CANCELLED: “Whoever possesses Iceland holds a pistol against England, US and Canada!”

Please note that due to the sudden General Election in Iceland, Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir, Minister of Culture and Business Affairs has had to cancel her visit to Cambridge in November. Accordingly, this talk has been cancelled. Thank you.

Talk by Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir, Icelandic Minister of Culture and Business Affairs, on Churchill and Iceland during the Second World War.

When considering the history of the Battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War, the role of Iceland stands out in two ways which makes it most relevant to Churchill’s military and political leadership during the war. First of all, it was Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, who insisted upon the occupation of Iceland on 10 May 1940 in response to the German occupation of Norway. That measure was to have a fundamental impact on British ability to defend its lifelines against German attacks by closing off the northern exits and maintaining a trans-Ocean escort service as well as a supply route to northern Russia. Secondly, Iceland proved of key value to Churchill in his intimate relationship with President Franklin D. Roosevelt. By persuading the president to take over the defence of the country, he provided the United States with a platform to fully participate in the Battle of the Atlantic on the side of hard-pressed Britain and Canada. In short, Iceland proved to be an invaluable asset to allied naval, air and land forces in winning the war against Hitler’s Germany.

Minister Alfreðsdóttir will review this important aspect of history and the importance of Churchill’s leadership. This will be an informative presentation and will shed light on the strategic importance of the battle of the Atlantic Ocean, which has perhaps not received the attention it deserves.

This free event will be chaired by the Rt. Hon. Charles Clarke and will be followed by a reception and display from the archives.

Photograph of Winston Churchill leaving the Althingi, the Icelandic Parliament, during his visit to Iceland in August 1941.  Presented to Churchill Archives Centre by HE The Icelandic Ambassador to the UK, Sturla Sigurjónsson in April 2023.