Britain might well have been better off had Churchill held power earlier, but that would have meant costly rearmament, which was unacceptable so long as there was a chance that Hitler proved to be a paper tiger. And, of course, it would also have meant entrusting Britain’s fate to a politician who, though now regarded as an indomitable leader, was widely distrusted at the time.
如果丘吉尔能提前上台的话英国的日子或许会好过很多，但却意味着要提前付出大量金钱来重整军备，这对那些心存侥幸，认为希特勒不过是只纸老虎的人来说是无法接受的。与此同时，这还意味着将英国的命运托付给一个如今以绝不屈服闻名，当年却根本不受大众信任的政治家。