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Spinning Dunkirk In the early summer of 1940 the British government had to deal with the greatest defeat ever suffered by the British army. “All your countrymen have been following with pride and admiration the courageous resistance of the British Expeditionary Force.” Winston Churchill “Saved – “Disaster Turned To Triumph” – “Rescued From The Jaws Of Death”, the “Miracle of Dunkirk”. Newsreel cameras filmed soldiers coming ashore smiling, waving, and giving thumbs-up signs. The message was clear - although the army had been driven from the continent, its spirit had not been broken.

Spinning Dunkirk The Allies left behind 2,000 guns, 60,000 trucks, 76,000 tons of ammunition and 600,000 tons of fuel supplies. The Germans gained: 1,200 field guns, 1,250 anti-aircraft guns, 11,000 machine guns 25,000 vehicles 1,212,000 Dutch, Belgian, French and British prisoners taken, 30,000 British died, 338,000 men saved in the evacuation It provided a great boost to British morale, but left the remaining French to stand alone against a renewed German assault southwards. German troops entered Paris on June 14 and accepted the surrender of France on June 22. The loss of so much materiel on the beaches meant that the British Army needed months to re-supply. "Dunkirk spirit" stood for an almost romantic belief in the solidarity of the British people in times of adversity.

Relevant Questions? Did Churchill demonstrate good leadership? Should government use propaganda to spin the truth? Does the use of propaganda create mistrust of government? Should the military always focus on the positive aspects when reporting to the public and media? Does the public have a right to always know the truth about military matters?