Topic: Sir Winston Churchill

His early life

Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was born in Woodstock at 30 November 1874. His father Lord Randolph Churchill, was the 3son of the Duke of Marlborough. His mother was Jennie Jerome of Brooklyn, New York, a daughter of an American business tycoon.
Churchill’s childhood was privileged but not perfect. Like many Victorian parents, Lord and Lady Churchill were on many travels. Teachers described him as a wilful and sometimes rebellious little boy.

A roving commission

In 1895 Churchill graduated from Sand Hurst. He travelled to the United States and Cuba, as a military observer with the Spanish army in its fight against the independentists.
His adventures continued in 1899 when he sailed to South Africa as a correspondent of the Morning Post to cover the Boer War. He was captured, escaped and made his way across the enemy lines to Durban.

The young radical

Churchill was first time in parliament from 1900 to 1922 and from 1924 to 1964. He took his seat in the House of Commons as a member of the conservative party. After four years he “crossed the floor” to join the Liberals. In the 1906 general election, Churchill won a seat in Manchester.

First World War

By the time the First World War broke out in 1914 Churchill was First Lord of the Admirality. Churchill saw the only way to end the war quickly was to mount a huge outflanking attack on Turkey through the Dardanelles. But his plans weren’t accepted and Churchill lost his job. So Churchill rejoined the army, though remaining a Member of Parliament, and served for several months as a Lieutenant Colonel on the Western Front.

From war to war

As member of the conservative party he was Chancellor of the Exchequer, a position he held until the Tory defeat in 1929. Churchill role in the Second World War needs little introduction.
On Chamberlain’s resignation in May 1949, Churchill was appointed Prime Minister and formed an all-party government. His immediate contribution was to instil in the British people his will to resist.
Yet Churchill did more than just talk. His speeches at that time were a great inspiration to the embattled UK. His famous “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat” speech was his first as Prime Minister.
He toured the country inspecting the bomb-damaged towns and cities. He also worked on a diplomatic and military way to end the war. In August 1941 he sailed for a secret meeting with the American president Roosevelt. His good relationship with the U.S. president Roosevelt secured the UK vital supplies via the North Atlantic Ocean shipping routes.

The tide of victory

Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union brought Churchill an unlikely ally with Joseph Stalin. After the Japanese bombing Pearl Harbour the war became a global conflict and Churchill with Roosevelt another ally. When the war was over, Churchill worked tirelessly to keep the Grand Alliance, between Britain, the USA and the Soviet Union.

The final years

In October 1951 Churchill became last time Prime Minister, but failing health forced him to resign the premiership in April 1955, but he remained and MP until 1964.
Churchill died on 24.January.1965. He received the first state funeral given to a commoner since that.