Churchill was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940-1945 and again from 1951-1955. He is rightfully considered one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th century. Not limited to state and political activities, Churchill was also an officer in the British army, historian, writer and artist.
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill was born on November 30, 1874 in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England (Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England), in an aristocratic family of the Dukes of Marlborough, in the Spencer family. His father, Lord Randolph Churchill, was a charismatic politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer. His mother, Jennie Jerome, the daughter of a wealthy American businessman, was a socialite. Winston's parents devoted little time to him, and since 1875, his nanny Elizabeth Ann Everest, who sincerely fell in love with her pupil, was engaged in his upbringing.
While studying at St. George's School in Ascot, Berkshire (St. George "s School, Ascot), Churchill, rebellious and independent by nature, was subjected to corporal punishment. When the nanny discovered signs of beatings and complained to his mother, the boy was transferred to another school, near Brighton, from April 17, 1888, he studied at the Harrow School, where he excelled in history and swordsmanship, and joined the Rifle Corps. Royal Military School Sandhurst (RMC, Sandhurst), where he got into the infantry class.
On February 20, 1895, he was promoted to junior lieutenant. Back in January of this year, he suffered the loss of his father, and in July his nanny Elizabeth died of peritonitis. As a young officer, Churchill served in British India, received a supernumerary lieutenant position during the Mahdist uprising in Sudan, and escaped from a POW camp on his second attempt during the Second Boer War. Winston earned his fame as a war correspondent and author of works on military campaigns.
Being in the "vanguard" of big politics for fifty years, Churchill changed many political and government posts. Prior to the onset of World War I, he served as President of the Board of Trade, Home Secretary and First Lord of the Admiralty. As minister, taken by Churchill at the age of 35, he was repeatedly criticized by many political fronts for his methods of pacifying the unrest, and it is worth noting that mass protests of workers and actions of suffragettes at that time turned out to be abound.
During the First World War, Winston remained the First Lord until, in 1915, the Dardanelles operation, created on his initiative, ended in a government crisis and a real disaster for the allied forces. Churchill resigned and went to the Western Front with the rank of commander of the 6th Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers. In July 1917, he returned to the government as Minister of Armaments, and in 1919 became Minister of War and Minister of Aviation.
In 1921-1922. Churchill became Minister for the Colonies, and in the period 1924-1929. was Chancellor of the Exchequer under the administration of Stanley Baldwin. Overly reliant on the role of advisers, Churchill oversaw a failed program to return the British economy to the gold standard. His actions, including an attempt to boost the value of the pound to pre-war levels, led to an economic downturn and massive unemployment.
After the resignation of Neville Chamberlain, on May 10, 1940, Churchill officially assumed the office of Prime Minister. His refusal to reach a compromise peace helped to inspire the British Resistance, especially during the difficult early days of the Second World War, when England alone defended its active opposition to Adolf Hitler. Churchill remained Prime Minister of Great Britain until victory over Nazi Germany (Germany) became clear. After winning the 1951 election, Churchill served his second term before retiring in 1955.
Winston's wife was Clementine Churchill, whom he met in 1904. The couple had five children: Randolph, Diana, Sarah, Marigold and Mary. On January 15, 1965, Churchill suffered a serious stroke that left him seriously ill. He died at his home in London (London) nine days later, at the age of 90, on Sunday morning, January 24, 1965. On the same day, 70 years ago, his father passed away.
Churchill became the only British Prime Minister to win the Nobel Prize for Literature and was the first to be made an Honorary Citizen of the United States.
140 years ago, on November 30, 1874, Winston Churchill was born, and contrary to popular belief, he was not born in the women's toilet, and most likely, quite full-term.
This is one of the most common tales about the great Briton, they say, "Winston Churchill was born at the age of seven months during a ball at Blenheim Palace, in the women's dressing room (option: in the ladies' dressing room on piled coats)." As with most tales, truth and fiction are mixed together here.
“And they teased me “short”, although I was normally full-term” (c) Vysotsky
Winston Churchill's parents married on April 15, 1874, eight months after the engagement and long negotiations over the financial component of this one of the first weddings of British titles and American money. In the early autumn of 1874, the newlyweds settled in Blenheim Palace, the family estate of the Dukes of Marlborough, where it was planned to take the birth of their first child.
State Hall of Blenheim Palace
On Sunday, November 29, the next annual ball of St. Andrew was to be held at Blenheim Palace, which was decided not to be canceled due to Lady Churchill's pregnancy. And of course, the hostess of the ball was present, although there is no reliable information that she danced pirouettes there.
The holiday was not yet over when Lady Churchill felt prenatal pains, and they tried to take her to her own bedroom. But the pains were so strong that they decided to place the woman in labor in the room closest to the ballroom with a bed.
Winston Churchill was born in this little room
Currently, Blenheim Palace is accessible to tourists, who are also shown the room where Winston Churchill was born. It once belonged to the chaplains of the Dukes of Marlborough, and has a modest, but quite decent appearance. There is a bed in the center, and there is nothing resembling a women's locker room/cloakroom/washroom/toilet.
And it is unlikely that on that significant evening of November 30, 1874, this room was used as a dressing room, where guests piled up their furs, muffs and boas (on which Lady Randolph Churchill allegedly gave birth). Tea is the palace of the Dukes of Marlborough, this is not the Palace of Culture of the Plant. Malysheva.
Seven year old Winnie Churchill. From cute boys often grow uncles far from handsome
Moreover, she gave birth to her Winnie (as Winston Churchill was affectionately called even at an advanced age) at 1:30 at night, and the guests had already left for a long time. And in the morning, the London Times informed the public: “November 30 at Blenheim Palace, Lady Randolph Churchill was prematurely relieved of the burden by her son,” although many of the Times did not believe it.
One of Churchill's biographers, G. Pelling, formulated these doubts in a gentlemanly way: "We cannot say for sure whether Winston's early birth was due to his own haste, or it was Lord Randolph's haste." Everyone knows that in sanctimonious Victorian England, premarital sex was condemned, which did not prevent the British from debauchery before marriage right and left (often left).
Men are most attracted to two types of people: women we would like to have and men we would like to be. Since this month the plan has been overfulfilled, it remains to write about Winston Churchill - and we will consider that November was a success.
Born on fur coats
When you are born in 1874, and even in a family belonging to the highest British nobility, you should absolutely not be born seven months old: you will not end up with a scandal. The Spencer-Churchill family, Dukes of Marlborough, did their best to hush up the rumors. It's just that the young wife of Randolph Churchill, the charming American Jenny, danced too hard at a ball in the family estate of Blenheim. So Winston-Leonard had to make his first cry in the dressing room - the maids had only time to lay a tablecloth on a pile of ladies' fur coats, and the doctor ran when everything, almost, had already happened. True, the red-haired, strong-haired baby did not look premature at all, so evil tongues still whispered that the American millionaire bride did not seem to waste time during her engagement to the duke's son.
