Which political qualities enabled Churchill's 'success' as wartime Prime Minister?

Which political qualities enabled Churchill's 'success' as wartime Prime Minister? PDF Author: Kathrin Rosenbaum
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
ISBN: 3668097054
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 13

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Book Description
Essay from the year 2008 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 2,7, The University of Western Australia (Arts, Humanities and Social Studies), course: Britain in the 20th century, language: English, abstract: Being hailed by many as 'the greatest living Englishman', Churchill played probably the most decisive role in Britain's 20th century politics. Churchill's unconditional love for the British Empire combined with his determination for expanding and defending it were his overall motivation for an active political life that spanned a period of more than half a century. An essential contribution to Churchill’s ‘success’ as a war leader was his unflagging commitment. According to Callahan, Churchill believed himself to be a man of destiny, who saw all his past life as a preparation for becoming PM one day, a vision he had repeatedly imposed on strangers. This vision and its final implementation generated his incredible force and conviction in wielding power during the war. Despite the clear fact that the British army’s leadership, equipment, training and techniques were insufficient to defeat Hitler Germany, he never lost faith in the war’s final outcome. Churchill showed his fierce determination by sustaining a ninety-hour week during his whole premiership. Even a heart attack and a bout of pneumonia in his late sixties could not dissuade him from running the office. However, it was not only his unbreakable commitment that built up his popular constituency within the common citizenry but also his ability to relate to common people. Developing his own trademarks – the two-finger ‘V’ sign, the ever-present cigar – he toured embattled cities and soon became ‘Good old Winnie’. This popularity was reflected through rather uncommonly high ratings, such as the Gallup Poll in October 1940 immediately after the battle of Britain, which gave a popular approval rating of 89% for Churchill.

Which political qualities enabled Churchill's 'success' as wartime Prime Minister?

Which political qualities enabled Churchill's 'success' as wartime Prime Minister? PDF Author: Kathrin Rosenbaum
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
ISBN: 3668097054
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 13

Get Book Here

Book Description
Essay from the year 2008 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 2,7, The University of Western Australia (Arts, Humanities and Social Studies), course: Britain in the 20th century, language: English, abstract: Being hailed by many as 'the greatest living Englishman', Churchill played probably the most decisive role in Britain's 20th century politics. Churchill's unconditional love for the British Empire combined with his determination for expanding and defending it were his overall motivation for an active political life that spanned a period of more than half a century. An essential contribution to Churchill’s ‘success’ as a war leader was his unflagging commitment. According to Callahan, Churchill believed himself to be a man of destiny, who saw all his past life as a preparation for becoming PM one day, a vision he had repeatedly imposed on strangers. This vision and its final implementation generated his incredible force and conviction in wielding power during the war. Despite the clear fact that the British army’s leadership, equipment, training and techniques were insufficient to defeat Hitler Germany, he never lost faith in the war’s final outcome. Churchill showed his fierce determination by sustaining a ninety-hour week during his whole premiership. Even a heart attack and a bout of pneumonia in his late sixties could not dissuade him from running the office. However, it was not only his unbreakable commitment that built up his popular constituency within the common citizenry but also his ability to relate to common people. Developing his own trademarks – the two-finger ‘V’ sign, the ever-present cigar – he toured embattled cities and soon became ‘Good old Winnie’. This popularity was reflected through rather uncommonly high ratings, such as the Gallup Poll in October 1940 immediately after the battle of Britain, which gave a popular approval rating of 89% for Churchill.

