He turned their ‘Darkest Hour’ into the ‘Finest Hour’

Premasara Epasinghe

The 133rd birth anniversary of Sir Winston Churchill falls today. Out of many world leaders - Winston Churchill is outstanding. He was undoubtedly, the man of the 20th century. This is a tribute to this great statesman, historian, war reporter, biographer, silver-tongued orator and Nobel Prize winner for Literature.

Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965) was one of the greatest statesmen in the world. His personal courage; magic words and his victory, inspired the Britishers to turn their ‘Darkest Hour’ into a ‘Finest Hour’ of their history. Churchill seems to be the John Bull, very strong and tough looking man symbolising the indomitable courage of the British people. He was a heroic Prime Minister, who stood alone against Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany.

He was also a historian, war reporter, biographer and a silver-tongued orator. He possessed a matchless command of the English language. In 1953, he won the prestigious Nobel Prize for Literature. He was a very witty politician and was popularly known as the ‘Man of the 20th Century’.

Winston Churchill, was born on November 30, 1874 at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, England. His father, Randolph Churchill (Henry Spencer - 1849-1895), was an English Conservative politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Leader of the House of Commons in 1886. Blue blooded, Randolph Churchill and his wife Jennie Jerome of New York City, the daughter of a financial speculator and an enthusiast of horse racing, did not permanently live in the Blenheim Palace.

Mother - a fairy princess

Winston Churchill, in later years, wrote about his mother. “My mother possessed limitless riches and power. She was like a fairy princess, so beautiful and radiant. I kept her at a distance. She was like an evening star.”

During the late 19th century, the blue blooded upper class lived a very busy, luxurious and happy-go-lucky social life. Their main interests were dancing, fox hunting and horse riding. Therefore, they entrusted their children to be looked after by nurses or nannies.

This was the social order of the day adopted by the rich class. Sweet little Winston’s nanny, was Elizabeth Ann Everest. She was his confidante. When Winston Churchill became a renowned world figure he did not hang his mother’s photograph, but displayed Mrs. Everest’s picture in his office room.

‘Stupid to learn dead language’

As a schoolboy, he was a mischievous child. On many occasions he was punished for making mischief. He hated learning Latin and Mathematics. He was a stubborn little fellow. His parents removed him from the prestigious boarding school, St. George’s College.

Lord Randolph Churchill was an old boy of Eton. But, he preferred to send his son, Winston to Harrow, because Winston was not up to the mark in Latin and Greek. At Harrow, Winston remained at the very bottom of the class.

His parents were worried and got down a private tutor to teach him Latin and Greek. But his love to learn and master English language and literature was immense. He was never interested in learning Latin and Greek. “I think it is stupid to learn these dead languages,” he once said.

Winston Churchill never liked team games like cricket and soccer. He preferred swimming, fencing and riding. Once he became the fencing champion for English private schools during his career at Harrow.

Ambition to join the Army

From his school days, he had an ambition to join the army. He sat for the entrance examination to enter Sandhurst Military Academy, twice and failed. At the third attempt, he just scraped through with the lowest possible pass mark.

At Sandhurst, he excelled as a brilliant officer cadet and was placed eighth, out of a hundred and fifty. After the graduation at Sandhurst, he had a double blow in his personal life. Winston Churchill lost his father and his nanny Ann Everest.

After the graduation from Sandhurst, he joined the fourth Hussars - a cavalry unit.

In 1895 he went to Cuba, where rebels were fighting for freedom from Spanish rule. He worked for a newspaper as a reporter and proceeded to India. Next, he travelled to Egypt and Sudan. He was a prolific writer and wrote two books titled The Story of Malakand Field Force and River War.

Politics

Later, Churchill entered politics. He was unsuccessful in his first attempt to enter the House of Commons. In his second attempt he became a Member of Parliament in 1901. On September 12, 1908 he married Clemertine Hozier.

Winston Churchill was appointed as the first Lord of Admiralty in 1911. In 1915, he resigned from the military and in 1940, became the Prime Minister of Great Britain and was the Prime Minister during the war. In 1951 and in 1955, Winston Churchill held the prestigious Prime Minister’s Post in Great Britain.

Silver Tounged Orator

Sir Winston Churchill was a silver-tongued orator. His brilliant speeches motivated the British to fight against Adolf Hitler, the Nazi Leader of Germany. He was a National Hero who saved not only Britain, but the entire Commonwealth.