On the other hand, should there have been at least something to overshadow the life of the baby? And then the good fairies obviously crowded then in the dressing room, pushing with their elbows, and the most unlucky ones even had to wait in line in the corridor. As a result, Winston Churchill was endowed with literally all the benefits that a person could wish for. He had excellent health, good looks, was rich and embarrassingly noble, world fame, family happiness, a long life and a lot of adventures awaited him, and in addition to everything, he was generously endowed with the talents of a writer, commander, artist, orator and sportsman. True, Latin was never given to him, the only failure in his life was associated with desperate attempts to comprehend this wisdom. Apparently, the fairy of Latin did not manage to break through the crowd. In all other respects, Winston Churchill was perfection itself.
He was especially lucky that his father was only the third son of a duke, and, therefore, the boy was almost never threatened with a title. In England, everything is arranged in such a way that if you have a title, then the House of Commons - the most important part of the British political machine - is closed to you. You will only be allowed into the House of Lords, where you will do your best to maintain the glory of Britain - aside from real politics.
Winston studied poorly. At Harrow's privileged school, teachers unanimously spoke of him as a remarkably incapable child, whose only positive trait was the serenity with which the boy treated corporal punishment. This stoicism led Winston's parents to the idea that, perhaps, their son was created for a military career. Moreover, Winston's nanny, who was involved in his upbringing, also hinted at this. His parents had long lived apart, his mother was absorbed in social life, and his father had syphilis, played on the run, consumed drugs, suffered from manic-depressive psychosis and was least of all fit for the role of a wise mentor *.
«
In fairness, we note that during periods of enlightenment, Randolph Churchill strove to serve for the good of society, was involved in politics, and even worked miraculously for six months as the British Secretary of the Treasury - the post was provided to him by a friend, Lord Salisbury. But by the time Winston went to school, his father really put a fat cross on himself and actively engaged in self-destruction.»
But his father's advice to enter the military college at Sandhurst came to Churchill's liking. Having failed several times in exams (hello, Latin!), he nevertheless entered and graduated from an educational institution among the best students. Winston was assigned to the elite 4th Hussars stationed in England at the time. The peaceful garrison life annoyed him. The bust of Napoleon, which stood on the desk, grinned at Winston more and more maliciously. The great Corsican no longer seemed to think that the red-haired Briton could compete with him: any hero needs a war, even the smallest one, and there was just no war.
Blood and ink
In 1895, the Cuban uprising began. The islanders decided to overthrow their Spaniards, and Winston, sensing the possibility of a battle, rushed to write a request for leave. Before the ink had dried on the commander's signature, the guy was already sailing to Cuba - to sow death among the rebels. Three weeks of battles as part of a punitive expedition brought Winston a Spanish order, faith in his military success and a lot of regrets that the rebels turned out to be just peasant rabble, armed at random and fighting without the slightest idea of \u200b\u200bstrategy and tactics. Winston Churchill wanted a real war.
As luck would have it, it was decided to transfer his regiment to Indian Bangalore. Nothing worse could have been imagined. Winston was given an officer's cottage with a huge garden, where hundreds of varieties of roses grew, which were labored by three gardeners; Indian servants and maids bustled around the house. And he was languishing. There was absolutely nothing to do here: Churchill loved to play polo, but even with his help you can’t kill more than 8-10 hours a day. He found India disgusting, the Hindu religion nauseating, and sincerely considered Indians second-class people.
A diplomat is a person who thinks twice before saying nothing.
W. Churchill
With grief, Winston even became addicted to reading - an occupation hitherto disrespectful to him. With amazement, he realized that he loved literature. I read voraciously - novels, biographies and historical works. Still, he did not completely plug the holes in school education: in the future, political opponents more than once convicted him of ignorance and poor knowledge of ancient authors (again, hello, Latin!). And he began to write actively - he created a couple of stories, an unfinished novel and a bunch of essays. It turned out well, and Churchill decided to try to combine two things that were interesting to him, literature and war, becoming a war correspondent. In subsequent years, he fights in Afghanistan, Egypt and South Africa - "with a notebook, and even with a machine gun." Wherever on the planet there was a mess, Churchill immediately applied for enrollment in the forward detachments there. His descriptions of the campaigns, accurate, witty and colorful, were in demand and printed in the largest newspapers in Britain.
With amazement, Winston discovers that journalism brings much more income than the military: fees by an order of magnitude exceed his officer's salary, the Morning Post alone pays him 250 pounds a month*.
* - Note Phacochoerus "a Funtika:
«
At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, for 250 pounds, you could buy a horse of good blood, three tailcoat pairs, or pay a housekeeper's salary for five years.
»
At the same time, Churchill realizes that he no longer sees the war as either heroic or glorious. The filth of the war and the instant ethical impoverishment of the people forced to participate in it deprived him of any idealistic ideas about his profession. “Sometimes I think,” he writes, “do people in the rest of the world really know what we are doing here?” When you dream of exploits and battles, dead children with their genitals torn out do not come to your mind; don't you think that your friend's burnt body will smell appetizingly of roast beef; you somehow forget that in addition to blood, a person contains a lot of shit that splashes your face when you hit with a saber ... No, a descendant of a kind of warriors and a brilliant graduate of Sandhurst is not shocked. He's just tired and sick of his own past romance.
Parliamentary tryouts
At home, Churchill, meanwhile, is becoming popular. His essays are read avidly, schoolchildren tell each other the story of a brave escape from Boer captivity, his books The History of the Malakand Field Army and The War on the River are called one of the best military works of the century. And in 1899, 25-year-old Churchill resigned. From now on, he is going to earn money by writing, and seek fame in a new field - in politics. “It is almost no different from war,” he would joke years later. “Only in battle can you be killed once, but in politics this can be done to you every day.”
A young man of such noble origin, a protege of the Prince of Wales, and even glorious for his military and literary exploits - such a shot will be a tasty morsel for any party. In the struggle for Churchill, the Conservative Party won. And I didn't guess. A couple of years later, Churchill is already going to parliament. It turns out that he can not only write, but also speak - passionately, but clearly; with conviction and sincerity, but not without humor. His speeches appeal equally to grubby Scottish miners and ironed-out MPs. Although such eloquence and annoying some. For example, Deputy Balfour, under whom Churchill was called "a promising young man," remarked: "Oh, yes, this young man promises a lot! Too bad he's no longer good for anything."
