Churchill Archive for Schools - Themes_Key questions_special relations
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Just how special was the ‘special relationship’ in the Second World War? (Part 2, 1942–44)

Source 6

Birthday telegrams between Winston Churchill and President Roosevelt in Nov and Dec 1944

Reference

CHAR 20/139B/136

and

CHAR 20/176/47

Simplified Transcript – Telegram from Roosevelt to Churchill (CHAR 20/139B/136)

30 NOVEMBER 1944

PRIORITY
PERSONAL AND SECRET
NUMBER 662

TO:     THE PRIME MINISTER
FROM:     THE PRESIDENT

HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

I SHALL NEVER FORGET THE PARTY WITH YOU AND UNCLE JOE (STALIN) A YEAR AGO AND WE MUST HAVE MORE OF THEM THAT ARE EVEN BETTER.

FRIENDLY WISHES

(SIGNED) F.D.R.

Simplified Transcript – Telegram from Churchill to Roosevelt (CHAR 20/176/47)

PRIME MINISTER’S PERSONAL TELEGRAM

PRIME MINISTER TO PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT     No. 842.
Personal                        3.12.44

Thank you for the kind message on my birthday, which gave me the greatest pleasure, and also for the framed quotation from Abraham Lincoln (famous American President) with your own charming note upon it. I was given this when I woke up. I cannot tell you how much I value your friendship or how much I hope upon it for the future of the world, should we both be live to see the end of the war.

Original Transcript – Telegram from Roosevelt to Churchill (CHAR 20/139B/136)

30 NOVEMBER 1944

PRIORITY
PERSONAL AND SECRET
NUMBER 662

TO:     THE PRIME MINISTER
FROM:     THE PRESIDENT

EVER SO MANY HAPPY RETURNS OF THE DAY.

I SHALL NEVER FORGET THE PARTY WITH YOU AND UNCLE JOE A YEAR AGO AND WE MUST HAVE MORE OF THEM THAT ARE EVEN BETTER.

AFFECTIONATE REGARDS

(SIGNED) F.D.R.

[P.M. has seen - deleted]

Original Transcript – Telegram from Churchill to Roosevelt (CHAR 20/176/47)

COPY
PRIME MINISTER’S
PERSONAL TELEGRAM
SERIAL No T. 2230/4.

PRIME MINISTER TO PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT     No. 842.
Personal                        3.12.44

I am deeply grateful to you for your most kind message on my birthday, which gave me the greatest pleasure, and also for the framed quotation from Abraham Lincoln with your own charming note upon it. This reached me, by sure hands, when I awoke. I cannot tell you how much I value your friendship or how much I hope upon it for the future of the world, should we both be spared.

What is this source?

This is an exchange of telegrams between President Roosevelt and Churchill on Churchill’s birthday.

Background to this source

Churchill and Roosevelt exchanged birthday telegrams and presents each year throughout the war. The previous year, Churchill had celebrated his 69th birthday at the Tehran Conference with Roosevelt and Stalin. Churchill expresses deep gratitude for the present and the message in November 1944. By this time he and Roosevelt had had a growing number of disagreements about how the war should be planned and what preparations should be made for the end of the war. Churchill was also frustrated at the postponement of a meeting with Stalin and Roosevelt to discuss a post war settlement (see Source 5). Churchill was also upset that Roosevelt did not visit Britain despite his constant invitations.

Additional information

Following the D-Day invasion of June 1944 and the allied advance through France and Eastern Europe it became increasingly obvious that Germany would eventually be defeated. However, Churchill felt increasingly excluded from Roosevelt’s planning and there is obvious tension shown in other telegrams (Source 5). Despite these disagreements this telegram reveals that there is still a personal friendship between the two leaders.

Another significant factor throughout this period was Roosevelt’s health which, by this stage, was seriously compromised and affected his ability to engage with issues. Churchill was deeply concerned at this information he was receiving about Roosevelt’s health

How can we use this source in the investigation?

Remember we are hoping that this source can be useful to us in investigating what was special about the relationship between Britain and America in the latter years of the Second World War. Sources usually help historians in two ways:

Surface level: details, facts and figures

  1. How does Roosevelt address Churchill in the message?
  2. What message and gift does Roosevelt send to Churchill?
  3. Who else does Roosevelt mention in the message?
  4. How does Churchill respond?

Deeper level: inferences and using the source as evidence

Which of the inferences below can be made from this source?


On a scale of 1-5 how far do you agree that this source supports this inference?

Which extract(s) from the source support your argument?

Churchill and Roosevelt remained friendly despite their differences



These telegrams only show the personal relationship between Churchill and Roosevelt



The telegrams have no value for assessing the relationship between Britain and America



There was a special relationship between Britain and America during WW2



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Need help interpreting the source?

  • This source helps us to examine several aspects of the relationship between Churchill and Roosevelt. It is clear that Churchill wants to emphasise his strong bond with Roosevelt.
  • Sources like these are part of the special relationship’s puzzle for historians. Does this contradict some of the other sources which suggest the relationship was weakening?
  • As explained above, Roosevelt died less than four months after this exchange of telegrams took place. Churchill wrote a deeply moving tribute to Roosevelt, yet he chose not to attend Roosevelt’s funeral. Does that information affect your interpretation of Churchill’s feelings and motives in these documents?

Source 7

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