At age 32, he became the Undersecretary of State for the Colonies. Two years later, he was President of the Board of Trade. He also served as Secretary of State for Home Affairs in 1910.
Winston Churchill met his future wife, Clementine Hozier, in 1904 at a ball at the Crewe House. Again, in 1908, they met again at a dinner party hosted by Lady St. Helier. This time, the two hit it off and began a lifelong romance.
On August 10, 1908, Winston proposed to Clementine during a house party in Blenheim. On September 12, 1908, the couple married in the Church of St. Margaret, Westminster.
In March of 1909, the two moved into 33 Eccleston Square, located in Westminster. The couple would raise their five children there. Diana was born on July 11, 1909; Randolph Frederick was born on May 28, 1911; Sarah was born on October 7, 1914; Marigold was born on November 15, 1918, and Mary was born on September 15, 1922. Four out of five children would make it to adulthood.
The United Kingdom feared there would be a war with Germany after the Agadir Incident in July of 1911. Churchill was made First Lord of the Admiralty. He ordered to put the fleet into a state of instant readiness. From that moment, he worked hard to reorganize the Navy. He built one of Britain’s finest navies. He developed the Royal Naval Air Service. This would late become the Royal Air Force. This new navy would the greatest threat to Germany during World War I.
Unfortunately, in 1915 Churchill met failure again. As a war adviser, he led a small group that advocated an attack on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The campaign was designed to eliminate Turkey from entering war. However, the earnest attempt was disastrous.
After his disastrous attempt, Winston resigned from being a war adviser. He then went to France as Lieutenant Colonel of the 6ht Royal Scots Fusiliers. When he first entered, he was full of spunk and life; however, the army life did not give Churchill a chance to scope his talents.
Upon returning to the United Kingdom, again, Churchill gradually withdrew from public life. Although he remained in Parliament and held many positions: Secretary of War and Air Minister, Under-secretary for the Colonies, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Lord Rector of the University of Edinburgh; he did not have much power.
Churchill spent most of his time perfecting his talents. He began painting and writing under the pseudonym of Charles Marin. He finished his six-volume Marlborough: His Life and Times, which was a biography about his ancestor John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough. He also was touring throughout the United States giving lectures.
During a session of Parliament, Churchill spoke out and cried, “Britain’s hour of weakness is Europe’s hour of danger.” He frantically collected as much information as possible on the German rearmament to awaken Britain. However, his attempt did not work. In 1938, Neville Chamberlain, the Prime Minister, sacrificed Czechoslovakia to appease Hitler. Churchill was a critic of this, and during a speech to the House of Commons, Churchill said indirectly to Chamberlain, “You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor, and you will have war.”
After the outbreak of World War II, Winston Churchill was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty, and a member of the War Cabinet. However, something better would be coming along for Winston Churchill. A truly life changing experience was awaiting him. Eight moths later, Winston Churchill succeed Chamberlain as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, as Chamberlain was forced to resign.
Once Churchill took power, armed forces of Germany were sweeping throughout Europe like wild fire. He told the British people, “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.” He also promised, “To wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime.” By saying these things, he lightened up the mood in Britain. His courage and morale boosted the hearts of British people. They knew this man was serious and would do anything to protect country. In addition, his “V for Victory” sign became a sign of hope to the world.
He established close ties with U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. His radio speeches strengthened the nation's determination to win the war. "We shall not flag nor fail. We shall go on to the end. . . . We shall fight on the beaches . . . We shall fight in the fields and in the streets . . . We shall never surrender."
In November of 1943, Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin met in Teheran. At the meeting, Churchill presented Stalin with a sword of honor for the people of Stalingrad. The Yalta meeting with Roosevelt and Stalin resulted in the dissection of Europe into opposing political jurisdictions. His strategic misjudgment was blamed for the wartime success of Germany in Africa, Norway, and the Aegean. He had difficulties to tolerate Charles de Gaulle, and he told to a friend: "Of all the crosses I have to bear, the heaviest is the Cross of Lorraine."
On May 7, 1945, at the SHAEF headquarters in Rheims, the Allies accepted Germany’s surrender. On the same day, during a BBC news flash John Snagge, a news anchor, announced that May 8 would be Victory in Europe Day. On Victory in Europe Day, Winston broadcasted to the nation that Germany had surrendered, and that a final cease-fire would into effect all over Europe after midnight.
Although Churchill’s role in World War II had generated mush support from the British people, he was defeated in the 1954 election of the position of Prime Minster. Historians believe the reason why he lost the election was the people desired for a post-war reform. The people did not see Churchill as the person to lead the nation in peace.
He served as the Leader of the Opposition for five years. During this time, he continued to have an impact on world affairs. In 1946, he gave his Iron Curtain speech. The Iron Curtain was about the USSR and the creation of the Eastern Bloc.
In 1951, Winston Churchill became Prime Minister again. He resigned in 1955. During this time, the government was overshadowed by a series of foreign policy crises. These were caused because of the continuous decline of the British Military and imperial prestige and power.
Winston also devoted much of his time in office to British-American relations. Although Churchill did not get along well with President Dwight D. Eisenhower, he made an earnest attempt to maintain a special relationship with the United States.
At 78 years old, in June of 1953, Winston suffered a stroke. News of his stroke was kept from the public and from Parliament. Instead, they were told he was suffering from exhaustion. During his recovery, he went to his country home, Chartwell, to recuperate from the effects. He returned to public life in October. However, the public was aware his health declined drastically since the previous June. He retired as Prime Minister in 1955 due to his health.
Once Churchill retired, he spent less time in politics. He spent most of his time at his country home, Chartwell, and his home in Hyde Park Gate. His free time was occupied with painting and writing.
On January 15, 1965, Winston Churchill suffered a severe stroke that left him deathly ill. Nine days later, he died at his home, on the morning of Sunday, January 24, 1965. He was 90 years old. Ironically, he died exact 70 years after his father.
Queen Elizabeth II requested that Churchill’s body would lie in state for three days and would have a state funeral. His funeral was held at St. Paul’s Cathedral. This was the largest state funeral not for a member of the Royal Family. Today, he is buried in the family plot at St. Martin’s Church, Bladon.
Sir Winston Churchill left his mark on history. He was a great wartime leader. He was also a man with many talents. He was a biographer and historian, a painter, an orator, and a soldier. Because of multi talents, he was able to become “The Greatest Briton,” as determined by a poll held by the BBC in 2003.
There are many memorial attributed to his name. Some of these memorials include the following: The Churchill College at Cambridge, Blenheim Palace, , and Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School.
Some people say that Churchill was larger than Britain itself. He was so full of life. He persevered throughout his life for what he felt was the best for his people and the world. Winston Church is remembered today as a man who was “easily satisfied with the very best.”
