This is about the second world war. There was a great uproar in Britain only the second day after Germany attacked Poland. Prime Minister Neville Chamberlin succumbed to pressure and appointed Winston Churchill as First Lord of the Admiralty. In today's context, this appointment can be called like Defense Secretary. Churchill was given the same position that he had in the First World War. Then he was removed from this post due to the failure of a military action.
" WINNIE IS BACK " :
Churchill had said long ago that not only Europe, but the whole world is in danger from Hitler. And on September 1, 1939, as soon as Poland was attacked, his claim proved to be true. When the war came to the shores of Britain, the talk of the First World War was forgotten and the 64-year-old Churchill was given the command of the war.
Although Lord Mountbatten confirms this, historian John Perry doubts the claim that the message of 'Winnie is Back' was sent to Britain's fleets spread around the world as soon as Churchill was appointed. Whatever it is. At that time there was no one in the British Parliament who was as knowledgeable on German issues as Churchill had. He spent many wonderful years of his life in understanding Germany.
Churchill also did not disappoint Britain, Europe, the world, history and above all, time. Without Churchill, England might have lost the war. He is given the status of wartime prime minister. From Gumnani to becoming the First Lord of Admiralty and then the Wartime Prime Minister, this story of his is very thrilling.
Churchill's impudence :
Two days after the attack, on September 3, Churchill gave a speech in the House of Commons explaining the rationale for England's entry into the war. He said, 'The road to war will be very long and difficult, but the victory will ultimately be for England because the truth is with England. This is a matter of highest morality. Not only morality, it is also a matter of practicality.' He further said, 'We will fight to save the world from the Nazis. We will fight together and hence we will win'.
Churchill approached the people of England with honesty and frankness. He recognized that Britain was inferior to Germany in military power, that people's lives were going to be difficult, sacrifices were needed and it would not go in vain. In his speeches, he said that the great cities of Europe, which were being taken by Hitler's armies, would one day be liberated. People were believing his words. Although Chamberlin was then Prime Minister of England, Churchill became the hope and voice of the people.
Churchill's 'Lakshagriha' :
The battle was being fought on every front i.e., air and sea. Britain's naval power was stopping Germany. Nazi troops were heavy on the ground. To save the European country of Norway from Germany, the army of England had to take a fierce fight. The effect of victory and defeat on Norway would have been on England. Seeing things not working out, people started doubting Chamberlin's ability. Voices started rising against him.
A no-confidence motion was passed against him in Parliament and he had to resign. Chamberlin offered to the King of England to make Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax the next prime minister. Rejecting this, the King appointed Churchill as Wartime Prime Minister of England on 10 May 1940. England did not have a better option than him.
The command was now in the hands of Churchill. The moment for which he had waited so long had come, even in what difficult situation? Ramdhari Singh Dinkar has written in 'Rashmirathi', 'Those who burn in Lakshagriha, the same surma emerges'. Churchill was to become Surma. Many believed that Churchill was not the right choice for this task. But within two weeks things changed.
Churchill's Three memorable speeches :
Few people would know that Churchill had some difficulty in speaking. Despite this, he was a very motivational speaker. More than speaking well, he also did a great job. His first speech on becoming Prime Minister was:
I have nothing but to give hard work, sweat, tears and blood. We have the most difficult task of this era before us. Many months of struggle and torture are before us. You may ask what is our policy? All I would say is that we will fight - on land, in air and in water. We will fight with as much strength as God has given us. You may ask, what is our goal? I would say, Vijay. Victory at all costs. No matter how much fear, no matter how difficult it may be, no matter how long the road has to go. You will not survive without living. Taking this task in hand with Harsh, I seek everyone's cooperation. Let us move forward with all our might.'
Although Britain was defeated in the 'Dunkirk operation', but by saving several lakhs of its soldiers, the government kept the morale of the soldiers and people high. Even while accepting this defeat, Churchill said in his speech, 'We will fight till the end. We will fight at sea. Fight in the ocean. We will fight bravely. Whatever we have to do, we will fight for our country. We will fight in the air. We will fight on the shores. We will fall on the ground. We will fight in the fields. We will fight in the streets. We will fight in the mountains but will never surrender.'
When France was conquered by Germany and its top leadership pleaded with Hitler for mercy, it was as if darkness fell in Europe. Churchill understood that war was now inevitable. On 18 June 1940, he delivered what can be called one of the greatest speeches in the world. They said:
'After the French war is over, now (Germany) will go to war with England. The burden of Christian civilization rests on this battle (decision). The life of Britain (the British people), its institutions and the empire depends on it. The force and anger of the enemy will now be on our side. Hitler knows we must defeat him to win. If we win, then Europe will be free, life in the whole world will progress towards progress. If we lose, the whole world including America will be lost in darkness. So, let us move towards our duty and think, if our empire and this Commonwealth survive for thousands of years, then remembering this day people will say – that was the best moment of their life!'
Churchill's Tough Decisions and Diplomacy :
Hitler had greatly expanded his military capabilities as soon as he gained power in Germany. As soon as he became Prime Minister, Churchill appealed to the people to reduce their expenditure and talked about saving money for military preparations. On the other hand, France refused to hand over its ships standing in the port of Algeria to England. Churchill feared that after the defeat, French power would hand over the ships to Germany at the behest of Hitler. Churchill destroyed these warships without wasting time.
At the same time, when it came to joining hands with Russia, Churchill said, 'If it is a question of choosing between a monster and a communist, I will choose the communist.' After winning the war, he ironed out the opacity of Stalin's communist regime. Said like a screen.
To increase the strategic power of England, Churchill appealed to America for help. He told the American people, 'Give us your blessings and support. We will neither lose nor fall. We are neither afraid of the horrors of war, nor will we get tired. Give us weapons, we will not let you down.
Won the war, but lost the elections :
The war was not over yet, but its result was already visible. Then came the elections in England. The popularity of Churchill, who converted England's sure defeat into victory in World War I, was at its peak. But to everyone's surprise, the citizens of England threw Churchill out of power. As if in the eyes of the people of England, their importance was only till the war. People no longer wanted 'War Prime Minister'. Churchill said with restraint that 'this is the victory of democracy' in 1951, he won the election again and became Prime Minister again.
Some interesting aspects of Churchill's personality :
Churchill's mother was American. Churchill was born premature. He never went to college. His wife's name was Clementine Churchill, who was very similar to Clement Attlee, from whom he was elected. It was said that the number of hats he has, even his wife does not have. The fact behind his being a good speaker is also the fact that he used to have difficulty in speaking, so he used to speak very thoughtfully. He is the only Prime Minister to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. He is the only Prime Minister of England whose residence, 10 Downing Street, was attended by the British royal family for a meal. When he died, the royal family attended his funeral. This also happened for the first time.
Yes, Churchill's view of India was quite pessimistic. In his eyes, Indians were stupid and cowardly. They did not want India to be given independence. He would probably be the only head of state in the world who wished for Mahatma Gandhi to die.
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