Who succeeded Neville Chamberlain as British prime minister in 1940?

Winston Churchill succeeded Neville Chamberlain as British prime minister in 1940. Churchill took office on 10 May, the same day Nazi Germany launched its invasions of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and France.

Chamberlain resigned after the failure of the Allied campaign in Norway and a political crisis in the House of Commons. Although he remained Conservative Party leader for several months, King George VI asked Churchill to form a government because Churchill could command broader support across the wartime political parties.

Churchill had already returned to the Cabinet as First Lord of the Admiralty when the Second World War began in September 1939. As prime minister, he formed a coalition government and became famous for speeches that prepared the British public for a long and dangerous struggle against Germany.

The succession is sometimes associated only with Chamberlain’s resignation, but the change occurred during an immediate military emergency. Chamberlain continued serving in Churchill’s War Cabinet as Lord President of the Council until illness forced him to leave government later that year.