Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill

Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill was born to an aristocratic family on November 30, 1874. Throughout his life, Churchill exhibited characteristics of both his parents, Lord Randolph Churchill (father), a British statesman from a well-known background, and his mother, Jeanette ""Jennie"" Jerome, an independent socialite from New York (Johnson, 2015). Churchill was born in Dublin, Ireland, and his father worked for his grandfather, John Spencer-Churchill (the 7th Duke of Marlborough). According to Johnson (2015), Churchill exhibited characteristics of a defiant and independent pupil, and he performed badly in his first two classes. In April of the year 1888, Churchill was transferred to a boarding school near London, Harrow School. Within few weeks of his enrollment in the school, Churchill joined the Harrow Rifle Corps, and it was this exposure that he chose the path to a military career. Winston was not only an independent student, but as well showed significant interest in military, and later he became an influential statesman, writer, orator, and a leader who, through his courage and his exemplary skills in oration (his gift of speech), he led Britain through the dark and most horrifying days of the Second World War. His speeches not only fascinated most of the British soldiers during the World Word II but also motivated them to fight and emerge victoriously. The paper presents an assessment of the historical biography of Sir Churchill Winston, an outline of as well as an explanation of his leadership traits.

Historical Biography

Sir Winston Churchill, during his early school days, was proven to be a rebellious as well as an independent thinker who portrayed poor accomplishments in school. As a result, he opted to join the military, but initially, it did not seem the military was the best choice for him since it took him three tries to pass the British Royal Military College exam. Nonetheless, Churchill did well and graduated taking the 20th position in his class of 130 students. As further explained by Johnson (2015), the relationship between Churchill and his parents was distant, and he could regularly write emotional letters to his mother begging her to see him, but rarely did she go. On the other side, his father died when he was 21, and history has it that Churchill only knew him more by reputation rather than via any close ties shared.

In the British Army at a zenith of the military power of the British, Churchill only enjoyed a brief but busy career. In the year 1895, he joined the Fourth Hussars where he served on the northwest frontier of India and the Sudan (Johnson, 2015). It was in this era, 1898, that he saw combat in the Battle of Omdurman. In the military, Winston served as a soldier as well as a part-time journalist where wrote military reports for the Daily Telegraph and The Pioneer newspapers, and also wrote two books The Story of the Malakand Field Force (1898) and The River War in the year 1899 regarding the experience he went through. It was during soldier career and journalism that he traveled to different destinations i.e. Egypt, Cuba, Afghanistan, and South Africa. In the year 1899, Churchill left the Army and became war correspondent for a conservative daily newspaper, Morning Post. The same year, he was taken prisoner while reporting on the Boer War in South Africa, but he later escaped and traveled up to 300 miles to Portuguese territory (Mozambique). When he returned to Britain, Churchill wrote a book London to Ladysmith (1900) about his experiences.

Early Career: Government and Military

In the year 1900, Churchill was elected as Oldham Conservative MP. He followed the footsteps of his father into politics, and he also took up his independence thinking, where he later became a supporter of social reform. However, Churchill was not fully convinced that the Conservative Party would achieve the objective of social reform, and in the year 1904, he was prompted to defect to the Liberal Party. Later, in the year 1908, he was elected an MP and appointed as president of the Board of Trade to the prime minister’s cabinet. It was the same year that Churchill married Clementine Ogilvy Hozier following a short courtship.

As president of the Board of Trade, Churchill, together with the newly appointed Chancellor Llyod George in reacting to the expansion of the British Navy. Among the achievements of Churchill include his 1908 numerous activities which include the introduction of numerous prison system reforms and the introduction of the first minimum wage. Besides, Churchill assisted in setting up labor exchanges for the jobless as well as the insurance for the unemployed. He also helped in the passing of the People’s Budget that consequently introduced new levies on the wealthy to pay in order to facilitate social welfare programs.

Serving as the first Lord of the Admiralty, he also assisted in the modernization of the British Navy, and he further ordered the building of new warships with oil-fired rather than coal-fired engines. Also, Churchill was among the first in favor of military aircraft and setting up of the Royal Navy Air Service. However, as elaborated by Johnson (2015), even though there were controversies on whether Churchill was was or was not directly involved in the disastrous Battle of the Gallipoli, he opted to resign his post as he felt responsible since he had proposed the expedition. After resigning, he traveled to the Western Front and for a brief period, he rejoined the British Army and commanded the Royal Scots Fusiliers battalion. Later in the year 1917, Churchill was appointed munitions minister for the final war year where he was involved in oversight of production of airplanes, tanks, and munitions. Churchill was involved in another controversy as a minister of war and air and was also a colonial secretary under Prime Minister Lloyd George. He ordered air power to be targeted on rebellious Kurdish tribesmen in Iraq, which was a British holding at the time. Churchill went to the point of suggesting the use of poisonous gas in efforts to bring down the rebellion, and the proposal was considered, but never enacted.

As further explained by Watson (2016), disintegrations in the Liberal Party led to the defeat of Churchill (as an MP), prompting him to rejoin the Conservative Party where he served as the Exchequer Chancellor from 1924 when he decided to opt for Britain and re-join the Gold Standard. Winston took a hard stand against the general labor strike that was determined to cripple the economy. When the Conservative government was later defeated in the year 1929, Churchill was again out of government. He was defeated in the Tory elections in the year 1929. In that light, he was perceived as a right-wing extremist who had lost touch with the people, and with that, he opted to embark on writing (Johnson, 2015). He published the book A History of English Speaking Peoples in the course of the few years he was out of politics and military. Therefore, the life of Sir Churchill is seen alternating from military to politics, and when the two proved challenging, he would embark on writing.