Balfour was wrong: the love of flowery phrases and capacious images in no way replaced Churchill's ideas and principles. And he showed himself in all its glory when Chamberlain, the leader of the Conservatives, suddenly came out in favor of state regulation in trade.
Churchill immediately responded with an article in which he voted with five hands for unrestricted, free trade, thus supporting the Liberal Party. From now on, he was not going along with the conservatives, while a hasty transition to the liberals seemed something akin to betrayal. Therefore, for the time being, he withdrew from politics and sat down at a landmark work - a two-volume biography of his father, by that time the fourth year since he died. In this book, Churchill demonstrated the highest aerobatics of varnishing reality: by talentedly and reverently describing Randolph Churchill, the son managed to mold this syphilitic, drug addict and loser into an impeccable image of a famous politician, sage and almost saint. Unfortunately, the pathos was somewhat spoiled by the fact that, talking about his mother in this biography, Churchill attached snow-white wings to her too. But, unlike her late husband, Lady Jenny was still alive and, just to the delight of the public, noisily divorced and remarried her lover - a guy 25 years younger than her.
Young minister and husband
Having given up his filial duty, Churchill decided that a pause would be enough, and went to the camp of the Liberal Party. From now on, conservatives treat him as an immoral defector, and he adds fuel to the fire: criticizes their weaknesses and miscalculations, makes angry speeches and is so unrestrained in his speech in debate that even supporters behind his back call him "unbearable" and "terrible" .
If we now study Churchill's speeches of that time, we can see that just then his ideological position was finally manifested and cemented.
He is an unconditional supporter of the empire and the colonial system. He is convinced that it is the supreme duty of a developed nation to bring prosperity and culture to an undeveloped nation. It's okay if the porters are people dressed in uniforms with guns.
He stubbornly and naively believes that there can be only one truth in any matter.
A smart person does not make all the mistakes himself, he gives a chance to others.
W. Churchill
He does not believe in the equality of all people and in the equality of all peoples, since life experience tells him the opposite.
He believes in fate, and has no doubt that she always plays on the side of good and truth.
The liberals win and Churchill rises to the very top of the political world. Alternately, he becomes Deputy Minister for the Colonies, Minister of the Interior, and finally, Minister of the Navy (if we recall the position of the British Empire as the mistress of the seas, it becomes clear that the owner of the Admiralty there is also one of the first persons of the state).
At the same time, Churchill continues to write thick works, mainly devoted to the art of war, travels about the Mediterranean and Africa, and gets married.
Churchill is currently 33 years old, but his personal life is a desert. There is no evidence that he ever had mistresses at all. He was in love three times, but all the novels ended unsuccessfully, the relationship did not even live up to the engagement, and Winston was the first to cool down, discovering in his chosen ones what he could not reconcile with in a woman - lack of intelligence.
At one of the secular dinners, Churchill's neighbor turned out to be 24-year-old Scot Clementine Hozier - a beautiful, restrained girl who already had a reputation in society as a bore and a blue stocking. She stubbornly engaged in self-education, did not like empty fun, fought for the rights of women, and if she reminded, as it should be for a young girl, a flower, then it was very prickly - something like the burdock of her native Scotland.
Churchill fell in love almost immediately: he was fascinated by the sharp mind, deep decency and inner nobility of Clementine, who, we recall, was also very pretty. Churchill was not stopped either by the fact that the girl was a dowry, or by the fact that rumor believed her to be illegitimate: her mother's husband, Count D. Airlie, did not recognize Clementine as his daughter. However, Clementine did not immediately surrender to courtship: at first, Churchill aroused in her only deep antipathy. Forty years later, he will say: "The greatest achievement of my life is that I still managed to persuade my wife to marry me." The choice turned out to be perfect. This marriage lasted more than fifty years, they had five children, and all her life Clementine was Churchill's most reliable friend and assistant. In Churchill's autobiography there is a wonderful phrase of its kind: "Since I got married, I have always been happy."
World War I
As Minister of the Navy, Churchill decided to commit treason. In 1912, few people took aviation seriously, and Winston was one of the first to suggest that in future wars, aviation would be a more powerful force than the navy. And the Admiralty had to share its head with his new passion - naval aviation, the creation of which he devoted the lion's share of his time. Churchill even taught himself how to fly a seaplane. (At Winston's request, the designers were forced to create a unique mask for him - with a notch for a cigar. A passionate smoker, he did not tolerate any restrictions in this matter. The best way to piss off Winston was to suggest that he refrain from smoking. And the subject of chronic despair of his wife was holes that Churchill burned in his suits (Clementine even sewed special bibs for her husband to protect his clothes from fire and ashes.)
It is not known whether Churchill expected the outbreak of war, but in the very first days after the assassination of Ferdinand in Sarajevo, there was no more militant politician in England than Churchill. Winston's party comrade Melville Adams wrote to his mother: "In the midst of the general despondency, the feverish delight in which Churchill has been from the very beginning of the war cannot but arouse astonishment."
A peacekeeper is one who feeds a crocodile in the hope that it will be the last to eat it.
W. Churchill
Alas, the war began for Churchill with a catastrophe. His operation in the Dardanelles was not just unsuccessful - it turned out to be a disastrous, shameful fiasco in which the English fleet acted as a whipping boy under heavy fire from the Turks. Churchill was removed from his post as minister and appointed head of one of the unimportant offices. It was a collapse, complete and final. Churchill, who apparently inherited his father's manic-depressive disorder, often fought "black dogs" - as he called the days when he was overcome by severe depression. The Black Dogs of 1915 turned out to be the size of an elephant; relatives were seriously afraid that Winston would lay hands on himself.
A miracle saved the situation. One day, Churchill became slightly interested in how one of the guests in his house paints. A week later, he bought up half of the store that sold personal belongings for painting, and sat down at the easel. Having never held a pencil or a brush in his life, Winston incredibly quickly learned the basics of painting technique. A month later, his landscapes looked quite tolerable, and a few years later his works, signed by the pseudonym Charles Morin, were exhibited at the National Gallery of Paris, and there were buyers *.
* - Note Phacochoerus "a Funtika:
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Now Churchill's landscapes with elms or palm trees are worth about a million dollars a piece.
»
But the depression finally left Winston only after he received a resignation in his office and was able to leave for France, to the front, where he became a military general. Two years later, the Dardanelles was forgotten, Winston, who again acquired a heroic military halo, was returned to the government and given the post of Minister of Army Supply. Here he showed himself magnificently and earned the sympathy of the soldiers, who felt positive changes in their own skin after old Winston himself began to deal with issues with soap, canned food and ammunition.
