Essay, Research Paper

Winston Churchill and His Leadership During World War II

Winston Churchill symbolized Britain during World War II. His image, and that of the British people as a whole, was one of rebelliousness in the face of overpowering hardship. His galvanizing and brave leading as Prime Minister of Britain during World War II was the accelerator for the obstinate opposition of the British and the ultimate triumph of the Allied forces over Hitler. His addresss stirred the multitudes and mobilized the British. When everything continued to travel incorrect, when things could apparently acquire no worse, he was at that place to promote and give support to the Allied ground forcess. With his inspiring addresss, he motivated the state of Great Britain to make what they believed to be impossible.

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was born on November 30, 1874, at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire. His parents were Lord Randolph Henry Spencer Churchill and his American married woman, Jeanette Jerome Churchill.

Churchill attended St. George & # 8217 ; s and Misses Thomson & # 8217 ; s for grade school. He did non make peculiarly good at either school. For high school, he went to the Harrow School, on the outskirts of London. He was accepted into Harrow merely because of his male parent & # 8217 ; s repute. While at Harrow he did ill. He seldom studied and the lone topic in which he did good was English. He had few friends at school. ( Webb 6-14 ) Harmonizing to Robert Webb, & # 8220 ; Winston was a lone wolf. He had no friends and seemingly wanted none. What he did, he did by himself. & # 8221 ; ( 14 )

After fighting through four old ages at Harrow, Churchill decided to go to the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. He failed the entryway test twice, but was eventually accepted after narrowly go throughing on his 3rd effort. His low classs forced him to come in the horse instead than a regiment. Churchill spent two old ages at Sandhurst. He loved the school and his categories, so he studied hard. He graduated in 1885, with awards, 20th in his category of 130. ( Webb 15-19 )

Churchill & # 8217 ; s active war experiences are limited to being in the thick of a rebellion in Cuba, functioning with the Malakand Field Force in India from 1896-97, and functioning in the horse during the reconquest of Sudan, Egypt. ( Gilbert 17 )

After Churchill & # 8217 ; s term of office in India, he ran for a place in Parliament. He spoke good, but the resistance he faced was merely excessively strong. He lost his first attempt at an electoral office. Churchill ran for political office many times after this initial failure. In 1901, he won a place in the House of Commons. From 1908-1939, he held many political offices. Some include: First Lord of the Admiralty, Minister of Munitions, Secretary for War and Air, and Chancellor of the Exchequer. All of these places pale when held in comparing to his service as Prime Minister. He held this place twice during his life: one time during World War II from 1940-1945, and once more from 1951-1955. ( Bra*censored* , Internet )

In 1938, Adolf Hitler of Germany annexed Austria to the & # 8220 ; Greater German Reich Groszdentschland. & # 8221 ; His forces were go oning to travel, and before long, they would get down forcing due west. ( Braakhius, Internet ) The Prime Minister of Britain at this clip was Neville Chamberlain. He met with Hitler, and Hitler promised him that he had would non foster widen Germany & # 8217 ; s retentions. Chamberlain unwisely accepted this empty promise at face value, and announced to the British public & # 8220 ; peace in our time. & # 8221 ; ( Webb 87 )

By March of 1939, Hitler had conquered all of Czechoslovakia. Chamberlain realized excessively late, that Hitler & # 8217 ; s promise was meaningless. ( Braakhius, Internet )

In September of 1939, Germany attacked Poland. Two yearss after the onslaught, Chamberlain declared war on Germany. He was joined by France, India, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Thus began World War II. ( Braakhius, Internet )

On the same twenty-four hours Great Britain declared war on Germany, Chamberlain asked Churchill to presume the responsibilities of First Lord of the Admiralty. This was the 2nd clip for Churchill in this station, and he held the place for merely a brief clip. After Chamberlain & # 8217 ; s surrender in May of 1940, Churchill was called upon to be Prime Minister. In presuming this rubric, Churchill became the voice of Britain during the war. His emotional addresss would animate the state to digest much adversity and forfeit.

As Prime Minster, he instantly brought hope to all of Britain. In his first reference to the people of Britain as Prime Minister, he exhorted them to stand up in support of their state. ( Webb 88-91 ) In the address he said:

We have before us an ordeal of the most dangerous sort. We have before us many, many long months of battle and of enduring. You ask, What is our policy? I will state ; & # 8220 ; It is to pay war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us. & # 8221 ; You ask, What is our purpose? I can reply with one word: Victory & # 8211 ; triumph at all costs, triumph in malice of all panic, triumph nevertheless long and hard the route may be ; for without triumph there is no endurance. ( Geib, Internet )

Subsequent to Churchill going Prime Minister, Holland, Belgium and France all fell to Hitler & # 8217 ; s forces. The English were shortly left to stand entirely. This was to be a T

rue trial for the ground forces and people of Britain. ( Gilbert 60-61 )

