Winston Churchill - Essay Example

Winston Churchill A Biographical Paper Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill is one of the most prominentcharacters in the English region through his time and the course of the history. He has been known to have contributed to both literature and politics, thus, his works can be considered of importance. In addition his thoughts and writings can be considered as an authority in the fields that he excelled in. At a glance Winston Churchill is a noted statesman, a known orator and strategist, a leader in different disciplines such as the British Army and a gifted writer of historical literature (Lambakis 1993; Mauter 1998). The main purpose of the study undertaken is to be able to present the events in the life of Winston Churchill. This includes the achievements, teachings, struggles and the lessons that he made the people learn. All the pertinent data and information that can define him as a person are captured to be able to achieve an understanding of the life that he had led and the decisions that he had made. Winston Churchill was born in the Oxformshire, England, United Kingdom on the 30th of November 1874. He is the son of an English father, Lord Randolph Churchill and an American mother. He is of British nationality that made his contributions to the society until the 24th of January in 1965 when he died at the age of 90 at the Hyde Park, London in England. He is a descendant of the Spencer-Churchill lineage with George Spencer, the Duke of Marlborough, which is his ancestor and his father which is the son of the 7th Duke of Marlborough and also a politician. On the other hand, his mother, Jennie Jerome, the daughter of an American millionaire named Leonard Jerome. John Strange Spencer-Churchill is his only sibling (Frenz 1969). He was educated at the Harrow and Sandhurst. As a student he can be considered to not conform to the rules thus he is commonly reprimanded. Though this is the case it is the harrow School where he started his military career in 1888 when he joined the Harrow Rifle Corps. He also studied in the Royal Military Academy which took him 3 admission tries to be able to be admitted but graduated raking 8th in class in December 1894. The said achievement earned him a position as Second Lieutenant in the 4th Queen's Own Hussars in 1895 (Frenz 1969). Upon further observation though, the young Winston Churchill excelled in a number of fields such as the Literary English and History. Even in sports the said leader is also a fencing champion. Although this is the case, his enthusiasm in studying is below average which can be related to the speech impediment that he possessed. The said difficulty in speaking had not been a hindrance to the achievements that he had accomplished in his career and his life. The said impediment is considered by some groups as stammering and some as lisping. Winston Churchill is married to Clementine Hozier in 1908 with 5 children namely Diana Churchill (1909), Randolph Spencer Churchill (1911), Sarah Churchill (1914), Marigold Frances Churchill (1918, four days after the end of WWI and died in 1921) and Mary Churchill (1922) (Frenz 1969; Mauter 1998). Winston Churchill excelled in a variety of fields, thus, he can be considered as one of the most prominent characters in modern United Kingdom and the English Region. The army career can be considered as one of the important contribution of W. Churchill on the basis of the fact that he had held essential positions through the short stay in the said discipline. He acquired the position of the Conservative Member of Parliament in the year 1900. In addition, he had been responsible to other essential roles in the Liberal and Conservative governments during the early decades of the century. During WWII, he became First Lord of the Admiralty which is a reappointment from 1911-15. In addition to the said roles, his military career also made him participate in different events. One of which is the battle in the Northwest Frontier with the Malakand Field Force. Other events include the Battle of Omdurman (Sudan) and in the Second Boer War (South Africa) (Frenz 1969; Mauter 1998). Based on the roles that he held in the said career, other responsibilities arose thus also increasing his accomplishments. These roles can be considered to be politically inclined. He can be described to belong to the Conservative political party since 1900 to 1904. After that, he became affiliated to the Liberal Party until 1924. Another stage is being connected again to the Conservative Party in 1925 which lasted until the 1964. Through his political career, he had held different responsibilities and positions. He had been assigned as the Prime Minister and Minister of Defense that he has led for a few years (1940-45). This can be considered as one of the important positions that he had held which was also extended from 1951 to 1955. His membership in the Parliament lasted until 1964 when participation in the election was not undertaken. Another achievement had been acquired when the Knighthood as the Order of the Garter was given to him in 1953. In addition, he had also been given honorary citizenship of the United States in 1963 by President Kennedy (Frenz 1969). To sum up the positions that he had been performing through his career on different fields he had occupied positions such as President of the Board of Trade and Home Secretary during the Liberal governments, First Lord of the Admiralty, Minister of Munitions, Secretary of State for War and Secretary of State for Air. In addition in he had also been connected to the British Army on the Western Front, leading the 