Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is remembered for his leadership in the struggle against Nazi Germany and for his speeches, which rallied the nation in a time of crisis.

Early Life and Career

Churchill was born in 1874 at Blenheim Palace, the son of a politician and an American heiress. He was educated at Harrow and at the Royal Military College at Sandhurst.

He served as a cavalry officer in India and in the Sudan, and he reported on the Boer War as a war correspondent. He was captured and made a dramatic escape.

He entered Parliament in 1900 as a Conservative and later joined the Liberals. He held a series of ministerial posts, including those of President of the Board of Trade and Home Secretary.

The First World War

Churchill was First Lord of the Admiralty at the outbreak of the First World War. He was the chief advocate of the Gallipoli campaign, which ended in failure and led to his resignation.

He then commanded a battalion on the Western Front. He returned to government and held the offices of Minister of Munitions and Secretary of State for War.

In the interwar years he was Chancellor of the Exchequer and then out of office. He warned of the danger of German rearmament and was regarded by many as a warmonger.

The Second World War

Churchill became Prime Minister in May 1940 after the fall of Chamberlain. He formed a coalition government and led the country through the darkest period of the war.

His speeches, including the offer of blood, toil, tears, and sweat, and the address on the beaches, gave expression to the national determination to resist. He worked closely with Roosevelt and with Stalin.

He was a central figure in the alliance and took part in the conferences at Tehran, Yalta, and Potsdam. He was defeated in the general election of 1945.

Later Career and Writing

Churchill returned to power in 1951 and served as Prime Minister until 1955. He worked for the reconciliation of Europe and for the special relationship with the United States.

He wrote a history of the Second World War and a history of the English-speaking peoples. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953.

He suffered a series of strokes and retired from public life. He died in 1965 and was given a state funeral.

Legacy

Churchill is regarded as one of the greatest war leaders in British history. His rhetoric and his determination are credited with sustaining the British war effort.

His record is also criticised, in particular his views on empire and on race and his conduct of policy in India and elsewhere. His legacy is debated.

He is remembered as a statesman, an orator, and a writer. His statue stands in Parliament Square, and his name is associated with the leadership of the free world in a time of danger.

The Wilderness Years

Churchill was out of office for much of the 1930s. He warned of the danger of German rearmament and of the policy of appeasement.

He was isolated in Parliament and was regarded by many as unreliable. He wrote a life of his ancestor the Duke of Marlborough and a history of the First World War.

The German invasion of Poland in 1939 vindicated his warnings. He was recalled to the Admiralty and then became Prime Minister in 1940.

The War Leadership

Churchill formed a coalition government and led the country with energy and determination. He worked long hours and travelled extensively to meet with allies.

He forged the alliance with the United States and the Soviet Union. He took part in the conferences at Tehran, Yalta, and Potsdam and helped to shape the post-war settlement.

He was also a war leader of great strategic ambition, and some of his schemes, such as the campaign in Norway and the Dardanelles in the First World War, were costly failures. He was nevertheless the symbol of the national resistance.

The 1945 Election and the Iron Curtain

Churchill was defeated in the general election of 1945 despite his wartime leadership. He became the leader of the opposition and continued to speak on foreign affairs.

His speech at Fulton, Missouri, in 1946 coined the phrase iron curtain to describe the division of Europe. The speech helped to define the early Cold War.

He returned to power in 1951 and served as Prime Minister until 1955. He worked for the reconciliation of Europe and for the special relationship with the United States.

Writing and Honours

Churchill was a prolific writer and historian. His works include The World Crisis, Marlborough, and A History of the English-Speaking Peoples.

He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953 for his mastery of historical and biographical description. He was also an accomplished painter.

He received many honours, including the Order of the Garter and honorary citizenship of the United States. He died in 1965 and was given a state funeral.

Legacy and Criticism

Churchill is regarded as one of the greatest war leaders in history. His rhetoric and his determination are credited with sustaining the British war effort.

His record is criticised, particularly his views on empire and on race and his conduct of policy in India and in Ireland. His legacy is debated by historians.

He is remembered as a statesman, an orator, and a writer. His statue stands in Parliament Square, and his name is associated with the leadership of the free world.

See also

• Second World War
• Prime Minister of the United Kingdom