To what extent did the British Government adequately prepare for war by 1939?
Instead of trying to create an overarching answer, it is useful to look at the following factors and examine whether each one was successful or not. Factors include: Diplomacy (w/ USA, France, Germany, USSR and to a lesser extent Italy, Japan and the dominions), Military (Navy, RAF and the Army), Economy (imports/exports, GDP and GNP, new jobs) and Civil Defence (recruitment, training, provisions). If time allows in an exam there could also be a short discussion of efforts made by the Government to convince Britons of the need to resist extremist governments.
CM