Between two wars
The further political fate of Churchill resembled a stormy sea, where he soared up to the very heavens, then fell down, carried away by another swift wave of circumstances.
He was especially troubled by the fight against Bolshevik Russia. Churchill advocated full, including military, support for the white movement, spoke of Bolshevism with disgust, threatened Russia with turning unwashed savages into a barbaric country, and called Lenin "a cannibal crawling over a pile of skulls."
It must be said that in Great Britain the Russian revolution was on the whole positively received by the trade unions, labor movements and the "progressive" intelligentsia, and Churchill received the stigma of "the enemy of the workers and the accursed imperialist" on his forehead, with whom he never parted. He again left the Liberals for the Conservatives, but since 1929 the Conservatives lost every election miserably, and together with them Churchill had to live out of big politics for almost ten years. He was engaged in painting, wrote multi-volume works, spent a lot of time with his family, traveled, fought with "black dogs" and waited in the wings.
Appearance of the enemy
From 1932, Churchill began to closely follow Hitler and the situation in Germany in general. One of the first European politicians, he came to understand that in Germany there are not just all sorts of increases in revanchist sentiments and the usual Prussian drag. An interesting paradox: a Nazi and a racist in theory, Winston, having met a Nazi practitioner, instantly smelled the stench of danger.
Since 1933, Churchill has been turning into a kind of Roman senator who ended all his speeches in the Senate with the appeal: "As for Carthage, it must be destroyed!" The militarization of Germany, the coming to power of a totalitarian ruler - all this made Churchill's sensitive ears bristle with anxiety, but practically no one in his entourage shared this concern. It seemed unbelievable to everyone that Germany, recently defeated, would again thirst for blood; she was supposed to be expending all her energy on survival rather than baring her teeth. Churchill, however, still hoped that the bloody accession of Hitler could lead Germany to peaceful prosperity, because often in history tyrants managed to establish quite a quality life in subject territories. The persecution of the Jews also could not excite Churchill, who did not like these people so much (especially after his young daughter Sarah fled to America with an elderly divorced Jew and got a job there as a dancer in the corps de ballet). But the soldier's intuition unequivocally pointed out to Churchill the enemy. Alas, any of his speeches, calling on the Europeans to unite and sign mutual assistance treaties, were perceived by the ruling liberals as militaristic antics.
In 1937, the Conservatives finally managed to achieve an advantage in the elections, and Neville Chamberlain came to power. But Chamberlain, in relations with Nazi Germany, Mussolini's Italy and Spain, Franco preferred to pursue a "policy of appeasement." The appeasement lay in the fact that the British and French considered it best to turn a blind eye to any antics of Herr Hitler. When the Germans captured the Sudetenland, and instead of announcing mobilization, the British Prime Minister flew to meet the Nazis and sign the Munich Agreement, Churchill was even ready for a while to resign and break with the Conservatives. Then he said his famous words: “You had a choice between war and dishonor. You have chosen dishonor, now you will get war."
belligerent premier
England entered the war on September 3, 1939, two days after the German attack on Poland. Soon, according to the secret Ribbentrop-Molotov pact, the USSR occupies part of Poland from the east. At this time, Churchill was offered to return to the post of Minister of the Navy. The offer was accepted. And eight months later, after the fall of Scandinavia and France, after the almost complete occupation of Europe by the Germans and their allies, after Great Britain was completely isolated one on one with Hitler, King George VI invited Churchill to take the post of the de facto leader of the country - Prime Minister .
Success is the ability to move from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.
W. Churchill
Churchill was able to turn Britain into a well-formed army machine in a matter of months. Moreover, if victories in North Africa and the Middle East would probably have been possible without his leadership, then the creation of military aviation, which seized control of European air from Germany, is undoubtedly a personal achievement of the prime minister. The brigades of pilots he formed, including foreign ones, killed 1.5 million people in Germany - several times more than the Japanese who died as a result of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Churchill characterized the death of children, civilians and cultural monuments as an unfortunate inevitability, which, however, could not spoil his appetite: after all, the Germans elected Herr Hitler themselves. In Britain, the screws were also tightened to the limit, even women were mobilized without exception. Wartime laws left no stone unturned in traditional British freedoms, but the nation was in love with its premier. Moreover, he honestly warned in his first premier speech: "The only thing I can offer you now is blood, sweat and tears." However, the abundance of these liquids eventually tired the British. In July 1945, Churchill would have to leave the Potsdam Conference of the victorious countries and give way to the victorious Laborist Clement Attlee, whose party at the next election bought war-weary voters with promises to take everything from the rich, distribute to the poor and arrange a fair system of workers and other working people in the country.
Churchill will still become prime minister in the 50s, when the British will again return to conservative ideals and remember the old heroes. He still has a lot of things ahead of him, including the famous Fulton speech "Muscles of the World", in which he will announce the onset of the Cold War with the USSR, "lowering an iron curtain over half of Europe." (After this speech, relations with the USSR will be forever ruined, but the only thing Churchill will regret is that the parcels with black caviar from Stalin will cease from now on - alas, Joseph will not send him another grain of this yummy.) He will still write a lot of books. He will live to be 90 years old, this indefatigable smoker, glutton and alcoholic, who began the day with whiskey and ended it with cognac, never let a nibbled cigar out of his lips. His funeral will be an event of national importance, and hundreds of thousands of people will see him off on his last journey. But the main feat of his life fell on the years 1940-1945. It was he who, without doubts and without recognizing compromises, was preparing to fight the forces of darkness, as he called the Hitler machine back in those years when it was considered good form all over the world to talk about Hitler with sympathy and understanding.
Now is not the time for the Churchills. In a world where the President of the United States hides his smoking like a naughty boy, and the rulers of Europe seriously forbid the arrest of murderous pirates, because they can be treated badly later in prison; in a world where political correctness wins common sense, and war is equated with a crime, Winston with his simple and weighty answers to difficult questions would not come to court.
On the other hand, one should not forget that if it were not for people like him, then this “court” would not exist at all.
Churchill's merit in the victory over fascism lies in the fact that:
1 He was absolutely sure of victory. Perhaps he was the only person in the world who then believed in it. But his radio speeches, full of optimism and sacred fury, infected people with the enthusiasm of the orator.
2 He was able to quickly reorganize the fleet, air force and air defense, which kept the Germans from landing in Britain.
