The Life of Sir Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was born on 30th November 1874 and died on 24th January 1965. He had various titles including prime minister in 1940-1945 and 1951-1955, author, orator, and British statesman. He managed to rally the English people during the Second World War and led his nation to victory.

Rise to Prominence

Before the First World War, Churchill managed to have a spectacular rise to prominence in political matters. As a result, he received an excellent reputation for erratic judgment matters concerning the war. He was not well known until he decided to respond to Adolf Hitler's challenge which ended up giving him a leadership title in 1940. With the help of Joseph Stalin and Franklin D. Roosevelt, he was able to shape the Allied strategy in the Second World War. In 1951, he brought the Conservative Party back to the office where his served until 1955. However, his ill health forced him to resign.

Early Life

As a young boy, Churchill was neglected and unhappy, but he was lucky that he received some affection from his nurse, Mrs. Everest (Churchill 23). His poor academic performance made his father enroll him into an army career. However, he did not perform well in his first two attempts in the entrance examination. He managed to join the Royal Military College after his third attempt and worked hard during his time there. He graduated the 20th out of 130 and decided to join the 4th Hussars in 1895. He served both as a soldier and journalist in Cuba and India. Later, his dispatches received a lot of attention which pushed him to start his authorship career which he chose to follow for the rest of his life. Some of the books he wrote are "Savrola" (1900) and "The River War" (1899).

Political Career

In his first attempts in politics, he vied as a Conservative in Oldham but lost in the by-election narrowly. Around the same time, he received an opportunity to report the South African War for "The Morning Post" in London. His fame increased when he was able to save an armored train that had been attacked by Boers in South Africa (Churchill 43). Even though he was arrested in the process, his fame redoubled after his successful escape from the military prison. After returning to his country as a military hero, Churchill decided to vie again for the political seat which he won in 1900. With the money that he made from his lecture tours and writings, he was ready to start his journey in politics.

Leadership and Reforms

Winston Churchill was the son to Lord Randolph Churchill and his American wife, Jennie Jerome. Duke of Marlborough was his uncle. At the age of twenty-six, Churchill joined the Parliament as a Conservative (Churchill 52). However, three years later he moved to the Liberals following the question on free trade. His entry into politics did not hinder his progress. Within a short while, he became the President of the Board of Trade and became Home Secretary in 1910. His life revolved around the grand strategy and politics. On his wedding day, he was spotted talking and gossiping about politics moments before the ceremony began. He involved himself with the leadership of the "economists" campaign. Fighting against the expanded naval program advocated for by John Arbuthnot Fisher, Churchill and Lloyd George won an Anglo-German naval agreement. Their success was a way of reducing the Navy's budget to ensure more money was available for social reform. Although Churchill faced a lot of criticism during this period, he did not budge. He declared that it was all nonsense to believe in the inevitability of the Britain-Germany war.

First Lord of Admiralty

In July 1911, panther, German gunboat, sailed to a Moroccan port with an aim to show Germany’s insistence on the area in the African sun. However, the plan was a failure leading to many countries including Britain and France developing anti-German feeling (Yergin 152). Churchill’s opinions were immediately transformed. From that time, he believed that the expansionism idea was the German goal and the development of the German fleet was a threat to the British people. He knew with no doubt that the threat had to be opposed. Churchill had a firm belief that German wanted to make war with Britain. For this reason, it was crucial for Britain to collect all its available resources to ensure that they uphold their supremacy. Although Churchill was a Home Secretary, he expressed a lot of interest in the ability of the Royal Navy and if it was ready to handle any surprise attack. He was irritated by the fact that the senior officials dared to go to Scotland on shooting holidays at the time of the Agadir crisis. When the crisis ended at the end of September 1911, Churchill decided to visit Prime Minister Asquith in Scotland. During his stay there, the Prime Minister offered him the position of First Lord of Admiralty which was the highest post in the Royal Navy. Churchill readily agreed to the proposal.

Conversion to Oil

At that moment, the Admiralty would have a leader who was ready to use his enormous energy, the power of exposition, concentration, and vision towards ensuring that Britain emerged victorious in the naval race. Churchill mentioned that the fortunes of their Empire acquired after years of sacrifice and success would be lost if their naval supremacy was weakened. He was clear about his guiding principle in those few years before the start of the First World War. Churchill was planning to prepare Britain’s military for an attack by the Germans as if it might occur the next day.

