Winston Churchill

"Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth lasts for a thousand years, men will still say, "This was their finest hour!" (The Churchill Centre) This line is from Winston Churchill's famous "Their Final Hour" speech while he was the leader of the British army in World War Two, but before he was the leader of the British army, he was someone less well known, a small troublesome boy. Winston Churchill was born in Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire on November 30, 1874, however, despite a rich upbringing he wasn't the superb in school and got an education only due to his family's reputation. After graduation, he served as a soldier and ran for parliament numerous times, later on, during World War I and II he was the leader of the British army, and while he was, Churchill inspired and rallied the British and led them to victory. Winston Churchill, the leader of the British during World War One and Two served as a hero to his people due to incredible bravery, never ending perseverance, and powerful charisma.

Throughout Churchill's life, he has shown outstanding perseverance, as he never gave up even when all looked bleak. This perseverance is obvious due to how many times he failed and tried to get into parliament: "The campaign was hard fought. Churchill needed all his fame, the financial backing of the Marlborough family, and the help of some leading Tories-such as chancellor of the exchequer Joseph Chamberlain to squeak through-- to squeak through. He won by twenty-two votes".(Importance of Winston Churchill). Churchill's perseverance shines through, as he used every resource he had, including his mind, his connections, and family name and even then, he just barely got in. This shows his perseverance because he never gave up even when all the odds were against him and he fought against the system with everything he had and won. Another example of his incredible perseverance is shown his speeches: "I would say to the House, as I said to those who have joined this Government, I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many long months of toil and struggle. "You ask what is our aim? I can answer in one word: Victory. Victory at all costs. Victory in spite of all terror. Victory however long and hard the road may be. For without victory there is no survival" (The Churchill Centre). Winston's perseverance shows through because of how he emphasizes how without the slim chance of victory, they might all be doomed, but he against all the odds, he will never take no for an answer. Even though the enemy is overwhelmingly strong, he will never give up, nor surrender under any circumstances. Despite the overwhelming odds against him, Churchill never gave up, and persevered, and that makes him a true hero.

One of Winston Churchill's defining traits was his incredible bravery, as he stood fearlessly in the face of peril countless times. His most iconic example of bravery was when he escaped a prison in South Africa:

In 1899, Winston Churchill headed to South Africa as a newspaper correspondent for the Morning Post to cover the Boer War between British and Dutch settlers. Unfortunately, he was present at an ambush of an armored train and captured by enemy Boer soldiers. On November 18, 1899, Churchill along with the other prisoners arrived in Pretoria at the prison called the State Model Schools. On the night of December 12th, when the prison guards turned their backs on Churchill, he took the opportunity to climb over the prison wall. Wearing a brown flannel suit with £75 (the equivalent of $375) and four slabs of chocolate in his pocket, Churchill walked on leisurely through the night in hopes of finding the Delagoa Bay Railway. (Churchill Centre)

Churchill was willing to sacrifice his life by climbing over a prison to try and find the Delagoa Bay Railway, while he didn't even know he would. This demonstrates his incredible bravery, as he was willing to risk his life in uncertainty rather than possibly give information to the enemy. Churchill's bravery wasn't just restricted actions in war, he was also was brave in that he stood up for what he believed in, even when it was unpopular or controversial: "You ask what is our policy. I will say, it is to wage war with all our might, with all the strength that God can give us, to wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalog of human crime" (The Churchill Centre). Here, Churchill is warning everyone of the threat of the Nazis, despite knowing their power, he is stepping up to encourage the British to fight. This showcases his bravery as he knew that if he was captured or the Nazis ever got the chance to, they would immediately kill him because of how he insulted them and encouraged people to rebel. But despite the risks, Churchill encouraged the British people to stand strong against the Nazi regime. All in all, Churchill's bravery was instrumental in his life and was one of his greatest assets.

Finally, Winston Churchill's strongest trait by far was his inspiring charisma; being able to unite the British in the worst of times. His actions during the bombing of London was of Churchill's most inspiring moments of charisma during the war: "Hitler hoped that the fierce bombing alone would cause the British to surrender. It was Churchill who inspired them. He was everywhere-inspecting the troops, inspecting the damage, encouraging the people" (Importance Of Winston Churchill). As the quote reveals, Churchill's charisma inspired everyone during the worst of times, the blitz of London. He made himself down to Earth and inspected everything, and made everyone feel as though they had a shoulder to lean on and the people trusted him as a result of that. Charisma allowed him to people to believe and lean on his shoulder, and he could gain everyone's trust. His other and most iconic example of charisma was in how he carried himself: "His famous "V for victory" signs and his boyish grins bespoke a person who was reborn, and yet a man of years, of broad experience, equipped better than anyone else to stay the course and to excite a nation to arms. Just as he had sounded the alarm of war, so he now broadcast the call to victory" (Biography Reference Center). Churchill carried himself in a way that gave people hope and he remained optimistic even during the war. He acted like a youngster; with his cigar in mouth, and flashed "v" for victory. Also, despite how he might have looked naive, Churchill managed to get people to rally behind this boyish figure, they trusted him and his aura of confidence. Winston Churchill had a charismatic aura around him, and everyone could  rally with him. So certainly last but not least, Churchill's charisma allowed him to gain the trust and dedication of the British people and lead them to victory.

In the final analysis, Winston Churchill meets all the criteria of a hero I've set. He was brave and stood up to adversity with little fear. He was perseverant and never gave up, no matter the circumstances, whether it be in the midst of parliament, or the midst of war . Finally he was a charismatic leader and inspired the British to not give up or surrender through his leadership and his image. He was brave when he escaped prison, perseverant while he ran for parliament numerous times and just barely got in, and charismatic as he led the British to victory. Churchill has inspired me along with countless other people due to his outstanding character traits; he never backed down, never gave up, and inspired others to do so in his quest against Germany. We can all learn a lot from this indomitable spirit he has and look to him for guidance, and as Churchill said: "Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth lasts for a thousand years, men will still say, "This was their finest hour!" (The Churchill Centre). Let us all act as though we were in our finest hour and use Churchill as our inspiration.