Winston Churchill's Accomplishments

Winston Churchill was a famous historian and very powerful world leader during two World Wars. As a child Churchill was not very good in school. Infact, after two failed attempts, he finally was accepted to the Royal Military College at Sandhurst (“Foster”). After college he had several military assignments overseas. He then entered into politics. To truly understand Winston Churchill, one must understand how his military and political life influenced him as a man and his writings.
Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was born in Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire England on November 30,1874 (“Foster”). His father was British and his mother was American, but Churchill was brought up British (Hook 17). As a child he rarely saw his parents and he moved to Ireland in 1877 (Hook 18). Churchill attended St. George's School for Boys, where he was always sick with one cold
after another and could not pronounce the letter S (Hook 19). In 1893 he signed up for the Royal Military Academy (Hooks 26). Once accepted into school, “he excelled in military subjects such as tactics and he eventually went on to graduate eighth in his class, and entered the army as a cavalry officer” (“Foster”). For the first time, Churchill’s father spent time with him (Hooks 28). His father died in January 1895 and his mother died in July 1895 ( Hooks 29).
After graduation he had several military assignments including “The Tirah Expeditionary Force in 1898 and the Nile Expeditionary Force, where he participated in the famous cavalry charge at Omdurman” (“Overview”). He was taken prisoner in South Africa by the Boers--Dutch Settlers (“Foster”). He was able to escape by climbing the prison walls, eluding the guards that stood watch and he crossed 300 miles of enemy territory before reaching safety (“Foster”). The escape made him an instant hero and he toured the United States, getting paid to tell about his experience (“Overview”) “Following in his father’s footsteps, Churchill entered Parliament in 1901, at the age of 26” (“Foster”). During World War 1 with the war tied, Churchill had an idea to outflank the Germans and he sent the navy around to the Mediterranean Sea, but unfortunately his plan failed badly and he was forced to resign (“Foster”). He did have some successes. He is credited with reading the Royal army for World War 1 and keeping the German ships away (“Overview”). “Churchill’s other major accomplishment at this time was the establishment of the Royal Air Force, first called the Royal Flying Corps” (“Overview”). After his resignation he went to the front as a Lieutenant-Colonel in command of the Sixth Royal Fusiliers (“Overview”). “Churchill was out of office during the 1930’s until the outbreak of World War 2” (“Overview”). He spoke out against the Nazis and he was voted Prime Minister in 1940 (“Foster”). After France lost to the Nazis Churchill spoke out to Britain saying; “You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: Victory--victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror; victory, however long and hard the road may be.” (“Overview”). Churchill’s personal friendships with President Franklin Roosevelt and Stalin helped Britain and World War 2 was eventually won (“Foster”). “As A. J. P. Taylor said…..Great Britain was never so free from political controversy as during World War 2…. This unity “His speeches, a mixture of old-fashioned rhetoric and homespun humor, struck the right note and made him uniquely popular….(“Overview”).
Churchill had a lot of life experience as a military leader and a politician during two World Wars.
He received 4 medals and wrote 5 books (Hooks 30). He wrote books about his military experiences such as World Crisis, Second World War (“Overview”). He was a brilliant historian and writer and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953 (“Foster”). He retired in 1955 (“Overview”). “On January 15, 1965, Churchill suffered a stroke. He died nine days later, at the age of 90” (Foster).
“Churchill was known not only for his leadership skills and his keen grasp of history, but also for his cutting wit...One day while arguing over politics, the exasperated Lady Astors said, “Winston, if I were married to you, I’d put poison in your coffee.” To which Churchill responded, “And if you were my wife, I’d drink it” (“Foster”). Many often said he made history to be able to write about it. He was like Caesar in that way (“Overview”). His power came from his ability to use language like a weapon and he always believed he was right (“Overview”). He was a beloved leader and citizen of the world (“Overview”).
Work
Cited
Forster, Matt. "Winston Churchill." Winston Churchill, 8/1/2017, p. 1. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mih&AN=15323968
Hook, Sue Vander. Winston Churchill: British Prime Minister & Statesman. ABDO Pub. Co., 2009.
"Overview of Winston (Leonard Spencer) Churchill." DISCovering Authors, Gale, 2003.