Continue to Pester, Nag and Bite

Continue to Pester, Nag and Bite PDF Author: Martin Gilbert
Publisher: Vintage Canada
ISBN: 0307369234
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 84

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Book Description
Renowned Churchill historian Sir Martin Gilbert examines Winston Churchill’s War Leadership. Continue to Pester, Nag and Bite is the complete text of the 2004 Barbara Frum Historical Lecture, given at the University of Toronto. This annual lecture “on a subject of contemporary interest in historical perspective” was established in memory of Barbara Frum and will be broadcast on CBC Radio One’s Ideas. “The problem is not winning the war, but persuading people to let you win it.” —Winston Churchill Continue To Pester, Nag And Bite is a brilliant, in-depth look at Winston Churchill’s leadership during the Second World War, written by the world’s top authority on Churchill. By looking behind the public figure and wartime propaganda images, Gilbert reveals a very human, sensitive and often tormented man, who nevertheless found the strength to lead his nation forward from the darkest and most dangerous of times, towards the defeat of a tenacious enemy. Today’s readers will be fascinated to compare Churchill’s tactics and attitudes with those of modern-day leaders. By looking behind the public figure and wartime propaganda images, Gilbert reveals a very human, sensitive, and often tormented man, who nevertheless found the strength to lead his nation forward from the darkest and most dangerous of times, towards the defeat of a tenacious enemy.

The Churchill Factor

The Churchill Factor PDF Author: Boris Johnson
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0698155564
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 328

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Book Description
From London’s inimitable mayor, Boris Johnson, the story of how Churchill’s eccentric genius shaped not only his world but our own. On the fiftieth anniversary of Churchill’s death, Boris Johnson celebrates the singular brilliance of one of the most important leaders of the twentieth century. Taking on the myths and misconceptions along with the outsized reality, he portrays—with characteristic wit and passion—a man of contagious bravery, breathtaking eloquence, matchless strategizing, and deep humanity. Fearless on the battlefield, Churchill had to be ordered by the king to stay out of action on D-Day; he pioneered aerial bombing and few could match his experience in organizing violence on a colossal scale, yet he hated war and scorned politicians who had not experienced its horrors. He was the most famous journalist of his time and perhaps the greatest orator of all time, despite a lisp and chronic depression he kept at bay by painting. His maneuvering positioned America for entry into World War II, even as it ushered in England’s post-war decline. His openmindedness made him a trailblazer in health care, education, and social welfare, though he remained incorrigibly politically incorrect. Most of all, he was a rebuttal to the idea that history is the story of vast and impersonal forces; he is proof that one person—intrepid, ingenious, determined—can make all the difference.

Ministers at War

Ministers at War PDF Author: Jonathan Schneer
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1780746148
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 352

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Book Description
After the defeat of France in May 1940, only one nation stood between Nazi Germany and total domination of Europe – Britain. This is the gripping story of Winston Churchill’s wartime government, an emergency coalition of Conservatives, Labour, Liberals and men of no party, assembled to see Britain through the war. A chronicle not only of their successful efforts to work together but also of quarrels, power plays, unexpected alliances and intrigue, it is an account of the most important political narrative of our time. With a cast of characters featuring some of the most famous names in twentieth-century British history, including Bevin, Attlee, Chamberlain, Beaverbrook, Morrison, Eden, Cripps – and of course Winston Churchill – this magisterial work provides a unique view of the inner machinations of Britain’s wartime cabinet. Dispelling that the War Cabinet constituted an unbreakable 'band of brothers', award-winning historian Jonathan Schneer reveals that this ensemble of political titans were in fact a ‘team of rivals’ that included four Prime Ministers – past, present and future. Both illuminating and engrossing, Ministers at War is the first work to draw upon original research to present a previously unseen perspective of British politics during and after World War II. Schneer shows us that just as the war had kept them together, the prospect of peace saw this supposedly unbreakable band fall apart, thus providing a fascinating insight into the birth of the Welfare State.

Attlee and Churchill

Attlee and Churchill PDF Author: Leo McKinstry
Publisher: Atlantic Books
ISBN: 1786495740
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 577

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Book Description
Throughout history there have been many long-running rivalries between party leaders, but there has never been a connection like that between Clement Attlee and Winston Churchill, who were leaders of their respective parties for a total of thirty-five years. Brought together in the epoch-making circumstances of the Second World War, they forged a partnership that transcended party lines, before going on to face each other in two of Britain's most important and influential general elections. Based on extensive research and archival material, Attlee and Churchill provides a host of new insights into their remarkable relationship. From the bizarre coincidence that they shared a governess, to their explosive wartime clashes over domestic policy and reconstruction; and from Britain's post-war nuclear weapons programme, which Attlee kept hidden from Churchill and his own Labour Party, to the private correspondence between the two men in later life, which demonstrates their friendliness despite all the political antagonism, Leo McKinstry tells the intertwined story of these two political titans as never before.In a gripping narrative McKinstry not only provides a fresh perspective on two of the most compelling leaders of the mid-twentieth century but also brilliantly brings to life this vibrant, traumatic and inspiring era of modern British history.