3 He began to establish contacts with Stalin, whom he hated, by offering an alliance to Soviet Russia. At the same time, the British secret services carried out several operations that led Hitler to believe that such an alliance was a done deal. We are unlikely to know what part of Churchill's personal involvement in the fact that the Fuhrer signed the Barbarossa blitzkrieg plan with the USSR in December, nevertheless, drawing the Soviet Union into the war was exactly what Churchill hoped for.
4 He managed to convince Americans, too preoccupied with their problems in the Pacific, that it was time to help. And help a lot. After a meeting with Churchill, President Roosevelt signed a decree on lend-lease - the supply to England, Russia and France of equipment, raw materials, provisions and ammunition worth 50 billion dollars *.
* - Note Phacochoerus "a Funtika:
«
Multiply this amount by 14 - and you will understand how much it will be in the modern equivalent»
5 He proved to be an excellent crisis manager. Churchill combined a rational military strategy with a reasonable internal one. A network of civil defense and mutual assistance deployed throughout the country protected the British from many of the boring horrors of war: there was no famine on the blockaded island, convoys brought provisions and medicines from the United States.
6 He provided massive support for all partisan movements in the occupied territories. Yugoslav, French, Polish underground workers received from Britain not only financial and military, but also informational assistance: British radio stations launched the release of programs in many languages.
Photo: Time & Life Pictures, Hulton / Fotobank.com; Popperfoto/Fotobank.com; gettyimages.com.
Childhood and youth
When Churchill was eight years old, he was sent to St. George's Preparatory School. Corporal punishment was practiced at the school, and Winston, who constantly violated discipline, was often subjected to it. After the nanny who visited him regularly found traces of vice on the boy's body, she immediately informed his mother, and he was transferred to the Thomson sisters' school in Brighton. Academic progress, especially after the transfer, was satisfactory, but the behavioral assessment read: "Number of students in the class - 13. Place - 13th."
In October of the same year, the regiment is sent to India and quartered in Bangalore. Churchill reads extensively, thus trying to make up for his lack of university education, and becomes one of the best players in the regiment's polo team. According to the recollections of his subordinates, he conscientiously treated his officer duties and spent a lot of time studying with soldiers and sergeants, but the routine of service weighed on him, he twice went on vacation to England (including the celebrations on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the reign of Queen Victoria), traveled India, visiting Kolkata and Hyderabad.
Letters from the front line were published by The Daily Telegraph, and at the end of the campaign, his book The History of the Malakand Field Corps was published with a circulation of 8500 copies (eng. "The Story of the Malakand Field Force" ). Due to the hasty preparation for printing, a huge number of typographical errors crept into the book, Churchill counted more than 200 typographical errors and since then he always demanded to personally correct the proofs of the publisher.
Returning safely from Malakand, Churchill immediately begins to seek a trip to North Africa, to cover the suppression of the Mahdist uprising in Sudan. The desire to go on another journalistic trip did not meet with the understanding of the command, and he writes directly to the Prime Minister, Lord Salisbury, honestly admitting that the motives for the trip are both the desire to cover a historical moment and the opportunity to derive personal, including financial, benefit from the publication of a book . As a result, the War Department granted the request by appointing him to the supernumerary post of Lieutenant, the appointment order specifically noted that in the event of injury or death, he could not count on payments from the funds of the War Department.
Although there was a numerical superiority on the side of the rebels, the allied Anglo-Egyptian army had an overwhelming technological advantage - multiply charged small arms, artillery, gunboats and the latest novelty of that time - Maxim machine guns. In the pitched battle of Omdurman, Churchill took part in the last cavalry charge of the British army. He himself described the episode:
I broke into a trot and galloped to individual [opponents], shooting them in the face with a pistol, and killed several - three for sure, two very unlikely, and one more - very doubtful.
In the reports, he criticized the commander of the British troops, his future colleague in the cabinet, General Kitchener, for the cruel treatment of prisoners and wounded and for disrespect for local customs. “He is a great general, but no one has yet accused him of being a great gentleman,” Churchill said about him in a private conversation, a well-aimed characterization, however, quickly became public. Although the criticism was largely fair, the public reaction to it was ambiguous, the position of a publicist and accuser did not fit well with the duty of a junior officer.
After the end of the campaign, Churchill returned to India to take part in a nationwide polo tournament. During a brief stopover in England, he speaks at Conservative rallies several times. Almost immediately after the end of the tournament, which his team won by winning a hard-fought final match, in March 1899 he retired.
Debut in politics
By the time of his resignation, Churchill had gained some notoriety as a journalist, and his book on the Sudan campaign, The War on the River (Eng. The River War) became a bestseller.
Boer War
By the autumn of 1899, relations with the Boer republics had deteriorated sharply, and when in September the Transvaal and the Orange Republic rejected British proposals to enfranchise English workers in the gold mines, it became clear that war was inevitable.
Lord Lorburn, head of the House of Lords, publicly called the Home Secretary's actions "irresponsible and reckless".
At the same time, deteriorating relations with Germany prompted Churchill to take up foreign policy issues. From the ideas and information received from military experts, Churchill drew up a memorandum on the "military aspects of the continental problem" and handed it to the Prime Minister. This document was an undoubted success for Churchill. He testified that Churchill, having a very modest military education, which the school of cavalry officers gave him, was able to quickly and professionally sort out a number of important military issues.
The cost of the naval forces was the largest expenditure item in the British budget. Churchill was tasked with implementing reforms while improving cost efficiency. The changes he initiated were very large-scale: the main headquarters of the Navy was organized, naval aviation was established, warships of new types were designed and laid down. So, according to the original plans, the shipbuilding program of 1912 was supposed to be 4 improved battleships of the type "Iron Duke". However, the new First Lord of the Admiralty ordered the project to be redesigned for the main caliber of 15 inches, despite the fact that the design work on the creation of such guns had not even been completed yet. As a result, very successful battleships of the type queen elizabeth who served in the British Navy until 1948.
One of the most important decisions was the transfer of the navy from coal to liquid fuel. Despite the obvious advantages, the maritime department for a long time opposed this step, for strategic reasons - coal-rich Britain had absolutely no oil reserves. In order to make the conversion of the fleet to oil possible, Churchill initiated the allocation of 2.2 million pounds for the acquisition of a 51% stake in the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. In addition to purely technical aspects, the decision had far-reaching political consequences - the Persian Gulf region became a zone of strategic interests of Great Britain. The chairman of the Royal Commission for the conversion of the fleet to liquid fuels was Lord Fisher, a distinguished British admiral. The joint work of Churchill and Fisher ended in May of the year due to the latter's categorical disagreement with the landing on Gallipoli.
World War I
Great Britain officially entered the First World War on August 3, 1914, but already on July 28, the day Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, Churchill ordered the fleet to advance to combat positions off the coast of England, permission for this was obtained from the Prime Minister retroactively .
