InMay1940,HitlerlaunchedhislightningwarinWesternEurope.TheNetherlands,Belgium,andFrancefelloneafteranotherwithintwomonths."Inthreeweeks,Englandwillhaveitsneckwrunglikeachicken,"prophesiedtheFrenchgeneralMaximeWeygand,whosurrenderedtoandcollaboratedwiththeGermans.
Withthewarnowontheirdoorstep,theBritishralliedbehindtheirgovernment.RecruitsstartedpouringintotheirlocalpolicestationsevenbeforetheSecretaryofStateforWarhadfinishedtheradiobroadcastcallingforvolunteersfortheHomeGuard.Womenjoinedthewareffort,servingbothinindustryandinthearmedforces.HousewivesgaveuptheiraluminiumpotsandpanssothattheycouldbeturnedintoSpitfiresandHurricanes.Thecountrypulledtogethertowardsacommongoal,andWeygand'sprophecyfailedtocometopass.
一九四○年五月，希特勒在西歐發動閃電戰，不出兩個月，荷蘭、比利時、法國相繼淪陷。法國將領馬克西姆．魏甘德投降，並和德軍合作。他預言：「不出三個星期，英國就會像雞那樣被扭斷脖子。」
英國人眼看戰爭迫在眉睫，都奮起支持政府。陸軍大臣呼籲志願者加入國防民兵的電臺廣播還未結束，各地警察局已有應募者紛至沓來。婦女也為戰事出力，到工廠或軍中服務。家庭主婦捐出鋁罐、鋁鍋等，供當局製造噴火式和颶風式戰鬥機。全英國同心戮力，魏甘德的預言終於未能實現。