Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen” (Winston Churchill). Many people can be called heroic, but it takes a special person to be worthy of such a noble title as hero. Winston Churchill is one that deserves the designation of a hero because he was an illustrious warrior admired for his achievements and loyalty and he exhibited political strength and abilities as a notable leader of his country.

Winston Churchill was born on November 30, 1874 in Oxfordshire, England in “Blenheim Palace — the home given by Queen Anne to his ancestor the Duke of Marlborough” (Yeo). “He was the eldest son of Lord Randolph Churchill, a Tory Democrat who achieved early success as a rebel in his party” (Yeo). In his early years, Churchill was a gifted warrior for his country. “From 1896 to 1897, he served in India with Malakand Field Force, in 1898 he fought in Battle of Omdurman in Sudan, and in 1899 to 1900 he was captured as a war correspondent in the Boer War, South Africa and escaped to become a war hero” (Churchill, Winston). After his brief but eventful career in the army, he became a Conservative Member of Parliament in 1900. In 1904 he left the Conservative Party to join the liberals as part of the Asquith Liberal government and within time became the political head of the Royal Navy with the title First Lord of the Admiralty at the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. After the outbreak of the Second World War, Churchill was again appointed First Lord of the Admiralty.

Churchill’s illustrious career as a warrior who was admired for his achievements and loyalty to his country eventually won him the revered occupation of Prime Minister. Following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain on May 10, 1940, he became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and led Britain to victory against the Axis powers which included Germany, Japan and Italy, which were the main powers against the Allied forces. When other heroes of history such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and George Washington are considered along with Winston Churchill, they all have a unifying factor; they all were admired for their remarkable achievements and loyalty to their cause. Churchill demonstrated his character as a loyal warrior for his country as he went to the point of being a prisoner of war. Once Churchill upheld a leading position, it is said that, “His experiences as a young man in India, South Africa and the Sudan left him with both an abhorrence of war and a passion for soldiering” (Review of Warlord). Winston Churchill was not only a passionate warrior himself, but he knew the art of passing his zeal to his troops through his leadership. During the Battle of France, “It was time for Winston Churchill to shine. He chastised, cajoled, enthused, and inspired his countrymen to fight” (Battle of France). The troops under his guidance fought with a passion. Many people praised Churchill and claimed that he was sent by God to lead and yet many others declared that Winston Churchill was "headstrong, highly opinionated, and virtually impossible to control" (Review of Warlord: A Life of Winston Churchill at War, 1874-1945). These qualities made Churchill a charismatic war lord establishing that he took control and devoted his energy toward his country. Churchill led his troops with courage, magnetism and loyalty and it was noticed. Churchill wrote in the first volume of his account of the war "I felt as if I was walking with destiny, and that all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour." (Yeo). Churchill felt as though the war was a game or a test of his bravery. Most people would quiver in fear over the barbaric war, yet Churchill felt as though it was just a challenge. Churchill was admired for his dedicated achievements and loyalty in war and politics, which clearly authenticates him as a hero.

Churchill exhibited political strength and ability as a notable statesman which catapulted him into the elite class of great and well respected leaders. Not only did Churchill govern his warriors, he governed the nation with a certain grace that inspired his compatriots to fight for the country that they so dearly loved. “On June 3, 1940, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill delivered one of his many famous addresses, this one to the British House of Commons. In it, he vowed: ‘We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender’” (Battle of France). In this remarkable speech Churchill’s charisma and political strength shows his ability to make a difference and his courage in never surrendering to the enemy. He used his charismatic figure and political stature to guide his country and the Allies to a victory against Hitler that changed the course of human history. Without the strong relationship between Churchill and President Roosevelt, England and the allies were threatened to lose the war and the Nazis would have succeeded over England and America. Churchill inspired many other leaders to use his same tactics and has become an inspiration due to his abilities and a political hero.

So, what is a hero? Verbalizing our own definition of a hero is like allowing our diaries to be published. Through our own personal choices of heroes, we reveal a lot about ourselves and who we aspire to be. We reveal our individual values and the way in which we see the world around us. Our heroes represent our idea of the best of what we hope to become. Many undeserving people are chosen by society to be heroes, but do they really stand the test of a hero like Winston Churchill? Winston Churchill demonstrates the best of what I label a hero as an illustrious warrior admired for his achievements and loyalty, and his political strength and abilities as a notable leader of his country. These indisputable facts convey Sir Winston Churchill as a brilliant example of a timeless hero.