In Command of History

In Command of History PDF Author: David Reynolds
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 0307824802
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 1014

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Book Description
Winston Churchill was one of the giants of the twentieth century. As Britain’s prime minister from 1940 to 1945, he courageously led his nation and the world away from appeasement, into war, and on to triumph over the Axis dictators. His classic six-volume account of those years, The Second World War, has shaped our perceptions of the conflict and secured Churchill’s place as its most important chronicler. Now, for the first time, a book explains how Churchill wrote this masterwork, and in the process enhances and often revises our understanding of one of history’s most complex, vivid, and eloquent leaders. In Command of History sheds new light on Churchill in his multiple, often overlapping roles as warrior, statesman, politician, and historian. Citing excerpts from the drafts and correspondence for Churchill’s magnum opus, David Reynolds opens our eyes to the myriad forces that shaped its final form. We see how Churchill’ s manuscripts were vetted by Whitehall to conceal secrets such as the breaking of the Enigma code by British spymasters at Bletchley Park, and how Churchill himself edited the volumes to avoid offending postwar statesmen such as Tito, Charles de Gaulle, and Dwight D. Eisenhower. We explore his confusions about the true story of the atomic bomb, learn of his second thoughts about Stalin, and watch him repackage himself as a consistent advocate of the D-Day landings. In Command of History is a major work that forces us to reconsider much received wisdom about World War II. It also peels back the covers from an unjustly neglected period of Churchill’s life, his “second wilderness” years, 1945—1951. During this time Churchill, now over seventy, wrote himself into history, politicked himself back into 10 Downing Street, and delivered some of the most vital oratory of his career, including his pivotal “iron curtain” speech. Exhaustively researched and dazzlingly written, this is a revelatory portrait of one of the world’s most profiled figures, a work by a historian in full command of his craft. “A fascinating account that accomplishes the impossible: [Reynolds] actually finds something new and interesting to say about one of the most chronicled characters of all time.” –The New York Times Book Review A New York Times NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR A BEST HISTORY OF THE YEAR SELECTION –The New York Sun NOTE: This edition does not include photographs.

God & Churchill

God & Churchill PDF Author: Jonathan Sandys
Publisher: NavPress
ISBN: 1496410025
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 335

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Book Description
When Winston Churchill was a boy of sixteen, he already had a vision for his purpose in life. “This country will be subjected somehow to a tremendous invasion . . . I shall be in command of the defences of London . . . it will fall to me to save the Capital, to save the Empire.” It was a most unlikely prediction. Perceived as a failure for much of his life, Churchill was the last person anyone would have expected to rise to national prominence as prime minister and influence the fate of the world during World War II. But Churchill persevered, on a mission to achieve his purpose. God and Churchill tells the remarkable story of how one man, armed with belief in his divine destiny, embarked on a course to save Christian civilization when Adolf Hitler and the forces of evil stood opposed. It traces the personal, political, and spiritual path of one of history’s greatest leaders and offers hope for our own violent and troubled times. More than a spiritual biography, God and Churchill is also a deeply personal quest. Written by Jonathan Sandys (Churchill’s great-grandson) and former White House staffer Wallace Henley, God and Churchill explores Sandys’ intense search to discover his great-grandfather—and how it changed his own destiny forever.