As chairman of the "Commission on Landships" (Eng. Landship Committee) Churchill took part in the development of the first tanks and the creation of tank troops.
Interwar period
Return to the Conservative Party
Political isolation
After the Conservative defeat in the 1929 election, Churchill did not seek election to the party's governing bodies due to disagreements with the Conservative leaders over trade tariffs and Indian independence. When Ramsay MacDonald formed a coalition government in 1931, Churchill did not receive an offer to enter the cabinet.
He devoted the next few years to literary works, the most significant work of that period is considered "Marlborough: his life and time" (Eng. Marlborough: His Life and Times listen)) is a biography of his ancestor John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough.
In Parliament, he organized the so-called "Churchill Group" - a small faction within the Conservative Party. The faction opposed the granting of independence and even the status of the dominion of India, for a tougher foreign policy, in particular for more active opposition to the rearmament of Germany.
In the pre-war years, he severely criticized the policy of appeasing Hitler, pursued by the Chamberlain government, and after the conclusion of the Munich Agreement, he said in the House of Commons:
You had a choice between war and dishonor. You have chosen dishonor, now you will get war.
original text(English)
You were given the choice between war and dishonour. You chose dishonour, and you will have war
The Second World War
Return to government
On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland - World War II began. On September 3, at 11 a.m., the United Kingdom officially entered the war, and within 10 days, the entire British Commonwealth. On the same day, Winston Churchill was asked to take the post of First Lord of the Admiralty with a vote in the War Council. There is a legend that, having learned about this, the ships of the Royal Navy of Great Britain and the naval bases exchanged a message with the text: "Winston has returned."
Although there were no active hostilities on land after the defeat of the Polish army and the capitulation of Poland, the so-called “strange war” was going on, the hostilities at sea almost immediately entered the active phase.
Prime Minister
Anti-Hitler coalition
After the war
On January 1, 1946, the King presented Churchill with an honorary Order of Merit (which only 24 people were awarded) and offers to make him a Knight of the Garter (Churchill refuses).
Most famous performances
Churchill's speech in the House of Commons on Stalin
Russia was very lucky that when she was dying, she was headed by such a tough military leader. This is an outstanding personality, suitable for harsh times. The man is inexhaustibly brave, imperious, direct in actions and even rude in his statements ... However, he retained a sense of humor, which is very important for all people and nations, and especially for great people and great nations. Stalin also impressed me with his cold-blooded wisdom, in the complete absence of any illusions. I hope I made him believe that we will be loyal and reliable comrades-in-arms in this war - but this, after all, is proved by deeds, not words.
original text(English)
It is very fortunate for Russia in her agony to have this great rugged war chief at her head. He is a man of massive outstanding personality, suited to the sombre and stormy times in wich his life has been cast; a man of inexhaustible courage and will-power and a man direct and even blunt in speech … Above all, he is a man with that saving sense of humour which is of high importance to all men and all nations, but particularly to great men and great nations. Stalin also left upon me the impression of a deep, cool wisdom and complete absence of illusions of any kind. I believe I made him feel that we were good and faithful comrades in this war - but this, after all, is a matter which deeds not words will prove.
This statement becomes more understandable in comparison with the following (from a radio speech on June 22, 1941):
If Hitler invades hell, I will at least give the House of Commons a positive review of the devil.
original text(English)
If Hitler invaded Hell I would make at least a favorite reference to the devil in the House of Commons.
A similar speech by Churchill about Stalin in the House of Commons on December 21, 1959 is often cited, the authenticity of which is questioned by some scholars. A number of researchers consider this speech a hoax, since its original was not found for the indicated date.
At the beginning of November 1945, Churchill delivered a speech in the House of Commons in which, in particular, he said:
I personally can feel nothing but the greatest admiration for this truly great man, the father of his country, who ruled the fate of his country in times of peace and victorious defender in times of war. Even if we had strong disagreements with the Soviet government on many political aspects - political, social and even, we think, moral - then in England there should not be a mood that could disrupt or weaken these great ties between the two our peoples, the ties that were our glory and security during the recent terrible convulsions.
On October 9, 1954, in a Peace Through Strength speech given before the Conservative Party conference, he said:
Stalin was the dictator of Russia for many years, and the more I studied his career, the more I was shocked by the terrible mistakes he made and the extreme cruelty towards the people and the masses with which he acted. Stalin was our ally in the fight against Hitler when Russia was attacked, but when Hitler was destroyed, Stalin became our main threat.
After our common victory, it became obvious that his actions had once again divided the world. Apparently, he was driven by dreams of world domination. He turned a third of Europe into a satellite of the Soviet Union by imposing communism on them. It was an unfortunate event after all we had been through.
But it's been a year since Stalin died - this is beyond doubt, and since then I have been hoping that a new perspective is opening up for Russia, a new hope for peaceful coexistence with the Russian people, and it is our duty to patiently and boldly make sure there is a chance here, or not.original text(English)
Stalin was for many years Dictator of Russia and the more I have studied his career the more I am shocked by the terrible mistakes he made and the utter ruthlessness he showed to men and masses with whom he acted. Stalin was our ally against Hitler when Russia was invaded but when Hitler was destroyed Stalin made himself our principal object of dread. After our joint victory became certain his conduct divided the world again. He seemed to be carried away by his dream of world domination. He actually reduced a third of Europe to a Soviet satellite condition under compulsory communism. These were heartbreaking events after all we have gone through. But a year ago Stalin died - that is certain - and ever since that event I have cherished the hope that there's new outlook in Russia, a new hope of peaceful co-existence with the Russian nation and that it is our duty patiently and daringly to make sure whether there is such a chance or not.
Fulton speech
Notes
Links
- D. Medvedev. Churchill: Private life. M. "Publishing house RIPOL classic", 2008, ISBN 978-5-386-00897-0
- N. Rose. Churchill. Fast paced life. per. E. F. Levina, M. Ast Publishing House, 2004, ISBN 5-17-014478-4
- Never Give In! The Best of Winston Churchill's Speeches. (Selected Speeches of Churchill), Hyperion, NY, 2003, ISBN 0-7868-8870-9
- R. Holmes, In the Footsteps of Churchill. Basic Books, NY, 2005, ISBN 0-465-03082-3
In the history of the 20th century, a deep imprint was left by those people who made fateful decisions for mankind. Among the prominent politicians, Winston Churchill confidently takes his place - Prime Minister of Great Britain, writer, Nobel laureate, one of the leaders of the anti-Hitler coalition, anti-communist, author of many aphorisms that have become winged, lover of cigars and strong drinks, and in general an interesting person.
