Pte 70 Score Essay on “Choose one Modern or Historical Person you most Admire and Justify Your Choice”.

Choose one Modern or Historical Person you most Admire and Justify Your Choice.

Sir Winston Churchill, 1874 to 1965 (I think!). At any rate, I was stationed at Woolwich when the great man died, and the Royal Artillery had the task of organizing the funeral at St Paul’s Cathedral. It was called ‘Exercise Hope-Not’ and it went into action at once, proving to be the greatest state funeral of the century, monarchs included. And not without good reason. Churchill inspired Britain to bring about the defeat of Adolf Hitler, at the time when all seemed to be lost.

Churchill was a descendant of the great Duke of Marlborough, and was born at Blenheim Palace in 1874. He was sent to Harrow School where, for obvious reasons, he was very unhappy. His parents, Lord Randolph Churchill and Jenny Jerome took him away at a quite early age. The problem was the severe canings administered by one or two of the masters, ostensibly for academic shortcomings. In fact, it was likely that the masters concerned were sadist

In 1895 he was commissioned in the 4th Hussars, and he saw active service in several minor wars. One was the Boer War, in which he was war correspondent for the Morning Post. He had already developed a fine command of the English language. Imprisoned in Pretoria, he made a dramatic escape. In 1900 he became Conservative MP for Oldham but, disagreeing with Neville Chamberlain about tariff reform, he joined the Liberals. In 1908 he became President of the Board of Trade under Asquith and brought in legislation which created labor exchanges.

In 1910 he became Home Secretary, and authorized the use of troops against armed gangsters in the Sydney Street riots. In 1911 he became First Lord of the Admiralty, and he put the fleet into a state of readiness for war. His participation in the Dardanelles campaign was a failure. From 1914 – 16 he served as a- lieutenant-colonel in the trenches (First World War) and then became Minister of Munitions under Lloyd George in 1917, his main role being the development of the tank. From 1918 – 21 he was Secretary for War, and then he became Colonial Secretary, establishing the Irish Free State. He also supported the ‘white generals’ in Russia.

Out of Parliament after the war, Churchill left the Liberals and in 1924 became a Constitutionalist. He was made Chancellor of the Exchequer, helped Britain return to the Gold Standard, and defeated the General Strike of 1926.

Up to the Second World War he was out of office, disagreeing with Conservative policies. His true talent for backs to the wall leadership was not realized until 1939 when Hitler marched on Czechoslovakia. He was soon made First Lord of the Admiralty again and then on 10th May 1940 became premier of an all-party administration.

Undoubtedly, he inspired both the armed services and the civilian population to stand up to Germany. –I well remember his broadcast speeches, especially the one in which he promised the British people blood and tears, toil and sweat. He announced the alliance with the Soviet Union, and he concluded a deal with President Roosevelt, the Atlantic Charter. He traveled to meet world leaders. He averted a civil war in Greece. He appointed General Montgomery to Africa, and the general achieved the turning point of the war at El Alamein. On 8th May 1945 he announced the unconditional surrender of Germany.

As so often happens, a Great War leader is rejected in peace time, and Churchill did not return to power until 1951. He received the Order of Merit in 1946, became a KG in 1953, and in 1955 resigned office. Nobody in this century can claim a higher role in the preservation of freedom.

His talents were considerable. He won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1953, having written important war accounts and biographies. He was an accomplished artist and was elected to the Royal Academy in 1948. He also enjoyed brandy, Havana cigars and bricklaying!

Few, down the ages, can match his record.