Winston Churchill Becomes Prime Minister
Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of Great Britain on May 10, 1940, during a critical phase of World War II. Born into a prominent lineage on November 30, 1874, Churchill's early life was marked by military education and experiences that shaped his future leadership. His political career began in the House of Commons, where he navigated party shifts from Conservative to Liberal before returning to the Conservatives in the 1920s. Despite facing challenges, including a tarnished reputation from the Gallipoli campaign in World War I and political isolation in the 1930s, Churchill remained vigilant about the threat posed by Nazi Germany. His warnings went largely unheeded until the outbreak of war in 1939, which ultimately led to his role in the war cabinet under Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. Following Chamberlain's resignation after Germany's invasion of Belgium and the Netherlands, Churchill was appointed Prime Minister and quickly formed a coalition government. Renowned for his stirring oratory, his speeches rallied the British people during some of their darkest hours, reinforcing national unity and resolve against the Axis powers.
Winston Churchill Becomes Prime Minister
Winston Churchill Becomes Prime Minister
On May 10, 1940, as World War II was beginning, Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill assumed the office of prime minister of Great Britain. He would become one of Britain's greatest wartime leaders and take the nation through some of its darkest times to eventual victory.
Churchill was born on November 30, 1874, at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire in England. He was a descendant of the Duke of Marlborough, who won many victories against the French in the early 18th century. His father, Lord Randolph Churchill, was a prominent British statesman in his own right who had served as both chancellor of the exchequer and leader of the House of Commons. His mother was the American-born Jennie Jerome. As a youth Churchill attended the Harrow School in London, and afterwards went to the prestigious Royal Military College at Sandhurst, where his interest in all things martial took root and he graduated with honors. Shortly thereafter Churchill was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the British army. He served in India and Sudan and wrote books and articles about his experiences, some quite critical of the military. Covering the Boer War in South Africa as a correspondent, he was captured by the enemy but managed a daring escape and rejoined the army. This exploit, and the book he wrote about it, made him a national hero.
Churchill returned to London in 1900 and successfully ran for a seat in the House of Commons. In 1904 he switched from the Conservative to the Liberal party, and when the Liberals won in 1905 he was rewarded with a position as undersecretary of the colonial office. From this position Churchill rose to become first lord of the admiralty in 1911, a position roughly equivalent to secretary of the navy in the United States. As such he was responsible for maintaining the readiness of the British navy up through the start of World War I, which broke out in 1914. Churchill carried out his duties ably but was tarred by his involvement in the disastrous Gallipoli campaign of 1915, involving an amphibious attack against Turkish positions on the Dardanelles. He was removed from his position in May 1915. He went back into the army, but to the western front, and was eventually summoned again by the government to serve in a variety of ministerial posts.
After World War I, Churchill returned to the Conservative Party, beginning a new term in the House of Commons as a Conservative in 1924. He served as chancellor of the exchequer for five years and seemed to be regaining respect and acceptance, but beginning in the 1930s he took a number of unpopular positions that alienated many of his peers and much of the public. First, he opposed the movement toward granting autonomy and eventual independence to India. Second, he was a staunch supporter of King Edward VIII during the scandal involving Wallis Simpson, even though his party leaders supported the king's eventual abdication. Third, and most importantly, he was deeply suspicious of Adolph Hitler and Nazi Germany, but his warnings fell on deaf ears, for memories of World War I were still fresh in most people's minds and the public was in no mood for another war. From 1929 to 1939, Churchill held no position in government. He continued to serve in Parliament, but he was increasingly isolated, even within his own party.
Nevertheless, Churchill denounced Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's Munich Pact of 1938, by which Germany was permitted to annex a portion of neighboring Czechoslovakia known as the Sudetenland. When the Germans proceded to annex the entire country, Churchill's warnings were confirmed. Chamberlain reluctantly brought Great Britain into World War II when Germany invaded Poland in September 1939 and only timidly prosecuted the war against the Nazis. Churchill became a member of Chamberlain's war cabinet, once again serving as First Lord of the Admiralty. The public rapidly lost confidence in Chamberlain, and on May 10, 1940, when Germany invaded Belgium and the Netherlands, Chamberlain immediately resigned. That same day King George VI asked Churchill to become prime minister. He agreed and formed a coalition government. Shortly thereafter he gave his famous war address to the House of Commons: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.” It was the first of many stirring speeches that successfully united the British people and stiffened their resolve.