6th Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers which in addition also functioned as Chancellor of the Exchequer in periods wherein there are no war. Another field of accomplishment of Winston Churchill is in relation to the field of literature where he had earned a Nobel Prize. Through the development and growth in other fields of discipline, Winston Churchill also began to be recognized as a literary icon. Included in his first literary works are the The Story of the Malakand Field Force in 1898 and The River War in 1899, which are campaign accounts. The latter is described as a record of the campaign events that had been undertaken in Sudan and in addition, the Battle of Omdurman. He also explored writing a novel, with Savrola which has been published in 1900 as an experimental undertaking. After the said literary attempt, he published his first major work based on the biography of his father which is entitled Lord Randolph Churchill. Another biography that he made is about the Duke of Marlborough which is related to the life of his ancestor. The said work had been divided into 4 parts and released through 1933 to 1938. In addition to his literary prowess is an account of the historical events that transpired during the World War I. The said work, World Crisis, was published in four parts and released through the period of 1923 until 1929. The line of work that he is undertaking can be attributed to the historical events that can be considered to be a vital historical reference. The said type of works is even continued through the performance of his career in other fields such as the military and the politics. The account of the different events at war can be considered as one of his forte since the World War II events had also been accounted for. The said historical work had been published in 6 volumes through 1948 to 1954. Also, the History of the English-speaking Peoples which can be considered included in his works of importance. It is also composed of 4 parts that had been published from 1956 to 1958. Aside from the said works, pieces of oration and speeches are also of value which includes significant pieces such as The Unrelenting Struggle in 1942, The Dawn of Liberation in 1945 and Victory in 1946. Lastly, the work that was entitled Painting as a Pastime can also be considered of importance in 1948 and an autobiographical account of his youth which is entitled My Early Life, published in 1930 (Frenz 1969). Due to the different contributions of Winston Churchill in Literature even through his military and political career, he had been awarded a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953 (Frenz 1969). Due to the multitude of facets that Winston Churchill is involved, the literary and political views can be considered of most influential effects. His political standing can be considered of importance and lined as a subject for study on the basis of his leadership in the United Kingdom. The political influence of Winston Churchill can be rooted to the views that he hold on leadership. He holds the inspiration on the power that free people hold. With the leadership of Churchill, the fact that he did not present a treatise on the government, it can be considered that he already established a set of guiding principles for governance. As a statesman, it is important to consider the different issues, facts, events and even culture and traditions to be able to significantly achieve a clear view on the need of the people and the type of leadership that is required. Based on the observations that had been undertaken by different authors on the actions and achievements of Churchill, he can be considered to put his beliefs and leadership into action (Lambakis 1993). Although his leadership is not published on treatises, the fact that he had been included in the coveted literary leaders can be considered as evidence enough of his capability with words. Thus, it can then be considered that the said action, he considered as unnecessary. When his writings are considered, being insightful can be the main description. Thus, the notions and principles that she possessed are presented directly into action (Lambakis 1993). Due to the many policies that Churchill put into action, one that can be commonly sited is the Soviet policy. The purpose of the said action is to be able to achieve a great alliance considering the importance of the different forces, leaders and the policies toward the modern era (Mauter 1998). The said policies can be considered as an answer to the needs of the country after the periods of conflict and war. The said capability can be considered as an action that was based on his leadership during the periods of wars. The said policies even made him known as one of the leaders in the United Kingdom that contributed to the unification of Europe (Lambakis 1993; Mauter 1998). In relation the view of Churchill on the need for alliance and unification in the different countries in the European region most specifically the Soviet, the occurrence of the movement such as the Russian Revolution which presented a different view in relation to the order in the international community. Basically, he expressed his disagreement in the establishment of a renewed Soviet state. This can be attributed to the fact that he considered the importance of the contribution of the people and the cooperation. In the addition, Anglo-Soviet relations had been improved during his leadership. Basically, his outlook regarding the policies related to peace and war had gained him the title as an Architect of Peace (Lambakis 1993). During the WWII, Churchill can be considered as the inspiration