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Although Winston Churchill often fell in and out of the popularity with the British people, he always remained active in government and made a difference whenever possible. Churchill is a hero in the eyes of many because he always took the blame for his mistakes and symbolized peace and justice to all those who saw him.
World War One was Churchill’s first footstep into mainstream British Politics. In 1911, Prime Minister Asquith made Churchill first lord of the admiralty. Under this position, Winston would command Britain’s naval fleet and keep it in a state of readiness for the obvious upcoming war (Encarta). He did just that. The tremendous British fleet kept the Germans from advancing their naval ships in the North Sea (Downing St.). Furthermore, Churchill looked to control the Dardanelles Strait that would open a sea route to Russia and eliminate the Ottomans form the war (Downing St.). However, incompetent leaders in the field, delays and hesitations led to a great loss on the Allies front. Churchill was blamed for the disaster once all cabinet members withdrew support now that British troops had met defeat.
World War Two was the time for Churchill to shine as a dignified and glorious leader to the world. When first elected to become Prime Minister in 1940, Churchill made certain everything went well by personally overseeing every aspect of the war. During his first report to the House of Commons, Churchill spoke his first of many words that would unite the country and inspire people around the globe. “I have nothing to offer but blood toil and sweat” (Andrews,418). Winston Churchill took office as Hitler’s Nazi army was crossing
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the border into France. When the French asked Churchill to send fighter planes to help fight the Germans, he had to make one of the most difficult decisions of both his terms. Sadly, he was forced to refuse the French plea for help arguing that Britain would need all the help they had defending themselves most likely very soon (Encarta). Only a few months later, Churchill was forced to sink and disable French naval ships to ensure that the German and Italian naval fleets would not expand using the French vessels (Capps).
Churchill’s most monumental accomplishment was that of the Royal Air Force’s (R.A.F.) stunning victory over the German Luftwaffe. Inspiring posters could be seen on ever wall in the country. “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few”(Andrews,218). The RAF had truly done something to be proud of, as Churchill said here. In addition, Churchill sent arms and aid to the Russian government under Joseph Stalin even thought he did not believe in the communist regime (Encarta). He did this because he was convinced that Russia would “exert an immense and ultimately decisive force even if driven back to the Ural Mountains.” Had it not been for Winston Churchill, Hitler could have been allowed to take all of Europe and possibly change the world forever.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, the president of the United States during the time of World War II, and Winston Churchill are often thought of together by many. This is because of the Atlantic Alliance Churchill eventually formed once the US joined the war effort. Roosevelt and Churchill decided to first focus their efforts on ridding Europe of Hitler and then turning their attention to the Pacific. In the start,
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Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin were the three key leaders who would eventually win the war. However, as time progressed, Roosevelt began to form his own ideology and began to take a strategic course different from that of Stalin and Churchill even though their ultimate goals were the same.
Time Magazine said that the political history of the 20th century could be written as the biographies of six men: Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mao Zedong, Franklin Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill. As a fearless leader, Churchill himself was bigger than Britain. Throughout the many books he has written, inspiring speeches he has given, and courageous moves he has made in history, Winny has always been an insightful hero to people everywhere. Winston Churchill once said “I will never let my country down”(Andrews,219). He never did.