Admiral Fisher's Influence

Churchill’s ally in his campaign was Admiral Fisher who had recently retired from the Navy. Fisher mentioned that he was captivated by Churchill since their previous encounter at Biarritz in 1907. With every passing moment, they grew fonder of each other. Even though did not agree on his earlier criticism concerning the navy budget, Churchill sent for Admiral Fisher immediately after getting the position of First Lord (Yergin 156). After they spent three days together at a country house in Reigate, Churchill managed to win the old man over to his side. Later on, Fisher was referred to as Churchill’s “dry nurse.” He turned out to be the most dominating unofficial adviser to Churchill. Churchill considered Fisher to be the source of the past information concerning the vital steps to be taken to modernize, enhance or enlarge the Navy. It was evident that Fisher was full of inspiration and knowledge. Fisher offered tuition on almost every subject.

The Importance of Oil

Fisher argued that it was vital to learn about petroleum since it would be fundamental to the strategy of supremacy. Fisher took it upon himself to ensure that Churchill received proper education concerning the virtues of oil over coal in the Navy. When he got reports that the Germans were creating ocean liners that were oil-powered, Fisher felt that he had to educate the Royal Navy on the importance of oil as soon as possible (Yergin 154). Admiral Fisher sought the assistance of Marcus Samuel of Shell to speed up the education that Churchill was receiving. The two men had agreed over a decade ago on oil’s potential role. Their relationship became stronger after Samuel confided in Fisher that a German shipping line had made a contract for oil that was to last ten years. Part of the supply was secretly meant to be used of experimentation by the German Navy. Samuel wrote to Fisher informing him of how right he had been about the matter. He praised the creation of the Internal Combustion engine and regarded it as the greatest the world had ever observed. Samuel admitted that an able and energetic man was needed to assist in the retaining of supremacy. He was ready to help Churchill with his heart and soul.

Conversion to Oil

Within a short while, Fisher arranged the meeting between Samuel and Churchill to start the discussion on oil. However, Churchill was not pleased by the chairman of Shell Transport and Trading. In a follow-up letter to Churchill, Fisher apologized on behalf of Samuel saying that even though he had some bad traits, he was useful. Fisher stated that the reason for the meeting with Samuel was to convince Churchill that oil was in plenty and he could confidently make a commitment to it for the momentum of the Royal Navy. He continued to lecture Churchill concerning the benefits that oil had over coal. He mentioned that oil did not deteriorate like coal which meant that it was possible to accumulate many stores of it and store it in submerged tanks (O'brien 54). In this way, it will be free from the destruction that may be as a result of a fire outbreak, incendiaries or bombardment.

The Royal Commission

Furthermore, the east of Suez fuel was more affordable compared to coal. Fisher mentioned that he had been given the opportunity to become rich by joining the Shell board, but he had declined since he did not want to go in for the oil. He added that a cargo steamer could reduce the fuel usage by 78 percent and gain more cargo space by the incorporation of the internal combustion propulsion and in the process reduce engineers and stokers. It was apparent what the Royal Navy would benefit from the use of oil. Fisher was not pleased by the delays to incorporate oil and told Churchill the possible consequences for such actions.

Finding a Solution

Upon his arrival at the Admiralty, Churchill observed that the Navy was in the process of building fifty-six destroyers that depended on oil alone and seventy-four submarines that could only be driven by oil. The Navy decided to add some oil to the coal furnaces in all the ships. However, the backbone of the Royal Navy, the capital ships and the battleships, burnt coal. Both Churchill and the Navy wanted to build a new breed of battleships which had stronger armor and bigger guns. They also wanted the ships to have higher speed which would allow them to draw ahead and circle their enemy’s line. Fisher was quick to remind Churchill that speed was a necessity to engage in a fight (O'brien 72). Although the British battleships could move at a speed of twenty-one knots, Churchill saw that greater speed would bring a new element into the naval war. Churchill’s behest carried out a study which indicated that with a speed of about twenty-five knots, they would be ahead of the growing German fleet. It was evident that the Royal Navy wanted to increase its speed with four knots and there was no other way in which they could achieve this without using oil.

Benefits of Oil

Churchill was able to complete his education. He realized that not only did oil provide higher speeds, but also higher rapidity in getting up to speed. Also, oil simplified the duty of manning and operating the fleet. With oil, the Navy had a wider radius of action. It was easier to refuel at sea without requiring the help of almost a quarter of the people on board as it was the case with coal. Furthermore, discomfort, exhaustion, time, and stress were minimized, and the population of stokers was reduced by more than half. The ships could use fewer stokers compared to when coal was utilized. Oil had a lot of benefits at the battlefields due to its smooth operation and high speed (Yergin 152). Churchill later said that when the coal ships used up the coal, more men were required to carry the coal from the remote bunkers to the bunkers that were close to the furnace. Some of them had to be taken from the battlefield. As a result, the efficiency of the fight was weakened and at some points during the most critical moments. With the incorporation of oil in every vessel, more men were free thus more gun-power and faster speed at a lower cost.

