It is difficult to find a more famous and discussed figure in politics than Winston Churchill. He was one of those who boldly cut the map of the world in the 20th century. But no less than his political activities, people are also interested in the personality of the ruler of England. Churchill's statements on a variety of occasions have long been included in the golden fund of witty aphorisms.
Childhood of W. Churchill
The future great politician was born into the aristocratic, privileged family of Lord Henry Spencer in 1874. His mother was the daughter of an American businessman, and his father was Chancellor of the Exchequer. Winston was brought up in the family estate, but due to the fact that his parents never had enough time for him, he mostly stayed with his nanny, Elizabeth Ann Everest. She became his closest friend for many years.
Because of belonging to the highest caste of the aristocratic class, Churchill could be denied access to the heights of a political career, since, according to the laws of England, the nobles could not enter the country's government. But fortunately, his line was a side branch of the Churchill family, which allowed him to take the helm.
Years of study
During his school years, Churchill showed himself to be an obstinate student. Having changed several educational institutions, he did not differ in diligence anywhere. Not wanting to obey the strict rules of conduct, the future politician was more than once flogged with rods. But this did not affect his diligence in any way. It was only when he was transferred to the army class of the college at Harrow in 1889 that he showed interest in his studies. Having brilliantly passed all the exams, he entered the prestigious military school in England, from which he graduated with the rank of second lieutenant.
Service
However, Churchill did not have to serve as an officer. Realizing that a military career did not appeal to him, he took advantage of his mother's connections and chose the post of war correspondent. In this role, he went to Cuba, from where he brought two of his most famous habits that remained with him for life: an addiction to Cuban cigars and an afternoon siesta. After Cuba, he was sent to India and Egypt, where he very bravely took part in hostilities and earned fame as a good journalist.
First steps in politics
In 1899, Churchill resigned, deciding to devote himself to political activity. He managed to enter the House of Commons on the second attempt. Already almost a national hero, Churchill was captured in South Africa and made a daring escape. He secured this place for himself for 50 years.
Churchill's rise up the political ladder was swift and brilliant. Within a few years, he became the youngest influential politician in Britain. However, duringDuring the First World War, he, heading the Ministry of Military Affairs, failed twice, making short-sighted steps. But he owed the true ascent to the political Olympus the Second World War.
Bright leader
In hard times before Hitler's attack on Europe, Churchill was asked to take the post of First Lord of the Admir alty, as it was quite obvious that he was the only one who could lead the country to victory. Being an ardent opponent of Bolshevism, Churchill nevertheless entered into a coalition with Stalin and Roosevelt, rightly deciding that Nazism was an even greater evil. That did not prevent him from leading the anti-Bolshevik party of Europe at the end of the war, calling for the destruction of the "red infection" that threatens the integrity of the European world.
However, in the early post-war years, England was preoccupied with economic problems. She needed wise politicians who could lead the country out of the crisis, and people were simply tired of aggressive calls to arms. As a result, Churchill was defeated in the elections and decided to retire.
Churchill is a writer
Churchill's aphoristic statements indicate that he had a remarkable literary talent. No wonder he owns several books. While still an officer in India, he began to write his first work, which was published under the title "River War". He described the beginning of his career in the books My Journey to Africa and The Beginning of My Life. Churchill's work "The World Crisis", on which he worked for about eight years, was published in six volumes.
A ten-year hiatus from his political career when he lost the election to the Conservatives in 1929, the future prime minister whiled away writing a four-volume biography of his ancestor, Marlborough: His Life and Times. The History of the Second World War was published in six volumes and was criticized for a poorly compiled second volume and a weak fifth compared to the previous ones. Finally, Churchill devoted the last years of his life to writing the grandiose work "History of the English-speaking peoples", the main theme of which was war and politics.
Famous sayings of Churchill
Despite his flamboyant political activity, Churchill is best known for his sharp tongue and quintessentially English humour. Many of his statements are controversial, some are too categorical. But one thing is certain - they all deserve to get to know them. Churchill's statements about politics, life and war are quoted in many sources. In terms of capacity and accuracy of the message, they most of all resemble the statements of other famous Englishmen - Mark Twain and Bernard Shaw.
Life Wisdom
Churchill's statements about life can be used as an example of amazing rationalism. When asked how he was able to live to such an age (and he died at the age of 91) and maintain such a clear and sober mind, despite his bad habits, he replied that the secret is simple: he just never stands up when you can sit, and does not sit when you can lie down. From a happy life in a marriage that lasted 57 years, he endured a soberthe truth that it is easier to rule a nation than to raise four children (and he had five).
Political and military aphorisms
Before becoming prime minister, Churchill was known in England for his anti-militarist remarks. He always stated directly that the country could not avoid war if it wanted to become strong and independent. Churchill's remarks about war are often political, such as this: "In war you can only be killed once, in politics many." Nevertheless, the great politician understood the senselessness of this massacre when he said that war is for the most part a catalog of blunders.
Political aphorisms are also no less famous. Everyone is familiar with Churchill's statement about democracy, in which he calls it the worst form of government, except for the rest. But he did not respect the voters. Here is a prime example: “The best argument against democracy is a short conversation with the average voter.”
Was there a plow?
Churchill's famous statement about Stalin, that he took the country with a plow and left it with an atomic bomb, is unknown only to a child, and his authorship has never been questioned. Isn't it surprising that Churchill, who fought fiercely against Bolshevism all his life, suddenly spoke with such reverence about its main leader? It is known that in total Churchill spoke about Stalin about 8 times, 5 of them disapprovingly. The first mention of this phrase appeared in the press in 1988, when the newspaper Sovetskaya Rossiya published a letter from N. Andreeva, in which she sings a laudatory ode to the wise helmsman.
After that, the phrase was picked up by a variety of people, and it rushed around the world, sowing confusion in the anti-Stalinist camp. In fact, if one fanatically serves the truth, there is no such phrase by Churchill about Stalin. In his speech before the House of Commons on September 8, 1942, the Prime Minister gives a much more neutral, though generally very respectful, characterization of Stalin. He notes his outstanding qualities as a leader, and, most importantly, so necessary for the country now. The phrase about the plow and the atomic bomb is a collective work of the translator of this speech (very spreadingly decorated it with the words “great”, “genius” and “most”). Also, something similar is found in an article by I. Deutscher (although he also does not have a “bomb”, but a “nuclear reactor”).
Churchill's statements about Russia
Churchill's dislike of Bolshevism is well known, although quite peculiar. During the war, he constantly emphasized his admiration for the feat of the Russian people in the fight against the Nazis, and also paid tribute to Stalin's leadership qualities. Although in general his attitude towards socialism was disapproving. Many of Churchill's statements are very far-sighted, for example, where he says that both capitalism and socialism cannot avoid inequality, only the former in prosperity, and the latter in poverty. He said about the Bolsheviks that they themselves create difficulties for themselves, which they then successfully overcome. But in the absence of real democracy in Russia, he saw the main reason why it could not become strong.power.
Later in his book How I Fought Russia, Churchill would write that the authorities in the USSR were amazingly blind to their own position in a country that was never as strong as it seemed to it, and as weak as some thought.
Churchill's sayings can be published as a separate book - the circulation will be sold in a matter of minutes. One can only envy his love of life, sober attitude to reality. Often, like many great people, Churchill's statements are paradoxical, but even more often they hit right on target. Such short mantras help to sober up the mind from the dominance of banality and routine in it.
