Q&A ยท 1:30:24-1:30:40

The contingency if Britain fell in 1940

The broad contingency was to evacuate surviving British state and military power to Canada and continue the war from there.

Question

Did the Allies have plans for what to do if Britain fell early in the Second World War?

Short answer

The British government, Royal Navy and armed forces were expected to evacuate to Canada and continue operating from there.

Notes

Britain's broad 1940 contingency was to relocate the government, Royal Navy and surviving armed forces to Canada. A later exchange suggests that the royal train could move the monarch north before departure aboard a major warship, with submarine evacuation mentioned as another proposal. The precise route would depend on where an invasion landed and whether the royal family accepted the plan. The source offers a general continuity concept rather than a detailed post-defeat campaign scheme.