In the onset of the World War II, Churchill was a great advocate for the rearmament of British military, but this was since he had not perceived the potential threat posed by Adolf Hitler when he rose to power (1933). In the year 1938, Churchill became a significant critic of Prime Minister Nevile’s policy of appeasement toward the Nazi, particularly when Germany started controlling its neighbors (Watson, 2016). After the vote of no confidence toward Prime Minister Neville in May 1940, Churchill was appointed as the PM and minister of defense by King George VI. With the German Army invasion its invasion of Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Luxembourg, Churchill was charged with the responsibility of unifying and forming a cabinet of leaders from the Conservative, Labor, and Liberal parties.

On June 18, 1940, Churchill made a very influential speech to the House of Commons and warned that the time for “the Battle of Britain” had come (Watson, 2016). It was Churchill who ensured the survival of the rebellion of Nazi dominance. He also created the basis for an alliance with the U.S. and the Soviet Union (Watson, 2016). In the 1930s, Sir Churchill had fostered a relationship with President Roosevelt which enabled him to secure essential assistance from the U.S. via the Lend Lease Act. With such positive relations, Britain was able to order war equipment on credit from the United States. Later, as the severity of the war lessened (Post 1945), Churchill collaborated with Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin and US President Roosevelt to develop a united approach against the Axis Powers, and further assisted in the crafting of the post-war world where the UN was placed as its centerpiece (Watson, 2016).

Sir Churchill Winston: Leadership Traits

The rough beginnings of Churchill at Sandhurst and his deployment to various navy and army operations overseas prepared him to be a successful politician and leader. Besides, Churchill became one of the most influential wartime leaders in history. Despite the overwhelming danger faced by the British Army during the war, Churchill’s portrayal of perseverance and courage greatly motivated the soldiers to emerge victoriously.

A significant leadership trait portrayed by Sir Churchill Winston is that he was a charismatic as well as a transformational leader. Being charismatic enabled him to adopt a vision for his nation and further concentrate on the bigger picture, and thus helping them emerge victoriously. Besides, Churchill performed his duties democratically as opposed to being like his German counterpart, Adolf Hitler. Winston cared about the people around him, including the soldiers in his platoon, since as between 1911 and 1915 when he was England’s Admiralty First Lord; he visited numerous facilities and ships for the navy as compared to any other First Lord before him (Paterson, 2006). Also, Churchill made frequent visits to more than fifty ships and shipyard sites and harbors between 1911 and the start of the First World War.

Winston Churchill was also an honest, open, and the kind of leader who promotes direct communication (Langworth, 2017). With such a trait, Churchill was always available to communicate to the public and his juniors every time there were criticisms. His openness is evident as when there was intensified criticism concerning the slow progress of the war in 1942, and Churchill addressed the problem by demanding a formal vote of confidence in the House of Commons (Singer, 2012). He honestly and openly addressed the issue raised by critics, stating that since it was evident that things had gone from bad to worse, and worse things were expected, it remained prudent that a vote of confidence be conducted. The results favored Churchill by a margin of 466 votes to 1. As explained by Singer (2012), Churchill believed that it was a mistake to detest stating the facts or just expressing things as they are to the public. However, many people perceive leadership to be dependent on the situation, i.e. Churchill was a great leader during the war but not in times of peace (Adair, 1998).

Furthermore, Winston Churchill has commendable skills in both speaking and writing. As Singer (2012) explains, experience is crucial in shaping the personality of an individual, and therefore, Churchill’s numerous life events, challenges, as well as fulfillments enabled him to gain the necessary experience to become a great and influential ruler. Effective rulers capitalize on their experiences as opportunities to learn, and in so doing, they emerge successful in whatever they venture into. For Churchill, it is the integration of both political and artistic skills that enabled him to foster the necessary motivation to his platoon in order to resist against Nazi Germany. As Singer (2012) further explains, Churchill's speeches conform with the principles of theater that attempt to command the attention of the audience. Furthermore, Winston carefully selected his words to ensure that he only communicated the intended message.

Therefore, the superb writing and speaking skills possessed by Churchill is considered an essential trait that allowed him to see Britain and its allies (Commonwealth) to victory. Besides, Churchill was not just an agent of bombast. He is also well known for his earnest entreaties that motivated and inspired Britons to search their souls and further acknowledge and accept their responsibilities in the protection of their sovereignty (Zehndorfer, 2014). This leadership trait by Churchill inspired millions of British and its Commonwealth soldiers to struggle and fight against tyranny (Adolf Hitler). As explained by Langworth (2017), Winston was a significant inspiration as he used his oration to inspire vigilance watchfulness.

In conclusion, it remains evident that Churchill’s involvement in politics at an early age (he became an elected MP at 25), as well as his early start in writing books and also in newspapers, were a great contributor to the development of his writing and speaking skills. In that light, it remains evident that Churchill's mastery of writing and speaking skills greatly influenced the soldiers as they felt motivated and challenged to be involved in the struggle against tyranny. It was this trait of being a good orator and an open and honest leader that enabled Churchill to deliver news, either positive or negative in person.

References

Adair, J. E. (1998). Leadership skills. London: Institute of Personnel and Development.

Johnson, B. (2015). Churchill Factor: How one man made history. New York, NY: Riverhead Books.

Langworth, R. M. (2017). Winston Churchill, myth and reality: What he actually did and said. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company.

Paterson, M. (2006). Winston Churchill: personal accounts of the great leader at war 1895-1945. Cincinnati, Ohio: David & Charles.

Singer, B. (2012). Churchill Style: The art of being Winston Churchill. New York, NY: Abrams Image.

Watson, A. (2016). Churchill's Legacy: Two Speeches to Save the World. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

Zehndorfer, E. (2014). Leadership: A critical introduction. London: Routledge.