May 10, 1940, marked the date when Germany invaded Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and France. On the same day, the highest-ranking naval officer in the United Kingdom, Winston Churchill, became Prime Minister. The challenging times that accompanied Churchill’s appointment did not intimidate him. He brought back the certainty that Britain would defeat Nazi Germany.

During the first days in a new position, Winston Churchill filled Whitehall with his flamboyant and electric energy. From early mornings to late nights, he dictated short memoranda known as “minutes” to his typist. He was frequently frustrated by the misspellings that, in Churchill’s opinion, were caused by poor attention. Actually, a slight speech impediment made it difficult for him to pronounce the letter “s”.

At work, Churchill paid close attention to the smallest details and to the tasks performed by the lowest-ranked employees. This kept everyone in the office focused, as they felt that Churchill’s attention might fall on them at any moment. Churchill valued brevity and clear communication. He insisted that the inability to compress one’s thoughts was a sign of laziness.

Thirty-seven RAF bombers struck Munich-Gladbach, Germany, two days after Churchill took office. This incident amply illustrated the British resolve to oppose Hitler's government. Churchill reaffirmed this intention during his first speech before the House of Commons on May 13. On May 14, German forces attacked Rotterdam, killing over eight hundred citizens. The next day, French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud called Churchill, stating that the Germans had broken the French lines from multiple directions.

On May 26, Churchill ordered the evacuation of British, French, and Belgian troops from Dunkirk harbor, northern France. Despite the initial ominous prediction, they were able to save 338,226 soldiers. In his speech on June 4, Churchill pointed out that evacuations do not win wars. The words were directed to the US and demonstrated the British unwavering determination to win. The United Kingdom was ready to fight, even if it meant fighting alone.