1. North Africa is gradually calming down.

Neither the British nor the Germans were in a hurry to fight at this time...... To be precise, the Germans were incapable of attacking again, their tanks had been almost wiped out in previous battles, and their logistical supply lines had been cut off at this critical time.

The British were indeed in no hurry to attack, because in this case, the further back they were, the more favorable it would be for the British army, and the better the chance of victory, and launching an attack might give the Germans an opportunity.

However, this was only General Ochinlake's idea, not Churchill.

Churchill was under pressure from domestic politics...... After the fall of Alexander, the Conservatives again submitted a motion to Parliament making it clear that they did not trust Churchill's command of the war.

In the light rain in London, the British Parliament was as chaotic as a vegetable market, the parliamentarians gathered in twos and threes to discuss something, and Churchill sat on the stage with anger in his eyes and pretended to look at the documents in his hands...... As the prime minister, he doesn't like to be questioned and interrogated like a prisoner again and again.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Wardlow, one of the more powerful MP of the Conservative Party, stood up and said in an impassioned tone: "The first thing I want to say is that this motion is not directed at the officers and soldiers who fought bravely on the battlefield, and their sacrifice and courage deserve our admiration. But it is precisely because of this that I made this motion...... It should be clear to everyone that so far Britain has suffered a series of defeats and routs: Breg, Benghazi, Tobruk, and now even Alexandria has fallen under the control of the Germans! And the government did not give us any explanation, I think the main reason for the failure is our cabinet, the most critical mistake is to make the prime minister also the Minister of Defence! ”

After a pause, Waldlow continued: "Gentlemen, what we need is a man of courage and unfettered to command this war, and our defeat is fundamentally due to the fact that our esteemed Prime Minister does not seem to have the energy to juggle domestic politics with the fighting in North Africa. So, for the sake of the victory in the North African campaign, for the sake of the hundreds of thousands of lives fighting in that inhospitable land, I think we should appoint a Minister of Defense to share the burden of the Prime Minister! ”

Wardlow's words were very eloquent, and they were not sarcastic and ridiculous as Milne and others had said before, but Churchill preferred to deal with people like Milne...... Because Waldlow is smiling and hiding a knife, ostensibly sharing the responsibility of the prime minister, but in fact seizing power.

Churchill was silent for a moment, then replied: "I just want to say: we are fighting for our survival, for a cause more precious than life itself." You give me power and time, and I give you victory...... That's all! ”

The parliamentarians couldn't help but be stunned, no one expected Churchill's answer to be so simple.

But it was precisely this simple answer that made all parliamentarians feel hairy...... They all wondered if Churchill's words meant that he had a plan to win. If Churchill were kicked out of the chain of command at this time, would it affect the entire plan or even lead to the failure of the plan?

What's more, the British army did repel the German attack in North Africa and stabilized its position.

In the end, the House of Commons voted and Wardlow's motion of no confidence was defeated, and Churchill once again successfully weathered the storm.

But getting through it is one thing, and Churchill still needs a win to prove himself, or there will be another no-confidence motion not long after.

This led Churchill to send several telegrams urging General Auchinleck to attack.

But General Auchinleck did not do so, and he replied: "Dear Prime Minister, I am reluctant to conclude that a counteroffensive against the Germans is not feasible in a short period of time, and that we need new well-trained soldiers and equipment sufficient to deal a fatal blow to the enemy, which at present seems to be far from sufficient...... The fundamental reason why we have repeatedly failed to have the advantage of troops and equipment in the past is that the soldiers are not well trained. Therefore, rushing to attack is not only detrimental to our army, but may be used by the enemy! ”

Churchill couldn't help but be furious when he saw this reply: "Did Auchinleck think that he would be victorious when he temporarily stopped the German offensive on the Nile?" It's not even close! Had he forgotten Matroux, Tobruk and Alexander? The odious Rommel did not go far, he stood at the gates of Egypt and laughed at us, and could strike a fatal blow at us at any moment, what a critical moment, but he incredibly stopped the battle to give the enemy a respite! ”

So sometimes political necessity comes into conflict with military affairs.

In general, the military must be subordinated to politics, but this politics refers to the politics and interests of the country, not the political interests of whether a prime minister can secure his position.

Churchill clearly took his place more seriously, he didn't think about it...... What if what General Auchinleck said was true, and the British were not prepared enough to launch a rash attack and lead to defeat again?

But Churchill did not care so much, and by this time he was determined to replace Auchinleck, even though General Auchinleck had adapted to the North African theater and had in principle grasped the weakness of the German army.

As before, Churchill also gave General Auchinlake a decent excuse...... Churchill put General Auchinleck in command of a newly formed command to be responsible for British operations in Iraq, Palestine and Syria, among other places.

It looks like a promotion.

But General Auchinleck rejected Churchill's offer, and the fifty-something general thought it was nothing more than Churchill's handout...... He didn't need this, so he chose to stay in India until the end of the war.

It was Montgomery who took over as commander of the Eighth Army.

Churchill had expected Montgomery to be interested in attacking the Germans, but Montgomery's report to him was almost identical to that of General Auchinleck.

"Your Excellency the Prime Minister!" Montgomery said: "The Eighth Army, after a long period of fighting, is in dire need of replenishment of troops and supplies, and there are many new troops who will not fight in the desert, and they must do the necessary training." I can't go on the offensive until these preparations are made, and I can only risk the lives of my soldiers and the fate of Africa! ”

By this time, Churchill had vaguely realized that he was wrong...... Both Montgomery and Auchinlake said the same thing, and there must be a reason for them.

But as a prime minister, Churchill certainly won't admit his mistakes...... The best option now is to make a mistake and hope that this mistake will not lead to a wrong result.