“We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France. We shall fight on seas and oceans. We shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength on air, we shall defend our island whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight in the fields, and streets. We shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender.”

- Winston Churchill
(June 4, 1940)

Churchill developed his speeches clearly, slowly and in simple language.

His deliverance was fantastic. He never opened his mouth until his brain was in gear. To attract his audience, he added colour to his speeches by adding humour. Speeches are like a Ballet or Opera. The speaker should win the audience and attract them. Therefore, the first few minutes of a speech is very important.

On June 18, 1940, Churchill in a brilliant piece of oratory stated.

“The very survival of Western civilization hung in balance. Britain therefore, would stand alone, if necessary against Hitler’s tyranny. If Britain failed the world would be plunged into a new Dark Age.

Let us therefore, brace ourselves to our duties, with pride and so bear ourselves that British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, Men will say this was their ‘finest hour.’ “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil and sweat.”

Prime Minister in 1940

On May 10, 1940 King George VI appointed Winston Churchill as the Prime Minister. Obviously he was the choice of all parties. Bombs rained the London sky.

Fires raged. Thousands of Londoners were killed. For Churchill, it was a time of trial. Cigar clenched tightly between his teeth, he was seen everywhere, defending Britain. Even from his body langauge he used to raise his hand in very famous V for victory. It was the sign and symbol of British defence against Hitler’s Nazi power.

Winston Churchill was a fine diplomat and a war strategist. As the fighting progressed against Nazi Leader, Hitler, Churchill, who worked hardest to make the uneasy wartime alliance of Britain, Russia and United States succeed. He repeatedly travelled to Washington and Moscow and organized meetings of Allied Leaders at Casablanca, Tehran.

On June 6, 1944 the Allied Forces marched on to the beaches of France. Winston Churchill called his enemy Adolf Hitler as the “Man of Evil”. On April 30, 1945 Hitler committed suicide. A few days later Germany surrendered. In August 1945, when Japan surrendered, the World War II ended.

Churchill was given a rousing welcome by the House of Commons. Witty, every smiling Churchill in his own inimitable style raised his powerful voice “Advance Britannia - Long live the cause of Freedom. God Save The King.” Churchill was seventy-one years at that time. The irony was that his party Conservatives lost the General Election mid 1940 Labour Party. Clement Atlee was voted to power.

I lost my seat and Appendices

When he lost his Parliamentary seat, a BBC reporter inquired what happened to him. During the height of the election campaign, he underwent an Appendicitis Operation. In lighter vein Churchill quipped. “I lost my seat as well as my appendices.”

Before his seventy 77th day, Churchill once again became the Prime Minister of Great Britain.

Like late S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, of Sri Lanka, the British Prime Minister Churchill was also one of the wittiest Politicians in the World.

Once a reporter asked him whether he feared death when at that time he was in his late eighties.

“Young man, I am prepared to meet my maker. Whether the maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter,” stated Churchill. In a midst of a Debate a famous British lady Member of Parliament Mrs. Spencer criticized Winston Churchill. She said “If you were my husband I would give you arsonic with your morning coffee.” Churchill retorted in fine, style “If you were my wife, I would gladly drink it.”

In 1955 he resigned from Premiership, and lived a quiet life devoting his time to writing, painting and playing with his grandchildren. Honours poured on him.

He was granted honorary citizenship by USA. Queen Elizabeth presented a Knighthood to this British Leader, and he become, known globally as Sir Winston.

On his Eightieth Birthday, he was honoured by Parliament. All members stood in silence. Sir Winston Churchill was in tears listening to the song ‘Land of hope and glory’. The band was in attendance.

Sir Winston Churchill was undoubtedly a great statesman and a great leader and a National Hero who served Britain in the 20th Century. He will be ever remembered as a leader who motivated the Britishers against Hitler. he defied Hitler and successfully guided the grand alliance of Allied Nations to victory in World War II. Churchill’s words, brave leadership stood firm against the tyranny of Hitler. On January 24, 1965, Sir. Winston Churchill died.

He was given a state funeral and his body was taken to the Parliament’s Westminster Hall. Later, the body was taken to St. Pauls’ Cathedral, draped with the National Flag of the Great Empire.

He was laid to rest in the small Churchyard of St. Martin, in Oxfordshire, near his birthplace Blenheim Palace. Immortality is no easy achievement in any sphere. Shakespeare once wrote - Some are born great, some achieve greatness - some have greatness thrust upon them. Sir Winston Churchill will be remembered as long as the Western civilisation survives.