His image is known to our fellow citizens from the documentary footage of the period of the Second World War, filmed during the Yalta, Tehran and On them, among other members of the "Big Three", a full figure covered in a khaki military jacket, an ugly but very charming face and a penetrating look attract attention. . Such was the extraordinary Winston Churchill, books about which are still being written today, and films are being made that open unfamiliar pages of his biography. Some moments remain a mystery to this day.
Birth and family
At the end of November 1874, the Duke of Marlborough's Blenheim Palace was getting ready for a ball. Lady Churchill certainly wished to attend. She was dissuaded, but she was adamant, which led to some circumstances that disrupted the party. It just so happened that Winston Churchill was born on a mountain of women's coats, hats and other outerwear, piled in a heap in a room that served as an impromptu wardrobe for guests.
The upbringing of a red-haired and not very beautiful child was mainly carried out by the nanny Everest. The influence of this remarkable woman on the future politician was enormous, and he always kept her photograph in a prominent place in all the offices he occupied, obviously, until the end of his life, comparing his actions with the moral guidelines laid down by her. This is how Winston Churchill expressed his gratitude, whose biography indicates that the nanny was a right and wise person.
School, adolescence
Little Winston was not a child prodigy. Although he had an excellent memory, he used it only when he was interested in the subject being studied. The boy's diction was so-so, he did not pronounce some letters at all, but at the same time he was distinguished by verbosity. To the exact sciences, Greek and Latin, he showed complete indifference, but he loved his native English, studied it willingly.
A descendant of an aristocratic family and had to study at a special school. Such was the privileged educational institution "Ascot", in which Winston Churchill spent several years. Then the young man was transferred to the Harrow High School, also famous for its long traditions. Parents believed that the son of the stars from the sky was not enough, and so it was, and therefore determined his military career. In 1893, the young man was able to enter the Sandhurst Higher Cavalry School of the Royal Army only the third time. Two years later his father died. For the son, the death of a beloved and respected parent was a great loss, despite certain mutual misunderstandings. Childhood is over, the young man has turned into an adult man.
Beginning of parliamentary activity
Having a higher education, a military rank of lieutenant and a noble origin, Winston Churchill, whose biography as a politician was just beginning, won the parliamentary elections of 1900. Despite the fact that he ran from the conservative party, they showed sympathy, rather, to its opponents - the liberals. Such a contradiction was expressed in the fact that he himself defined his status as an “independent conservative”, which created many problems for him, but such a line of behavior also had advantages. Conflicts with fellow party members created a certain scandal, which contributed to greater fame in political circles. Due to the fact that during his speeches, many parliamentarians, and sometimes the prime minister himself, defiantly left the meeting room, Winston Churchill was noticed. In 1904, he left the ranks of the Conservatives.
Minister for the Colonies
The senator's eloquence drew attention to him, and proposals for cooperation with various constituencies were not long in coming. Those of them that were not of interest to Churchill, he unconditionally swept aside, but in 1906 he agreed to become the minister in charge of the affairs of the colonies. The significance of the overseas territories for the well-being of the British Empire was enormous, and even then the patriotism of the politician manifested itself, expressed in the priorities of the interests of the state over other considerations. The results of activities within a short period of time turned out to be very impressive, and the efforts were noticed and appreciated at the highest level, including the entourage of Edward VII and the monarch himself.
The year 1908 ended with the resignation of Premier Campbell Bannerman, whose place was soon taken by Asquith. He suggested that Churchill take on the Royal Navy, but was refused. War was not expected in the near future, and without it, the position of Minister for the Navy did not promise glory. Regarding the other post of Minister of Self-Government, the reaction was the same, although for a different reason, it was just that the topic was not interesting to Churchill. But he wished to engage in trade, although at first glance it did not promise any political dividends.
Marriage
Winston Churchill has been so busy with political affairs for a long time that his friends have already begun to doubt that he will ever marry, but they were mistaken. Despite more than modest external data and constant official workload, he nevertheless found an opportunity to meet a very beautiful girl, charm her (obviously, with intelligence and eloquence) and lead her down the aisle. The daughter of a dragoon officer-colonel - Clementine Hozier - was charming, educated, intelligent, fluent in two foreign languages (German and French). Even the owners of the most evil tongues could not be suspected of Winston's selfish motives: there was practically no dowry, with the exception, of course, of the bride's personal qualities and her noble Irish-Scottish origin.
Minister of Internal Affairs
At the age of thirty-five, Churchill became Minister of Law and Order, occupying one of the key posts in the Empire. Now he had to be responsible for the police of the capital, bridges, roads, correctional facilities, agriculture and even fishing. Also, the duties of the Minister of the Interior, according to the old English tradition, included the indispensable presence during childbirth in the royal family, the proclamation of the heirs to the throne, writing reports on the work of Parliament, which made it possible for Churchill to demonstrate his literary talents at the highest level. This he did with great pleasure.
Before the big war
The fact that "cold" contradictions between countries rich in colonies and deprived of them by Germany and Austria-Hungary will sooner or later develop into a "hot" conflict, someone may have doubted, but not Winston Churchill. On the basis of intelligence and defense information, he drafted a memorandum for the prime minister on military aspects in Europe, stating the practical inevitability of an impending war. After that, the country's leadership undertook a kind of castling, swapping McCann and Churchill, as a result of which the author of the report received at the disposal of the fleet, which he had previously abandoned. It was 1911, serious events were brewing. The new minister coped with the task of preparing the Royal Navy for the upcoming naval battles.
First war
The date for the start of the military conflict was determined by the British government quite accurately. The usual naval maneuvers in 1914 were canceled, a hidden partial mobilization was carried out, after the traditional parade on July 17, the ships were not sent to their places of permanent deployment, but by order of the Admiralty, their concentration was maintained. After the outbreak of war between the Central Powers and Russia, Churchill took it upon himself to announce the full mobilization of the fleet without waiting for the government's decision. This step could have cost him his removal from office, but everything worked out, the decision was recognized as the right one, and a day later his actions were approved. On August 4, Britain declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungary.
Post-war life
The events of the First World War are well known: after the defeat of Germany and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the world, and primarily Europe, faced the problem of the spread of communism. The anti-Marxist position that Winston took on this subject testifies to the conviction that it was necessary to destroy the Bolshevik regime in Russia. But economically, the countries of the West, exhausted by the four-year massacre, were not ready for a large-scale military intervention. As a result of the impossibility of an armed struggle against communism, the leaders of democratic Europe, and then the whole world, were forced to recognize Soviet power. Churchill's role as Secretary of War by 1921 had become secondary. This, of course, upset him, but the troubles were ahead. In the same year, real sorrows befell him: first, the death of his mother (and she was still not old, only 67 years old), then her two-year-old daughter Marigold.