Churchill drove himself, his Cabinet, and the war production heads to terminals that seemed impossible to accomplish. He rallied the British people, transfusing in them the same assurance that he felt. Guns, ammo, and planes were produced at a hectic gait. Defenses were increased and a place guard was established. & # 8221 ; ( Webb 93 )

Churchill knew that the British Isles were threatened as they ne’er had been earlier. He made a rousing reference to the British people, beat uping them to the defence of the islands. Britain was determined, he said, to contend to the last adult male. ( Geib, Internet )

Hitler & # 8220 ; screamed to the universe & # 8221 ; that England would be wiped out as rapidly and with the same easiness that had forced France out of the war. Hitler bombed Britain unrelentingly. However, he had underestimated the finding of the British people and their leader. Churchill & # 8217 ; s mere presence among the British people helped them to digest months of German bombardment. ( Gilbert 62-67 )

Churchill had been run intoing with Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States, since the eruption of war. During these negotiations, Churchill convinced Roosevelt to force the Lend-Lease Bill through Congress. While non really selling weaponries to Britain, the measure allowed the United States to provide Britain with equipment for warfare through blind of a rental. Together, the two work forces subsequently drew up the Atlantic Charter. ( Webb 97 )

The British had been taking heavy losingss from Germany for about two old ages, but eventually, after the bombardment of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, much needed assistance became more available. The United States had entered World War II. This was a immense encouragement to British morale, for now they were no longer entirely in their battle against Hitler. ( Webb 98-102 )

Churchill was worried that the United States would concentrate on the Pacific forepart. He felt that in order to win the war, the Allied forces must foremost get the better of their European menace. Two hebdomads after America & # 8217 ; s entryway into World War II, Churchill visited America. He went in hopes of advancing his docket for the war & # 8217 ; s scheme. He felt that his presence in the United States would stress the necessity of maintaining America & # 8217 ; s attending faced towards Europe. ( Braakhius, Internet )

His mission was highly successful. He captured the Black Marias of the Americans, merely as he had done with his ain countrymen. ( Braakhius, Internet )

Everywhere he went, Churchill brought with him a sense of assurance. Churchill was the inspiration of non merely the British people, but of the full universe. ( Webb 101-102 )

Churchill & # 8217 ; s war scheme paid off, for in late 1942, at El Alamein in North Africa, the tide began to turn in favour of the Allies. Churchill would subsequently state of it: & # 8220 ; Before Alamein we ne’er had a triumph. After Alamein we ne’er had a defeat. & # 8221 ; ( Webb 103 )

By May of 1943, the Allied forces had driven Germany from the continent of Africa. ( Braakhius, Internet ) In July of 1943, Allied forces invaded Sicily, Italy. By September of the same twelvemonth, Italy had surrendered to the Allies. ( Britannia, Internet ) All over Europe, Hitler was being pushed back into Germany, small by small. ( Braakhius, Internet )

In August of 1943, Churchill met with Roosevelt to discourse programs for the invasion of Normandy. The clip frame was finally set for June of 1944. On June 6, 1944, the Allied forces launched the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France. Hundreds of 1000s of military personnels poured onto the shores of Normandy. ( Braakhius, Internet )

The invasion of France marked the beginning of the terminal of the war in Europe. After less than another twelvemonth of combat, Germany eventually signed an unconditioned resignation papers at Rheims, France, on May 7, 1945. The war in the Pacific ended on August 14, 1945, when Japan accepted unconditioned resignation. ( Braakhius, Internet )

After the war was over, Churchill was voted out of the office of Prime Minister. The British people were tired, sick of the war or anything related to it. Churchill was re-elected Prime Minister in 1951, and he served for four more old ages. In 1953, Queen Elizabeth II dubbed him Sir Winston Churchill. In 1955, at the age of 81, he resigned as Prime Minister. This marked the terminal of Sir Winston Churchill & # 8217 ; s long, up and down political calling. ( Webb 107-111 )

Churchill & # 8217 ; s words during the war old ages have pertained every bit good to himself as to the British people as a whole. & # 8220 ; Let us therefore brace ourselves to our responsibilities, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand old ages, work forces will state, & # 8220 ; This was their finest hour. & # 8221 ; ( Geib, Internet )

Bibliography

Braakhius, Wilfried. & # 8220 ; The World At War. & # 8221 ; 1997. ( May 2000 ) .

Bradick, Lynn and Norbert Schrepf. & # 8220 ; Sir Winston Churchill. & # 8221 ; Verlag Norbert Schrepf, 1997. ( April 2000 ) .

Geib, Richard. & # 8220 ; Sir Winston Churchill and Great Britain & # 8217 ; s Finest Hour. & # 8221 ; 1996. ( May 2000 )

Gilbert, Martin. Churchill. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc. , 1967.

& # 8220 ; Sir Winston Churchill. & # 8221 ; Britannia.com, 2000. ( May 2000 ) .

Webb, Robert N. Winston Churchill, Man of the Century. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc. , 1969.