World War II Commanders -- Churchill

Author: Li Yan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-12-01
Features: Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was one of the most renowned British bourgeois politicians of the 20th century, a staunch defender of the interests of the British Empire. He dedicated his life to the cause of the British Empire.
1874 November 30, Churchill was born into a noble family in the UK. His ancestor, the Duke of Marlborough, was a famous military commander in British history and a powerful figure in British politics during the reign of Queen Anne. His father, Lord Randolph Churchill, was an outstanding British politician of the late 19th century and served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Salisbury Cabinet. The achievements of his ancestors, the political accomplishments of his father, and the family's honor and political tradition undoubtedly had a tremendous impact on Churchill's life and played a crucial role in his development as a prominent British statesman. They provided him with role models, set goals for him, and nurtured his sense of historical responsibility to his country, becoming a powerful driving force behind his relentless pursuit of success and achievement.
In 1893, Churchill entered the prestigious Sandhurst Military Academy for studies. After graduating from the cavalry department in 1895, he served in the cavalry. During this time, he reported on the Cuban War of Independence as a journalist with the Spanish army.
From 1896 to 1898, he joined the British army in suppressing uprisings in the northwestern region of India and the Mahdist Revolt in Sudan.
In 1899, Churchill resigned from the military and joined the British army as a war correspondent for the Daily Mail during the Second Boer War. He was captured by the Boers but escaped after being freed. Upon returning to the UK, he entered politics and was elected as a Conservative Party member of Parliament.
In 1904, he switched to the Liberal Party. From 1906 to 1911, he successively served as Vice-Chancellor of the Colonies, Secretary of State for Commerce, and Home Secretary. In 1911, he became the First Lord of the Admiralty and led the formation of the Naval Staff.
At the outbreak of World War I, he ordered the navy to enter a state of readiness in advance. In November 1915, he was forced to resign after the failure of the Gallipoli Campaign and went to France to fight as a battalion commander.
In 1916, he retired from the military and returned to Parliament.
In July 1917, he became the Minister of Munitions, emphasizing the development and production of tanks and advocating the establishment of an independent air force.
In January 1919, he became the Secretary of State for War and the Air Minister. He opposed the October Revolution in Russia and incited armed intervention against the Soviet Union. In February 1921, he became the Secretary of State for the Colonies.
After the 1922 election failure, he left politics and took up painting and writing.
In 1924, he returned to the Conservative Party as the Chancellor of the Exchequer and remained in office until the Conservative Party's defeat in the 1929 election, leaving government and staying out of politics for a decade. During this time, he published the five-volume memoir The World Crisis (1923-1931), the biographical work My Early Life (1930), and the four-volume Life of Marlborough (1933-1938).
In the 1930s, as Nazi Germany's power grew rapidly and the threat of war intensified, Churchill repeatedly warned the government and the public about the danger of Britain's defense capabilities being surpassed by Germany. He opposed appeasement policies toward Germany, condemned the Munich Agreement, and advocated strengthening armaments and establishing an anti-German alliance centered on the Anglo-French alliance, including the Soviet Union.
After the outbreak of World War II, he became the First Lord of the Admiralty on September 3, 1939.
On May 10, 1940, when German forces launched a blitzkrieg against Western Europe, he became Prime Minister of the British War Cabinet,、 of the House of Commons, quickly shifting the national economy into a wartime. After the British army's evacuation from Dunkirk and France's surrender, he led the British and Commonwealth peoples in the anti-Fascist war with unwavering will and confidence. In the Battle of Britain, he defeated the German air force, forcing Hitler to abandon his plans to attack Britain, making Britain the headquarters of the anti-Fascist resistance movement and the base for the counteroffensive to liberate Europe. He emphasized protecting sea lanes, uniting all anti-Fascist forces, and leveraging U.S. power to return to the European continent and decisively defeat the Axis powers.
In September 1940, he approved an agreement with the United States to exchange 50 destroyers for British air and naval bases in the Western Hemisphere. In December, he requested additional aid from Roosevelt and helped the U.S. pass the Lend-Lease Act.
In January 1941, he sent representatives of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to meet with U.S. military officials to formulate the "Europe First" strategy.
On June 22, 1941, when the Soviet-German War broke out, he immediately announced aid to the Soviet Union. On July 12, he signed a military agreement with the Soviet Union, stipulating joint action in the war and prohibiting separate negotiations or peace talks with Germany. On December 7, the Pacific War broke out, and the next day, Britain declared war on Japan. During World War II, he met with leaders of the U.S., U.S.S.R., and other Allied nations multiple times, formulating alliance strategies and reaching a series of agreements.
On August 13, 1941, he signed the Atlantic Charter with Roosevelt, establishing common policies and war goals for the two countries. From December to the following January, he held the Washington Conference with Roosevelt, deciding to establish a Combined Chiefs of Staff Committee to coordinate strategies, jointly use resources and strategic materials, and participate in drafting and signing the Declaration by United Nations. On the issue of opening a second front, he had major disagreements with the leaders of the U.S., U.S.S.R., and other Allied nations.
