Great Britan
One of the most famous men of twentieth century, it can be said with confidence that the world would not be the place is today without Sir Winston Churchill.
We all know a little about Winston Churchill, but there is a surprising amount of his long and fabulously colorful life that is not so well know for a start, this great not so well know. For a start , this great Eanglishman was, in fact, half-American. His mother , Jennie Jerome , was a famous beauty for New Yourk wham his father, Lord Randolph Churchill, married against his parents will. No doubt Churchill’s mixed parentage had a great influence on his faith in the strength and unity of the “Eanglish-Speaking Peoples” that ultimately led to the Allied victory in the Second World War. It school Churchill was not successful. A look at his reports show that his teachers would never have believed.
Their young student was destined for future fame, let alone receive the Nobel Prize for Literature , as he did in 1953 a school report from 1883 credits Cgurchill’s composition as “ Very Feeble “ his spelling as “ about as bad as it well can be “ , and goes on to say that he “ does not quite understand the morning of hard work “. But them again, Winston was only nine.
Churchill was a recognized figure long before becoming Prime Minister of Britan in 1940. After graduating from the Royal Military college at Sand hurst in 1894 he become on army officer. But his first experience of military action was in Cuba, where he went as a journalist while on leave rom the army in 1895.
The next few years Churchill spend with his regiment in India, where he spend most of his time playing polo and reading the work of the great nineteenth – century intellectuals that his mother sent him. He also wrote his first book in these years, based on his experiences Fighting on the north-west frontier.
Futher exotic experiences were in store when Churchill went to Sudan to serve under famous General.
A look at Churchill’s reports show that his teachers would never haved believed their young students was destined for future fame, let alone receive the Nobel Prize for literature
Lucky escape
Bat it was in South Africa, duning the war agoinst the Boers, that Churchill really come to public prominenc. As a jurnalist working , for the morning Post . Churchill managed to get himself captured by the enemy . It didn’t take him long to escape , tough , and his dramatic adventures-which he publicized though his writing- mad him world famous amost overright . He capitalized an this fame by doing a lecture tour of the Usa , which provided him with enough mavey to become an MP . he joined the conversativ Posty and entered Parliament in 1900 .
Churchill was are of the few politicons to make repeated , warnings about Hitler’s Germany , warnings which all to often fellan deaf ears .
Churchill’s early political career was a series of ups and downs . After several disagreements with his fellow Conservatives , Churchill left the party to join the Liberals . He had soe successes and quickly found himself promoted , becoming , in 1911 , First Lord of the Admiralty . this high position gave him extensive powers over the Navy and led to the first great mistake of his career . As the First World War had reached a stalemate in the trenches , Churchill promoted on idea to attack the Central Powers from the east by invading Turkey at the Dardanelles and linking up with Britain’s Russian’s allies . This policy proved to be a complete disaster ( readers might remember the Galipioli , which portrayed the tragic deaths of thousands and New Zeland )and in May 1915 Churchill was forced to resign . Out of a job , Churchill took up painting as a hobby and continned with his writing . His wife Clementain whom he hed marry i 1908 , provided himwith four children so no doubt his domestic lift kept him reasonbely busy . But such an active man could never be happy at home and in 1916 he returned to the army where he fought an the western front .
Learn Fly
It wasn’t long before he was recalled to the govemment , and as the war came to an end Churchill become responsible for the development of air power. Without much experiences of flying Churchill decided to learn to be a pilot himself. Later he took on a new job as colonial secretary and in this capacity he was responsible for the creation of the new Arab states in the Middle East , as well as the precursor of Israel, and even played a port in negotiations towards the creation of the Irish Free State. But in 1992 he lost his seat in Parliament and spent the next couple of years writing his memories of the First World War. In a more that many would have thought politically impossible, Churchill rejoined to conservative party in 1924 and become Chancellor of the Exchequer ( finance minister) . Not being so capable with this sort of thing, Churchill was unhappy in this office, and his attempt to return Britain to the gold standard ( where the value of gold is a fixed amount on which the value of money is base) ended is another disaster. Workers went on strike across the country , serious employment followed, and ultimately the world slipped into the economic crisis of the 1930s But perhaps Churchill doesn’t deserve the blame for it all!
With the defeat of the conservatives in the election of 1929 Churchill was out of office. Once again he turned to his writing, working on , among other things his masterwork , a history of the Eanglish Speaking Peoples. During these turbulent years Churchill was one of the few politicians to make repeated warnings which all to often tell on deaf ears. His opposition to the Nationalist movement in India and his support for King Edward VIII ‘ s decision for abdicate the throne made his unpopular with the government. But as war become more and more inevitable and Churchill’s warnings were proved correct, the govemment come under strong pressure from the press and people to bring Churchill back. With the outbreak of war in September 1939 he was reinstated as First Lord of the Admiralty.
“We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing ground we shall fight in the fields and in the streets , we shall fight in the hills , we shall never surrender “
His “ first hours “
In may 1940 Prince Minister Nevill Chamberlaine was forced to resign and Churchill took his place – and the rest as the say , is history . Churchill proved a very great war leader , having amazing energy for a man of his age-he celebreted his seventieth birthday in 1944 . His unceasing effects recur help from the USA changed the cours of a war Germany was winning in 1941 , and his many fire speeches and board cuts upheld the morale of the british people “We shall fight on the landing grounds , we shall fight in the filds and in the streets , we shall never surende” . Churchill’s voice had the strenght and power to make these line stir encatins of the nations – it is a qoute that many British people know by heart to this day .
Never at are in the alliance with Stalin’s Russia , Churchill tried hard to persuade the American’s to help contain Soviet expansion . But US President Franklin D. Roosvelt did not support this policy and Churchill was very disappointed with the outcone of Tehran and Yalta Conferences. It is populary believed that Churchill coined the pleas “ Iron Curtain” in a speed he made in the USA in 1946, but in fact others had used it previously . Though very popular as person Churchill’s Conservative attitude was voted out of office in the 1945 elections by a public Participants wanting a new start following the war . He did however , regain as Prime Minister in 1951 , but resigned four years later aged eighty . In 1953 along with winning a nobel Priez and gaining a kinghthead he attended the coranation of Queen Elizabeth II , and in 1958 painting were exhibited at London’s prestigious Royal Academy . Following his death in January 1965 he was given a state funeral – an honour usually reserved for royalty. “I am ready to meet my Maker “ , he commented shortly before he died. “ Whether my maker is prepared for the ordel of meeting me is anot her matter “ .
Some more of Sir Winston’s famous quotations
“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few” On the Battle of Britain , 1940
"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." November 1942
"Democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time “
"I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."
“ I have taken more out of alcohol has taken out of me “