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Winston Churchill's Birth
Winston Churchill was born in Blenheim Palace on November 30, 1874. His mother was Lady Randolph Churchill (Jennie Jerome) and his father was Lord Randolph Churchill. In his childhood, he was placed at three different schools before he was finally placed in Harrow School, where he mastered English and History. When his father died in 1895 at age 45, Winston was left with the impression that he too would die young and he would have to be fast to make his mark on the world. -
Military Service
Winston Churchill joined the Royal Military College of Sandhurst and graduated December of 1894. He was in service through 1895-1900 and 1902-24, reporting and battling in Cuba, India, Sudan, Oldham, South Africa, and the Western Front in the British Army. He took part of the battle of Omdurman in Sudan in 1898 and wrote a book called 'The Sory of the Malakand Field Force' that same year. -
Political Pursuit
Winston Churchill stood for the seat of Oldham at the 1900 general election. He won the seat, and then he began a speaking tour in Britain and opposed the government's military expenditure. He was deselected from the seat and in 1904 joined the Liberal Party. After this he took up the seat of Manchester North West at the 1906 election. In 1908 he was promoted by Herbert Asquith, the newly placed Prime Minister, to The President of the Board of Trade. -
Modernizing the Navy
Churchill became First Lord of the Admirality in 1911 where he began to help modernize the navy. Churchill recognized the potential of military aircraft and in 1912 set up the Royal Naval Air Service. He established an Air Department at the Admirality to make full use of the aircraft's technology. -
War
Churchill joined the War Council in 1914. In 1915, he was blamed for the faliure of the Dardanelles Campaign and was moved to the post of Chancellor of the Ducy of Lancaster. Unhappy with his new position he rejoined the British Army, where he commanded a battalion at the Western Front. Under the service of David Lloyd George in 1919-1920, he was Minister of War and Air and Colonial Secretary in 1921-1922. -
The Nazis and Churchill
When the Nazis gained power in Germany, Churchill became a leader in rearment. In 1939 he argued that Britain and France should form an alliance with the Soviet Union. When the Second World War started, Churchill was appointed as Prime Minister in 1940. Soon after, the German Army invaded the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Afer this they invaded France. Even with Churchill's leadership, Britain continued poorly after many military defeats. -
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Churchill began to prepare Britain for World War II after he recognized the growing threat of Hitler. He refused any peace treaty with Germany and hardened the public opinion with his speeches. His speeches inspired the embattled Britains, and his close relationship with president Franklin Roosevelt provided well needed war materials. His alliance with the Soviet Union also proved effective for the war. After the Britain and US bombed Dresden in 1945, hyes critisized for the strategy. -
Iron Curtain Speech
After the Nazis had been driven back into Germany and had been defeated, Churchill announced to Britain that Britain had been victorious. In Whitehall, he said to a huge crowd, "This is your victory," and the crowd had yelled back, "No, it is yours!" Churchill also announced the coming defeat of Japan in the following months, but still kept the military on their toes in case the Red Army ignored the regulations of the War's ending. -
Second Term as Prime Minister
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Winston Churchill's Death
Winston Churchill suffered a severe stroke that left him ill and eventually killed him nine days later at the age of 90.