of the people in terms of the will to fight. The resolve of the British people mirrors the leadership that he presents. One of the ways that he inspired the people is through his writings and speeches. He even performed first hand determination of the damages of war in addition to diplomatic and military actions. Basically his contributions to the time of war and peace in England can be considered as a very essential role that made the event at war possible. In addition he led the country in times of the invasion of France in 1943 when a type of leader like him is greatly needed. Ina addition he is also the main mind in the advocacy for the detour through Italy (Lambakis 1993; Mauter 1998). His contributions to the history, politics and leadership in his country and the international community can be summed up into different points. One is the fact that Churchill is known to be an inspirational leader of the people. He captivated the people through his speeches. He is commonly presenting about the importance of making sacrifices for the country and the need to work hard to be able to save the country. Another contribution is the Grand Alliance. This can be described as the choice of Churchill to form a coalition with the Soviet region in the period of 1941 when Germany had an offensive assault. In addition to the said contribution is the attempt to form a coalition with the United States of America in relation to the Atlantic Charter (Lambakis 1993; Mauter 1998). The governance, in addition to the talent in the application of war offensives, is another important contribution of Winston Churchill to his era. Every decision that he made regarding the government and the organization of leadership can be considered to have insights. His War Cabinet can be considered as a well-considered group of people that can function in unity with him and can take part not only in planning but also in the problem solving issues that are essential in governance and periods of war. Also, the experts that are chosen based on the vital fields in public office and even deference can be considered as one of his important accomplishments. An example of an expert appointed to office is Lord Beaverbrook (Lambakis 1993; Mauter 1998). In relation to his capability a statesman, is being able to contact with diplomacy. He can be considered to be and important key in the establishment of the relationship between US and UK. Prior to the Atlantic Charter which is an important cooperation between the two nations are other actions such as the Lend-Lease agreement of March 1941 which incorporates the opening of the North Atlantic shipping routes with the assistance of the US. The said relationship can be credited to Churchill's attempts on being the advocate and forerunner of the said actions (Lambakis 1993; Mauter 1998). Aside from seeking the alliance of world powers, Churchill also see the importance of relationships with other nations. This can be related to his actions related to war. He attempted to present the smaller powers to stand on the peaceful side and choose neutrality in cases of war. This can be attributed as the action towards the Alliance of Peace. In addition, small countries such as the Yugoslavia and Singapore were also provided with help needed. His persistence regarding the said issue gained important results (Lambakis 1993; Mauter 1998). The special operation executive is also one of the techniques that were led by Churchill in July 1940. This can be described as the action that can be classified as opposition actions against the Germans. The agents of the said groups have access to the Pessac power station where the won in France in June 1941, an encounter with Himmler's deputy in Czechoslovakia 1942 and Nazi in 1943 Norway (Lambakis 1993; Mauter 1998). These are considered as some of the important contributions of Winston Churchill to the British society and the world that had created an influential mark even to the present era. In the study of the life of Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, his beliefs and achievements can be considered to possess important and essential lessons that are needed to be realized not only by individuals in the case of gaining success but also of leaders in terms of leading. The main points in the life that was led by Winston Churchill are the different careers and the influential beliefs and principles that he had inculcated to the people. His military career serves as a lesson of discipline and service to the country. On the other hand, his capability as a statesman can be considered to be important due to the expression of the understanding of the people and giving them inspiration. In addition, the importance of the knowledge of a leader of a nation on the elements of military service also became a weapon in the success of leadership. Also, his literary capabilities and prowess also made his leadership more successful due to capability to inspire the people. The influences that he possessed over the people are the combination of his character as a military leader, a statesman, and a man of letters. Thus, he was able to achieve success in making a mark in the history of the British people as well as the international community. Reference Frenz, Horst. Ed. Nobel Lectures: Literature 1901-1967. Amsterdam: Elsevier Publishing Company, 1969. Gilbert, Martin. Churchill: A Life. London: Heinemann, 1991. Lambakis, Steven James. Winston Churchill, Architect of Peace: A Study of Statesmanship and the Cold War. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1993. Mauter, Wendell R. "Churchill and the Unification of Europe." The Historian (1998). Read More