Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
One of the most famous politicians ever, a two-time Prime Minister and an inspiring wartime leader, Winston Churchill led Britain to victory in World War II. He remains one of the most popular and significant figures in political history to this day.
Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was born on November 30, 1874, in Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, and came from a wealthy aristocratic background. Despite poor grades in school, his early fascination with the military led him to join the Royal Cavalry in 1895. As a soldier and part-time journalist, Churchill traveled extensively, including trips to Cuba, Afghanistan, Egypt, and South Africa.
Churchill was elected as a Conservative MP for Oldham in 1900, before defecting to join the Liberal Party in 1904, spending the next decade climbing the ranks of the Liberal government. He was the First Lord of the Admiralty (the civilian/political head of the Royal Navy) during the disastrous Gallipoli Campaign, which he had initiated. Facing severe criticism, he resigned from this post and went to fight on the Western Front himself.
The interwar years saw Churchill switching back from the Liberals to the Conservative Party. He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1924, controversially choosing to return Britain to the gold standard. After the Conservatives’ electoral defeat in 1929, Churchill lost his seat and spent most of the next 11 years out of office, mainly writing and giving speeches. Although he was a lone voice in his strong opposition to Indian independence, his warnings against appeasing Nazi Germany proved correct when World War II broke out in 1939.
Following Neville Chamberlain’s resignation in 1940, Churchill was chosen to succeed him as Prime Minister in a coalition government involving all parties.