Churchill

Churchill PDF Author: Paul Addison
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199297436
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 321

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Book Description
During the Second World War, Winston Churchill won two resounding victories. The first was a victory over Nazi Germany, the second a victory over the legion of sceptics who had derided his judgement, denied his claims to greatness, and excluded him from high office on the grounds that he was sure to be a danger to King and Country. Churchill was the only British politician of the twentieth century to become an enduring national hero. The curious thing is that it happened at the age of 65, at a time when he was considered to be a spent force, with a track-record of disastrous decisions. All but the most hostile of his adversaries conceded that he possessed great abilities, remarkable eloquence, and a streak of genius. But it was almost universally agreed that he was a shameless egotist, an opportunist without principles or convictions, an unreliable colleague, an erratic policy-maker who lacked judgement, and a reckless amateur strategist with a dangerous passion for war and bloodshed. At one time or another in his career, he had offended every party and faction in the land, yet despite this he became the embodiment of national unity, an uncrowned king who threatened to eclipse the monarchy. In this incisive new biography, Paul Addison tells the story of Churchill's life in parallel with the history of his reputation. He seeks to explain why Churchill was transformed into a national hero, and why his heroic status has endured ever since in spite of the attempts of iconoclasts to debunk him. He argues that we are now in a position to reach beyond the mythology - both positive and negative - to see the real Winston Churchill, a warrior-statesman whose qualities were remarkably consistent through all the vicissitudes of his career.

Winston Churchill's Illnesses, 1886–1965

Winston Churchill's Illnesses, 1886–1965 PDF Author: Allister Vale
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1526789507
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 697

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Book Description
This in-depth account of the legendary leader’s ailments and their effects is a “tremendously important contribution to Churchillian studies” (Claremont Review of Books). Prominent physicians Allister Vale and John Scadding have written a meticulously researched and definitive account documenting all of Winston Churchill’s major illnesses, from an episode of childhood pneumonia in 1886 until his death in 1965. They have adopted a thorough approach in gaining access to numerous sources of medical information and have cited extensively from the clinical records of the distinguished physicians and surgeons invited to consult on Churchill during his many episodes of illness. These include not only objective clinical data, but also personal reflections by Churchill’s family, friends and political colleagues, resulting in a unique and fascinating study.

The Splendid and the Vile

The Splendid and the Vile PDF Author: Erik Larson
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 038534872X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 609

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Book Description
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The author of The Devil in the White City and Dead Wake delivers an intimate chronicle of Winston Churchill and London during the Blitz—an inspiring portrait of courage and leadership in a time of unprecedented crisis “One of [Erik Larson’s] best books yet . . . perfectly timed for the moment.”—Time • “A bravura performance by one of America’s greatest storytellers.”—NPR NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • Time • Vogue • NPR • The Washington Post • Chicago Tribune • The Globe & Mail • Fortune • Bloomberg • New York Post • The New York Public Library • Kirkus Reviews • LibraryReads • PopMatters On Winston Churchill’s first day as prime minister, Adolf Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium. Poland and Czechoslovakia had already fallen, and the Dunkirk evacuation was just two weeks away. For the next twelve months, Hitler would wage a relentless bombing campaign, killing 45,000 Britons. It was up to Churchill to hold his country together and persuade President Franklin Roosevelt that Britain was a worthy ally—and willing to fight to the end. In The Splendid and the Vile, Erik Larson shows, in cinematic detail, how Churchill taught the British people “the art of being fearless.” It is a story of political brinkmanship, but it’s also an intimate domestic drama, set against the backdrop of Churchill’s prime-ministerial country home, Chequers; his wartime retreat, Ditchley, where he and his entourage go when the moon is brightest and the bombing threat is highest; and of course 10 Downing Street in London. Drawing on diaries, original archival documents, and once-secret intelligence reports—some released only recently—Larson provides a new lens on London’s darkest year through the day-to-day experience of Churchill and his family: his wife, Clementine; their youngest daughter, Mary, who chafes against her parents’ wartime protectiveness; their son, Randolph, and his beautiful, unhappy wife, Pamela; Pamela’s illicit lover, a dashing American emissary; and the advisers in Churchill’s “Secret Circle,” to whom he turns in the hardest moments. The Splendid and the Vile takes readers out of today’s political dysfunction and back to a time of true leadership, when, in the face of unrelenting horror, Churchill’s eloquence, courage, and perseverance bound a country, and a family, together.