Winston Churchill was the leader of Britain during World War II.
He was a politician and a statesman who was able to unite the Britain in the war, keep the country’s morale up, and make decisions that ultimately resulted in the defeat of Nazi Germany.
He is considered one of the modern heroes of Britain and is deemed one of the greatest politicians of the 20th century.
Churchill was born in 1874 to a fairly affluent aristocratic family. However, instead of pursuing higher education at Oxford or Cambridge, Churchill chose to go to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
Once his training at Sandhurst was complete, he went on a tour of the British Empire, writing books along the way. By 1900, he was known to many British people and began his political career.
Winston Churchill began his career as a Conservative politician. He soon switched to the Liberal side, championing the cause of the middle-class and the common man. Before World War I, he was made the First Lord of Admiralty in 1911.
He correctly predicted that Germany was preparing to wage a war and tried to make some preparations for the coming deadly conflict of World War I. However, he played no significant role during the war, although he did suffer a major defeat.
When he planned an Allied landing at Gallipoli to push back the Turks, the Turks under Kemal Ataturk fought back and inflicted a defeat on the Allies. In the wake of this defeat, Churchill gave up his position at the Admiralty.
Soon after World War I, Adolf Hitler began to ascend in Germany. Winston Churchill realized the dangers of the Nazi ideology. Once again, he identified the expansionist aims of Hitler’s Germany before the World War II had begun.
When Britain government tried to appease Hitler by giving Germany some territories in Europe, Churchill vehemently opposed this. However, it wasn’t until Hitler had declared war that the British realized the true perils of Nazi Germany. As the World War II began, Britain chose Winston Churchill to lead it as the Prime Minister of the country.
Soon after World War II began, France fell to German invasion. Hitler also attempted an invasion of Britain. During this invasion, German planes would fly above British cities, dropping devastating bombs. In the face of this devastation and aggression, Churchill embodied the true defiance of the British.
He refused to surrender, advocated for war and victory against Germany at all costs, and rallied the British nation to safeguard its freedom and liberty. His speeches, radio address and frequent public appearances were instrumental in sustaining the British courage through the early phase of the war.
As World War II continued, the United States was forced to join the conflict. Winston Churchill began one of the three key leaders of the Allies, the other two being Franklin D. Roosevelt of United States and Joseph Stalin of Soviet Union. Together, the three were termed the Big Three. Working with the other two leaders, Churchill’s leadership was instrumental in securing the victory of the Allied forces
Churchill: Walking with Destiny Hardcover – November 6, 2018
