Sir Winston Lenard Spencer Churchill Essay Research

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Sir Winston Lenord Spencer Churchill

?Never give in–never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy?(Bra*censored* internet). This speech was made October 29, 1941 to the boys at Churchill?s old public school to hopefully direct the students in the direction that would help them later on ion their lives.

Sir Winston Lenord Spencer Churchill was the eldest son of aristocrat Lord Randolph Churchill and Lady Churchill, who was originally an American girl whose maiden name was Jennie Jerome. Churchill was born on November 30th, 1874 at the Blenheim Palace. He was best known for his stubbornness yet courageous leadership as the Prime Minister of Great Britain when he led the British from the brink of defeat during WWII. Being a leader played a very important role in Sir Winston Churchill?s life and the life of the British people during his rule. Churchill was one of the greatest leaders of all time and he attacked all problems with great character and a tremendous will to win (Churchill 1).

Sir Winston Churchill?s life didn?t always have the luxury of leadership and power. He still started out the same as anyone else would, but he did have one little talent that others didn?t. He was a very smart young man and was also very athletic. Winston Churchill attended Harrow School and won the public schools? fencing competition as 15 year old. After graduating eighth out of 150 from the Royal Military College in Sandhurst, he was commissioned in the Forth Hussars in February 1985. As a war correspondent, he was captured during the Boer War. After his escape, he became a National Hero. Ten months later, Churchill was elected as a member of the Conservative Party in Britain and in 1901 he made his first speech in Parliament. In 1904, he joined the Liberal Party where he became the president of the Board of Trade. This when the leadership and power started to set in.

During his busy career as a politician, he was able to publish a couple of books that seemed to interest to public. He wrote a novel called Savrola which revealed Churchill?s emerging political philosophy and much of which stayed with him for his entire life. Though Savrola was Churchill?s only novel, he wrote several short fiction stories including, ?Man Overboard,? ?On the Flank of the Army,? ?The Dream.? He also published a biography about his father, Lord Randolph Churchill, who died January 24, 1895. This biography was a success just like his other stories that he had written in the past. All of Churchill?s writings were very successful all over Britain and gave him the title of a very successful writer. Churchill had been blessed with many successes in his life and during the writing of his father?s biography, he married Clemintine Hozier, which he said later to be, ?…the most important accomplishment of his life (Richards 38).

As Churchill?s political career advanced in 1910, he became Home Secretary and worked with Dave Lloyd George. A year later, he left the Home Office and became first Lord of the Admiralty. His career was almost destroyed as a result of the unsuccessful Gallipoli campaign during WWI. He was forced to resign from the Admiralty during the war, but he returned to Government as the Prime Minister of Munitions in 1917. He joined the coalition party between 1917 and 1922 until it?s collapse when for two years he was out of Parliament. He returned to the conservative government in 1924 and was given the job of Chancellor of the Exchequer (Churchill, Sir Winston).

During the Great Depression in the United States from 1929 to 1939, Churchill was denied cabinet offices. His backing and support for Edward VII during his addiction were frowned upon by the national government. In a speech made during a debate on the Munich Agreement in the House of Commons in October of 1938, Churchill said, ?having thus fortified myself by the example of others, I will proceed to emulate them. I will, therefore, begin by saying the most unpopular and most unwelcome thing. I will begin by saying what everybody would like to ignore or forget but which I must nevertheless be stated, namely, that we have sustained a total and unmitigated defeat, and that France has suffered even more than we have.? Nancy Astor immediately heckled him by calling out ?Nonsense? (Richards 55). Despite this, the public supported him in his views when Germany declared war in September 1939. Neville Chamberlain appointed him once more First Lord of the Admiralty on September 3, 1939.

On May 10, 1940 Churchill succeeded Chamberlain as Prime Minister. He gave these words to the House of Commons on June 18, 1940 following the collapse of France. ?Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, this was their finest hour.? Many thought Britain would follow, but knowing that ?Hitler will have to break us in this island or lose the war? Churchill challenged the British people to uncommon efforts to win the Battle of Britain (Houghton 280).

During WWII he successfully secured military aid and moral support from the United States. With military chiefs as his advisors, Churchill was a trial and inspiration to the generals he pushed around and the ones he respected as individuals. In the early morning hours he would speak to his officers of the plans for his attack on the enemy. He traveled endlessly during the war establishing close ties with leaders of other nations and coordinated a military strategy that would surely defeat Hitler. At the Yalta conference Churchill said, ?If permanent peace is not secured here it would be a tragedy for which history would never forgive us? (American Heritage 105).

His tireless efforts gained admiration from all over the world. He was defeated; however, during the 1945 election by the Labour party who had been trying to defeat him for many years. Churchill regained his power in 1951 and led Britain once again until April 5, 1955 when ill health forced him to resign. He spent many of his latter years writing The History of the English-Speaking People and painting. Churchill published 43 works in 72 volumes over the course of his lifetime. In recognition of this historical studies he received the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature in 1953. In 1963 the United States Congress conferred on him honorary American citiz

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