Yesterday Marked the 150th Anniversary of the Birth of Winston Churchill

 

Statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, London

Didn't get to publish this yesterday, which was admittedly the day this should have been published, but it was the 150th anniversary of the birth of Winston Churchill (November 30, 1874). 

Churchill was the Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1940 to 1945, and again from 1951 to 1955.  Churchill was of course best known for having been the face and the voice of stubborn British stand against Hitler and the Nazis, even when things appeared decidedly bleak. This was particularly true following Germany's conquering of western Europe in the spring and early summer of 1940. At that point, it seemed like Britain stood alone, and many people felt that a Nazi takeover was inevitable. Hitler himself even gave an address, putting himself in the position of the victor of a war which had already been won. 

Yet Churchill stood firm, urging his fellow British citizens to stand strong and fight, to resist the Nazis. This spirit was best embodied in his most iconic speech, known as the "We shall fight on the beaches" speech, in which he alerted the world that the British would "never surrender!" And he was true to his word. By fall of that year, the RAF defeated Nazi Germany's attempts to get around British naval dominance by attacking Britain through the air. But the British held firm, fought them off and prevented a Nazi takeover.

Admittedly, my first real exposure of this speech was through British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. But as I came to understand the fascinating history of World War II more fully, I began to really appreciate this speech, and the "bulldog" spirit behind it much more fully. 

In addition, it was Churchill who coined the term "Iron Curtain" in a speech, when he used that phrase to describe the new reality of a divided Europe and the Cold War realities which would dominate Europe, and indeed the world, for four decades. 

Churchill could also be a controversial figure, to be sure. Infamously, he once referred to Gandhi as a "half-naked fakir." Also, he once suggested that the Palestinian people were comprised of "barbaric hordes who ate little but camel dung".

Yikes. That certainly has not aged well.

Overall, Churchill seemed to hold a rather typical colonial viewpoint that was very much of the time. He viewed Britain (and presumably other European nations) as a civilizing force bringing the positive light of civilization to the dark and barbaric lands that were colonized. 

So his legacy can be troubling, to say the least. It can be a mixed bag. There are some positive things to be admired about the man. Yet, there are also things which a man of his historical statue perhaps should have allowed him to elevate beyond. That is why his legacy remains controversial, and likely will continue to be debated for a long time to come.

Winston Churchill, November 30, 1874 - January 24, 1965

 

Statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, London