Basic Information
Name: Winston Churchill
Nickname: Winnie, The British Bulldog
Born: November 30, 1874
Died: January 24, 1965
Nationality: British
Hometown: Woodstock, England, UK
WORK & EDUCATION
Occupation: Second Lieutenant, Politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Education: Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
FAMILY & FRIENDS
Parents: Randolph Churchill and Jennie Jerome
Siblings: John Strange Spencer-Churchill
Spouse: Clementine Ogilvy Spencer-Churchill
Children: Mary Soames, Randolph, Diana, Sarah, Marigold
Friends: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Joseph Stalin (sometimes), Neville Chamberlain, Britain
Foes: Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin
Analysis
Sassiest Man with a Cigar
Perhaps the only thing more memorable than Winston Churchill's face is his legacy. Often referred to as "the British Bulldog," the man who guided Britain through the darkest hours of WWII is remembered for his dogged and stiff-lipped resistance, not only to the Nazis' expansion over Europe, but to the despair the temporary victories of the Nazis evoked in the West.
Churchill was born into the upper class of Britain, a condition of privilege that most certainly influenced his professional and public trajectory later in life. However much he used his aristocratic background to advance his position of power in the political spheres of the UK, he did so with a certain knowledge of the battlefield.
Like most men in Britain during the First World War, Churchill served in the military. However, once peacetime rolled around again at the end of 1919, he was all about politics and used his aristocratic status to climb the political ladders of the interwar United Kingdom.
It's a Long, Long Road...
Despite his fancy manners and richy-rich background, Churchill didn't exactly skyrocket to the top of the people's choice list for Prime Minister. He was notoriously stubborn and outspoken in his political and social views, which often made him a controversial figure, especially in prim and proper Edwardian England. That said, he was a shrewd, shrew man, a five-star public speaker, and a natural leader.
Churchill took over as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on May 10, 1940, after Neville Chamberlain (who didn't think Hitler was going to be that bad) resigned his post due to ailing health and an inability to properly handle to intense threat of the war.
Almost immediately, Churchill went into action—he could see the danger looming on the horizon as Germany began to overtake nations like Poland, France, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. He knew Hitler was jonesing for some fish'n'chips and mushy peas, and that the U.K. was next.
As Germany increased its conquered territory, Britain experienced a decrease in allies to help ward off their attack. Friends were few and far between, so Churchill, expert diplomat that he was, sought help from other resources overseas. Namely, the good, ol' U.S. of A.
In part, it was Churchill's request...nay, insistence, on help from the Americans that led to the formulation of Lend-Lease in the first place.
The Buddy System
It was this arrangement between these two English-speaking countries (the Revolutionary War of the Colonies notwithstanding), spearheaded by Churchill and FDR, that helped keep the U.K. afloat during the darkest moment of WWII. This partnership was further tightened after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, which inevitably drew the U.S. into WWII on the European and Asian fronts. Eventually, the U.K. and the U.S. would buddy up with the U.S.S.R. to form a triple threat against the Axis powers and topple fascism in Europe for the remainder of the 20th century.
Churchill spent an enormous amount of time forging diplomatic ties, overseeing military campaigns, and encouraging his citizens to remain strong during adversity. Like FDR, he, too, looked forward to a time after the war, and thanks to his strategic merging with two of the world's largest armies, he was able to do so with confidence that it would be a time of Allied victory. One such example of this belief in a peaceful future is The Atlantic Charter, which establishes the groundwork for global humanitarian efforts in the post-World War II era.
One Last Stogie
Churchill was no spring chicken at the outbreak of WWII, but he kept on trucking right through to the end of the war in 1945. Six years later, he would rise to the top again for a second term as prime minister in 1951. Given to having strokes, his health eventually forced him to retire in 1955. Winston Churchill passed away a decade later at the age of 90, on January 24, 1965.