Intelligence Squared Can the West Hold Together? Lessons from WWII with Tim Bouverie and Michael Gove (Part One)
Oct 12, 2025
Tim Bouverie, a historian and author of Allies at War, joins Michael Gove to explore the fragile coalition that defeated Hitler. They discuss the profound lessons from WWII for today's geopolitical landscape, where alliances are strained. Bouverie highlights the rocky Anglo-French relations and the Allies' early strategic failures. He also delves into Churchill's alliance with Stalin and the crucial shift in strategy that led to victory. With rising tensions today, the dynamics of past alliances offer valuable insights for the West.
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Fragile Anglo-French Alliance
- The Anglo-French alliance of 1939 was born of necessity, not affection, and was strained by mutual distrust.
- Britain and France misaligned strategy and expectations, weakening early coordinated resistance to Germany.
Misreading German Strategy
- The Allies expected a 1914-style German attack and failed to adapt when Germany changed its plan through the Ardennes.
- Strategic rigidity and morale collapse, not pure numbers, caused France's rapid defeat in 1940.
De Gaulle's Accidental Rise
- Charles de Gaulle emerged almost by accident as the leader of the Free French after fleeing to Britain.
- Churchill backed him as a resilient figure despite knowing little about him personally.