Diligence and energy, as well as a new job, helped the couple recover from a terrible double grief. Churchill again becomes Minister for the Colonies, but the 1922 elections end disastrously: he does not get into Parliament. Churchill decides to have some rest with his wife in France. It seemed that the career was over.
Back in Parliament
In the first half of the twenties, Churchill had an influential political enemy - Bonar Law, who served as prime minister. In 1923 he fell seriously ill and never recovered. With Baldwin, the new leader of the Conservatives, the disgraced politician managed to establish contact, but the first two attempts to return to parliament were unsuccessful. The third time he nevertheless returned to the respected assembly, having won the election from Epping County, and at the same time received the chair of the Minister of Finance. In 1929 Labor replaced the Conservatives, and for a decade Churchill's active nature had no opportunity for expression. It remained for him to follow the developments in Germany, which by the mid-thirties was increasingly reviving economically and militarily, becoming a formidable rival for Britain.
Pre-war expectations
Few British politicians understood the role of aviation in the coming war as deeply as Winston Churchill. Photographs and newsreels depicting Neville Chamberlain waving the treaty signed in Munich documented the complacency of the then European peacekeepers making concessions to Nazi Germany in the second half of the thirties.
Meanwhile, in Britain, for about two years, a secret government committee had been operating to control the strengthening of the state's defense capabilities. Its member was Winston Churchill, whose statements about the prospects for appeasing Hitler were distinguished by pessimism. Even then, he was distinguished by paradoxical and non-standard thinking, arguing that, looking too far ahead, people act short-sightedly. Winston preferred to deal with pressing and pressing issues. In particular, largely thanks to the efforts of the committee, the Royal Air Force received Spitfire and Hurricane fighter aircraft by the beginning of the war, capable of withstanding the Messerschmitts.
Finest hour, the second war with Germany
After the attack on Poland and the declaration of war on Germany in 1939, for almost two years Great Britain fought against Hitlerism alone. Day 22 June 1941 became a holiday for Churchill. Upon learning of the German attack on the USSR, he realized that the war could be considered won. Winston Churchill, whose biography was associated with the struggle against communism, did not want anything at that time as much as the success of the Red Army. Being in an extremely difficult economic situation, Great Britain provided military assistance to the USSR, supplying military goods. The ability to give up even one's own convictions for the sake of saving one's country is a sign of a true patriot and a wise politician. However, this deviation in views was temporary and forced. Declared and demonstrated sympathy for the Soviets was replaced by outright hostility by the beginning of the Big Three conference in Potsdam.
During the war, strong-willed qualities are most pronounced. Winston Churchill was no exception. His biography in those years entered the brightest phase, he perfectly combined eloquence with the ability to resolve military-political and economic issues. It was difficult to call his speeches laconic, but even in some of his verbosity the British found what they lacked so much: confidence in victory and good spirits. However, one of his aphorisms expressed the opinion that silence is often a sign that a person simply has nothing to say. He also said once that only the inhabitants of Albion can be glad that things are bad. There was no politician in the United Kingdom who was so popular as Winston from his speeches was passed on to each other by the inhabitants of London and Coventry, Liverpool and Sheffield, suffering from bombing and deprivation. They made many people smile. It was the premier's finest hour.
After battle
The Second World War ended. Winston Churchill resigned at the end of May 1945, having shared with the Conservative Party its defeat in the next elections. Well, such is the essence of Western democracy, for which recent, but already past merits mean little. Winston Churchill's aphorisms concerning this form of government are distinguished by a special malice, reaching cynicism. So, he quite seriously argued that democracy is only good because all other ways of governing the country are even worse, and to be disappointed in it, it’s enough just to talk a little with the “average voter”.
However, the threat that many countries would become even worse after the war was very real. Stalinist communism moved across the planet using a variety of methods - from forceful to subtly insidious. The Cold War began immediately after the victory over fascism, but it was marked by a speech in the American city of Fulton, which in 1946, on March 5, exactly seven years before the death of Joseph Stalin, was delivered by Winston Churchill. Interesting facts and coincidences accompanied him all his life. The attitude of the British politician to "Uncle Joe", as Western politicians called the Soviet leader Stalin, was ambiguous. Churchill combined hostility and rejection of Marxist ideas with genuine respect for the extraordinary personality of a man who was at times either his ally or opponent.
The prime minister's attitude to alcohol is interesting. According to him, he received more from alcohol than he gave. In old age, Churchill joked that if in his youth he did not drink before dinner, now he has a different rule: in no case take strong drinks before breakfast. According to his grandson, his grandfather started the day with a glass of whiskey (not such a small portion), but no one ever saw him drunk. Of course, such habits do not deserve to be imitated, but, as the Russian proverb says, you cannot erase words from a song.
The literary works written by Winston Churchill are also interesting. The books tell about the colonial wars, in particular, the Afghan and Anglo-Boer campaigns, the fight against world communism, as well as many other historical events in which the author took part. The texts are distinguished by an excellent style and subtle humor, characteristic of this outstanding person.
Churchill had a chance to occupy the prime minister's chair twice. The last time he led the British government in 1951 at the age of 77. Advanced years affected the general condition of the body, it became more and more difficult for him to work. "Sir Winston Churchill" - so since 1953, when the young Elizabeth II - the new Queen of England - awarded him the Order of the Garter, it was necessary to address the prime minister. British laws do not provide for a greater honor. He became a knight, and only a monarch is considered to have a higher social position.
Goodbye politics!
Covered with a veil of secrecy is information about how Winston Churchill left big politics. A short biography, studied by British schoolchildren and students, contains information about the acceptance of his resignation without undue hype in 1955. The removal from power occurred gradually, over a period of almost four months. The respect, deference and tact shown by the UK's top leadership during this process deserve special words. The whole life of the politician was devoted to serving the motherland and caring for its interests, which was marked by many awards (both royal and foreign).
The great Churchill lived another ten years. A new era began, the war began in distant Vietnam, the youth went crazy over their idols, the Rolling Stones and the Beatles conquered the world, the “flower children” - hippies - preached universal love, and all this was so unlike secular political life of the beginning of the century, when the young Winston began his long journey in politics.
The outstanding prime minister died in early 1965. The magnificent multi-day farewell ceremony was not inferior in solemnity to the royal funeral. Churchill found his final resting place next to his parents in an ordinary city cemetery in Blandon.