The Oil Industry

The naval programs implemented in 1912, 1913, and 1914 were considered the greatest in the history of the Royal Navy regarding cost and sheer power. All the ships utilized during these years depended on oil and coal ships were no longer used. It is reported that some of the battleships were initially meant to use coal, but they were converted to oil. The main decision was made in April 1912 where the naval budget of a First Division class entailed five battleships powered by oil. Churchill wrote that with the fateful plunge, the superior ships in the Navy were fed nothing but oil.

Supply of Oil

With the commitment to use oil, a severe issue arose. The main questions concerned the supply of the oil; where it will be found, the amount that would be supplied, and whether or not the supply will be secure for only the military and political use. Churchill’s huge gamble was to advocate for the conversion to oil even before the issue on supply was settled. He explained that, for the nation to create a massive number of oil-fired ships, it was vital to base the naval supremacy on oil. However, he noted that oil was not in adequate quantities in Britain (Yergin 158). For them to acquire enough oil, they had to transport it from distant nations by sea. The process could either be peaceful, or it might result in war with other countries. It was not easy to convince the Navy to convert to oil since it was available in low quantities yet coal was readily available in the British mines. Churchill tried to persuade the Navy that if they could overcome the difficulties of acquiring the oil, they would become more powerful and efficient in their operations. They will have better ships, the intense war power, higher economies, and better crews. The mastery would reward Their venture that they could achieve if they had a good supply of oil.

The Royal Commission

Churchill decided to organize a committee which would discuss the problems that were raised by the conversion from coal to oil. The issues included the security of the supply, the availability of the oil, and the pricing. The committee made a recommendation for a royal commission to be formed to carry out a thorough investigation of the raised issues. Churchill chose the retired Admiral Fisher to head the committee. However, there was a small issue at this point, and it was the fact that Fisher was mad at Churchill. The retired admiral did not approve some of the promotions made by Churchill. Fisher wrote to Churchill claim that Churchill had betrayed the Navy (Barker 102). He was almost sure that that would be his last communication with Churchill.

Admiral Fisher's Involvement

A lot of cajoleries and a convincing letter had to be written to persuade Admiral Fisher. In his letter to Fisher, Churchill reminded him of the proper relationship that they had and the intensity of the matters that they were handling. He mentioned that it was crucial for the oil issue to be solved as soon as possible (McBeth 168). For that to take place, Churchill stated that the enthusiasm and drive of a big man was required. He told Fisher that he believed that he was the only one who could crack the nut since no one else could do it as well as him. He gave Admiral Fisher the duty to find oil, discover ways in which it could be stored cheaply, means of purchasing it often and in peace at an affordable price, and with complete assurance in war. Churchill succeeded in convincing Admiral Fisher to take up the position.

The Royal Commission's Work

A distinguished group was gathered to take part in the Royal Commission’s meeting on fuel and engines. The group included oil experts like Sir Thomas Boverton Redwood. Fisher took up the job with a lot of enthusiasm and worked as hard as he could (Yergin 155). The urgency to get the solutions to the previously raised issue intensified when it was reported that Germany was already experimenting with oil engines. The first report released by the commission emphasized the advantages of oil over coal and its importance to the Royal Navy. It was then clear that Marcus Samuel’s dream of having an oil-fueled Royal Navy would be a reality.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is evident that Winston Churchill was a dedicated leader who was ready to explore all options that could improve the chances of the Royal Navy winning the war against Germany. He managed to convince the other leaders in the Navy to convert from coal to oil. He believed that with oil, the Navy would have better ships which were faster, their operations would be more efficient, and more men would be freed from the duty of restocking the coal thus more gun-power. As explained above, Churchill tried to find solutions to issues raised during the adoption of oil. He put capable leaders like Admiral Fisher in charge of finding affordable oil for the Navy which in turn grew the oil industry as the demand for oil increased.

Works cited

Barker, Rodney. Political ideas in modern Britain: in and after the twentieth century. Routledge, 2013.

Churchill, Winston. My early life: 1874-1904. Simon and Schuster, 2010.

McBeth, Brian Stuart. British oil policy 1919-1939. Routledge, 2013.

O'brien, Patrick, and Caglar Keyder. Economic Growth in Britain and France 1780-1914 (Routledge Revivals): Two Paths to the Twentieth Century. Routledge, 2012.

Yergin, Daniel. The prize: The epic quest for oil, money & power. Simon and Schuster, 2011.