In January 1943, he held the Casablanca Conference with Roosevelt, opposing the opening of a second front in 1943 and advocating strengthening the Mediterranean offensive and advancing into Italy.
From November 22 to 26, 1943, he held the Cairo Conference with Chiang Kai-shek and Roosevelt, signing the Cairo Declaration. From November 28 to December 1, he held the Tehran Conference with Roosevelt and Stalin, deciding to open a second front in Western Europe in May 1944, and discussing the post-war order in Europe and the establishment of international organizations, signing the Tehran Declaration and the Tehran General Agreement. In February 1945, he held the Yalta Conference with Roosevelt and Stalin, reaching agreements on the division of Germany into zones of occupation, the implementation of German control, the demarcation of Poland's borders and the composition of its government, and the voting procedures of the UN Security Council. From July 17 to 28, 1945, he held the Potsdam Conference with Truman and Stalin. On the 28th, he resigned after the Conservative Party's defeat in the election. Afterward, he spent six years completing the six-volume The Second World War (1948-1954).
On March 5, 1946, he delivered the "Iron Curtain Speech" in Fulton, Missouri, advocating a U.S.-British alliance against communism, marking the beginning of the "Cold War."
In October 1948, he proposed the "Triple Ring Diplomacy" policy, based on the special relationship between the U.S. and Britain, the European Union, and the Commonwealth. After the outbreak of the Korean War, he opposed the U.S. expanding the war and engaging in nuclear blackmail.
In 1951, Churchill, despite his advanced age, was re-elected Prime Minister after the Conservative Party won the election.
In 1953, he was knighted and awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
In 1955, he resigned due to age and retired to focus on writing the four-volume A History of the English-Speaking Peoples.
During this stage of Churchill's life, despite the ups and downs of politics, he found great happiness and fulfillment in his marriage and family life, providing him with a stable and reliable base as he navigated the turbulent world of politics.
Due to his introverted personality and strong interest in politics, Churchill rarely interacted with women for a long time. Aside from Pamela Plowden, he had brief encounters with only two women: Muriel Wilson, a young woman from a shipowner's family, and the famous actress Ethel Barrymore, but none of these relationships developed into anything deeper. Just as his friends thought he would remain a bachelor forever, the newspapers on August 15, 1908, reported that Churchill had engaged to Clementine Hozier, a 23-year-old lady.
Clementine's father, Sir Henry Hozier, was a military writer and war correspondent who died in 1907. Her mother, Lady Blanche Hozier, was a descendant of the Earl of Elgin and came from a renowned noble family. Although Clementine's family lived relatively modestly, they provided their children with a good education. Clementine was the eldest daughter, and she was intelligent, beautiful, educated, and fluent in French. Churchill was very fond of Clementine and won her love with his courage. In the summer of 1908, Churchill and his cousin, Captain Freddie Guest, were staying in an rented apartment in Ratcliffe. One night, a fire broke out in the apartment, and Churchill showed great bravery while fighting the fire. He not only took command but also risked his life to rescue belongings from the flames. The newspapers reported that he miraculously escaped the room, with two half-length statues in his arms, just as the roof collapsed. If he had been even a second slower, he would have been buried under the rubble. When Clementine heard about this, she telephoned to inquire about Churchill's condition. Churchill replied, "The fire was very interesting, and we all thoroughly enjoyed it." Not long after, Churchill invited Clementine to stay at Blenheim Palace. During a walk, they suddenly encountered a rainstorm and took shelter in a church near the palace. There, Churchill proposed to Clementine, and she accepted his proposal immediately.
The wedding was held on September 12 at St. Margaret's Church in Westminster, officiated by Bishop A.G. Edwards and Dean J.E.C. Welton of Manchester. Approximately 1,400 people were invited to the wedding. Churchill and Clementine received numerous wedding gifts, including a gold-mounted Malborough family crest walking stick from the King. Lloyd George served as the best man, and Lord Cecil as the best man for the boys. The wedding was a grand and joyous occasion. After the wedding, the newlyweds took a train to Blenheim for their honeymoon and then traveled to Switzerland and Italy for their honeymoon trip. During this time, Clementine discovered that Churchill never seemed to be away from his beloved politics for even a moment. He discussed politics with Lloyd George in the church's prayer room at Blenheim; he continued writing My African Journey at Blenheim; and he wrote multiple letters to his colleagues at the Home Office while traveling, giving instructions and advice on various issues.
In the first few months after the wedding, they lived in a small house on Bolton Street. In early 1909, they rented a house at 33 Ebury Square. Here, Clementine gave birth to their eldest daughter, Diana, in July 1909. Their son Randolph was born in May 1911. In April 1913, the Churchills moved into the Admiralty Building. In June 1915, they moved to 22 Arlington Street in Piccadilly. By the time Churchill left for the French front, they were living at 41 Cromwell Road.
Despite some opinions suggesting that Churchill and Clementine's marriage was not a perfect match, Churchill was extremely satisfied with his wife. They loved each other all their lives and had a happy marriage, a rare occurrence among British politicians.