaries also give sharp opinions on several of the top Allied leaders. The American generals Eisenhower and Marshallfor example, are described as poor strategists and Field Marshal Sir Harold Alexander as unintelligent.