Sir Winston Churchill

By
Susan Giles
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Winston Churchill

One simply cannot discuss British politics without mentioning one of its greatest icons, Winston Churchill. The former prime minister has made his mark in history by being one of Britain’s most influential leaders as well as being a controversial figure at times.

However, nobody can forget his remarkable character and the impact he had on the country during what can only be described as one of its darkest ages. The infamous politician had it in his blood since day one to work as a statesman and serve his country one way or another. He managed to do exactly that and more for many years till the day he took his last breath.

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was born on the 30^th of November, 1874, to an American mother and a British father. The rich, aristocratic family resided in Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, and enjoyed their life in the upper class of British society because of their endless wealth. Churchill had a seemingly happy childhood and had often mentioned how close he was to his mother, whom he described as an intimate friend and confidante.

The young boy attended a boarding school at the time, but despite being a strong and determined character from a very young age, he did not do well at school. His grades were always quite low, and that made his father decide to prepare him for a military career instead of leaving him to follow academics.

Even though Churchill was quite enthusiastic to start a career in the military services, it still took him a couple of attempts to actually get into the Royal Military Academy and get accepted as a cadet in the cavalry. Once he got in, he quickly made his way up the ranks and became a reputable name even after finishing his training and securing a war zone position in the army.

He fought many wars and served his country as an army man all while keeping his mother’s inspiring words close to his heart to motivate himself to keep on battling while far away from home.

As the young politician started growing a little older, he started showing more and more interest in parliamentary matters. He soon joined the Conservative party and was later elected as an MP for Oldham in 1900. His time with the party was not that long though, as he quickly shifted seats to join the Liberal party in 1904, where he quickly climbed the ranks and found his true political voice there.

A few years after, he joined the party and got reelected a couple of times. He was appointed Home Secretary in 1910, where he got to really show his political influence. He got full control of the police services across the country and was determined to make some changes. During his time in office, he worked hard on prison reforms and the rehabilitation of offenders. He was also a great supporter of women’s rights and made his opinion very clear on the matter.

https://revyou.com/uploads/thumbnail-960/1610882469608949904.webp Sir Winston Churchill

Churchill’s time with the Liberals was not long though, as he had his disagreements with their policies in 1924, and after standing as an independent candidate for a while, he declared himself a Conservative one more time. After winning a seat in the following parliamentary elections with his new party, he became Chancellor of the Exchequer and started looking into free trade projects.

A few years later, the political icon lost his seat in the parliament in the reelection and had to spend the following eleven years out of office. His passion for politics, however, never stopped. During that period away from parliament, Churchill focused on writing speeches and making some artistic pieces.

Over the years, the established historical British figure painted over 500 pieces, wrote a variety of books, and made a ton of speeches. His painting hobby only flourished when he was well in his forties, but he was an accomplished artist nevertheless. To this day, some of his artwork can be seen displayed in museums and National Trust landmarks across the country.

As the second world war started closing in in 1939, Churchill was firmly opposing the Indian independence and made several warnings against Nazi Germany’s appeasement. His opinions made him somewhat controversial at the time, but when it turned out he was right all along, he was the party’s first choice for Prime Minister when Neville Chamberlain resigned in 1940.

During that time, Churchill was known as the British Bulldog for his strict policies and firm ruling. He served as both Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, which no other Prime Minister has ever done before. It was also known that he had a very good relationship with the Queen, where they often saw eye to eye on national matters.

During his time in the top political office in the country, Churchill took his country to the Second World War and established himself as a powerful leader. He gave numerous memorable speeches during that period, which can still be remembered in Britain to this day.

As the war came to an end and a General Election had come into place in 1945, the Conservative leader lost his position in the office and focused on public speaking instead. However, in 1951, he made a comeback to his Prime Minister seat and led the country for a few years until his health started deteriorating badly, and he was deemed unfit to lead. He retired in 1955, having led his nation for many years that would make him an icon in history books forever.

Churchill was an old soul who never accepted defeat. He was always one to inspire others and make pivotal decisions to serve his country. He was a politician, an artist, and a family man who gave his all to everything he ever went into.

He won a Nobel prize for his life’s work and was always determined to do more and go the extra mile. The political landmark passed away in 1965 and was honored by a state funeral which the Queen herself attended.