Winston Churchill Research Paper

WINSTON CHURCHILL: LEADER AND STATESMAN

He was the lion who roared when the British Empire needed him most. He held many positions during his long career and was an accomplished civil servant. Winston Churchill entered the Royal Military College of Sandhurst, and graduated with honors in December of 1894. He later saw action in Cuba, India, Egypt, Sudan, the front lines of World War I, and even took part in one of the last British cavalry charges in history. When he turned twenty-five, Churchill was elected to Parliament, and began his career as a statesman in the House of Commons. He went on to serve as First Lord of the Admiralty, Minister of Munitions, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Prime Minster. In his private life, Winston
John B. Severance, a British author on Churchill writes that, “Lots of people have imagination, courage, and tenacity. Few people have them in the amount or combination that Churchill did.” Churchill used his unique charm and personality to encourage people to strive hard at their work and to excel in the jobs they were assigned. For example, people visibly displayed their affection for Churchill, as General Ismay recalled in an incident on Downing Street when a large group of people waited outside his private entrance to the Admiralty, and greeted him with cries of encouragement and good luck. Churchill’s poise was also displayed in his famous wit. One evening as a tired and wobbly Churchill was leaving the House of Commons, the Labour Member of Parliament Bessie Braddock accused him of being “disgustingly drunk.” He replied: “Bessie, my dear…you are disgustingly ugly. But tomorrow I shall be sober and you will still be disgustingly
While Churchill’s power to inspire, his strategic foresight, his driving passion, and his unstoppable personality were the core qualities that made him an effective leader and statesman, the realization that he too was a “worm” tempered his character and kept him focused. His lifetime spanned not only the two World Wars of the 20th century but other conflicts, historic diplomatic meetings, and the onset of the Cold War. Winston Churchill led the British nation on two separate occasions as prime minister, in peace and in war, and on two separate occasions as First Lord of the Admiralty, both in the office and on the frontline. Yet, he steadfastly refused to take the credit. When cheered at the demise of Nazi Germany, he responded, “I have never accepted what many people have kindly said, namely that I inspired the nation. It was a nation and race dwelling all round that had the lion heart. I had the luck to be called upon to give the