Winston Churchill and His Effect on History
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Winston Churchill
was the most celebrated British leader of the twentieth century and one of the
most prominent leaders to lead the country of all time. Although he was born in
a well-known and wealthy family, he is remembered by an unmatched desire to
serve the British people even during the most tumultuous times, including World
War II. Even though Churchill’s legacy is complicated because of a number of
important roles performed, his profound impact on the history of Great Britain
and Europe remains undisputed. The purpose of this paper is to review the
historical significance of Churchill and his impact on the European and British
history.
A son to Lord
Randolph Churchill and American inheritress Jennie Jerome, he was born in 1874
at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire[1]. His
father was a prominent political figure at the time and served as one of the
leaders in the House of Commons, an elected component of the Parliament. His
mother was an American-born British socialite, known for part ownership of the
New York Times, and came from a line of aristocrats as well. Therefore, the
background of Churchill’s family contributed to better opportunities for the
future premier minister.
One of the most
important opportunities provided by the status of Churchill family was
education. He was sent to study at the Harrow private school but did not
achieve any significant academic results mainly because he was interested in
different kind of studies. From the early childhood, Churchill was programmed
to pursue military education, which was even demonstrated by his fondness of
soldier toys. Having recognized the need to study military activity,
Churchill’s parents transferred him to the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst,
where he finally found his passion, which turned his into one of the greatest
figures in history[2].
Churchill and British History
The impact of
Churchill on Britain’s domestic policies is often overshadowed by his
international achievements but certainly is outstanding. In 1900, Churchill had
joined the House of Commons as a representative of the Conservative party but
changed his political affiliation in less than four years[3]. In the
Liberal party, he was able to achieve more significant results that had a
considerable impact on the life on ordinary British citizens, such as a number
of social reforms in labor legislation. Specifically, Churchill’s efforts
contributed to the establishment of eight-hour working day, public health
insurance system, minimum wage, and state-controlled exchange for the
unemployed. These laws played a major role in the liberalization of the British
labor legislation and were considered as remarkable for the time.
Churchill and European History
Winston Churchill
lived through two world wars and made a significant contribution to Britain’s
effort, especially in WWII, because he was appointed as the prime minister in
1940. It was indeed a historical event because on the morning of his
appointment Germany invaded four countries: Luxemburg, Belgium, Netherlands,
and France. Britain was faced with an ultimate test and Churchill was on the
frontline, which meant that he had to defend his country against the most
advanced army of the time. Each decision made by Churchill had a profound
impact not only on Britain but every country that fought Nazi invasion.
The first major
impact made by Churchill during the WWII is the establishment of the Britain’s
alliance with the most powerful countries, the US and the Soviet Union[4]. His
effective leadership and decision-making helped to consolidate the effort by
the two super countries because Churchill was able to form relationships with
Stalin and Roosevelt[5]. As the
Battle of Britain was escalating and continuing to take a death toll, he was
supporting his people and constantly sought help from outside, which is
demonstrated by his visits to Soviet Russia and the United States.
Specifically, he had nine meetings with the American president and five
meetings with the Soviet leader during the time of war, which contributed to
the consolidation of efforts of the Allies and eventually, to victory over
Hitler’s Germany.
The fact that
Churchill was one of the chief architects of the victory in WWII gives him a
profound historic significance. If Britain had fallen under the attacks of
Luftwaffe and Germans occupied the island, it would have been a major disaster
for the free world, which could change the course of the conflict. However,
Churchill’s unmatchable spirit and effective decision-making fueled the
Britain’s effort even when German planes were flying over its major cities.
Instead of retrieving to the safe territory, Churchill stayed with the citizens
in London even when the city was under attack of the Nazi warplanes and
continued to give radio broadcasts and speeches[6]. The
effort of British people led by Churchill was an example for many other
European countries that were fighting off German troops so his contribution to
the victory in the WWII is difficult to overstate. His stubborn refusal to
admit defeat of his country and effective foreign policy gave him significance
that only a few leaders could match.
Conclusion
Winston Churchill is
among the most prominent figures of the previous century, which is known for
his wartime leadership, domestic policies, and role in defeating the Nazi
Germany. Clearly, his historical impact is profound because the achievements of
Britain under Churchill were significant both in domestic and international
terms. First, he was one of the ministers that provided more sophisticated
legislation and social reform in labor area, which was important to the development
of modern British laws. Second, he provided an enormous impact on other
influential leaders, including American president Roosevelt and Soviet Union’s
leader Stalin. In turn, it helped Allies to consolidate efforts and win the
WWII and restore the peace on the entire continent. Having reviewed these
achievements by Churchill, it is sufficient to claim that he provided a
profoundly important effect on history, both British and European.
Works Cited
Fenby, Jonathan. Alliance: The inside Story of How Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill Won One War and Began Another. San Francisco, CA: MacAdam Cage, 2006.
Haugen, Brenda. Winston Churchill: British soldier, writer, statesman. Capstone, 2006.
Larres, Klaus. Churchill's cold war: the politics of personal diplomacy. Yale University Press, 2002.
Manchester, William. The last lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: visions of glory, 1874-1932. Vol. 1. Pan Macmillan, 2015.
Rose, Norman. Churchill: An Unruly Life. London: Simon & Schuster, 1994.
[1] Rose, Norman. Churchill: An Unruly Life.
London: Simon & Schuster, 1994, p. 3
[2] Ibid, p. 27
[3]
Brenda, Haugen. Winston Churchill: British soldier, writer, statesman.
Capstone, 2006, p. 97.
[4] Larres, Klaus. Churchill's cold war: the politics of personal diplomacy. Yale University Press, 2002, p. 18.
[4] Fenby, Jonathan. Alliance: The inside Story of How Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill Won One War and Began Another. San Francisco, CA: MacAdam Cage, 2006, p. 80.
[4] William, Manchester. The last lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: visions of glory, 1874-1932. Vol. 1. Pan Macmillan, 2015, p. 7.
Winston Churchill
Type of paper:
Research paper
Discipline:
History
Difficulty level:
Undergraduate
Citation style:
Turabian
Number of pages:
4
Lucy
Boardman, Oregon
| 2023-07-29
Paper is good, and the bibliography page will make it an excellent paper since I did not write the paper I need to know where you got the facts. Thanks!
Research paper, History
, Graduate