A war correspondent during his military career (1895-1899), his escape from prison in South Africa during the Boer War where he was to do a report brought him a certain celebrity.
He was appointed Conservative MP in 1900, then joined the Liberal Party in 1904. Between 1906 and 1908, he was Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies and then Minister of Trade and Industry. Elected Minister of the Interior in 1909 and then First Lord of the Admiralty in 1911, he was able to prepare the British fleet for the First World War and thus save the Channel ports in 1914.
He had to resign in 1915 following the failure of the Dardanelles expedition in 1915, then was rehabilitated and appointed Minister of Munitions then Minister of War and Air between 1917 and 1922. In 1924, he was re-elected to the Commons as curator.
In the 1930s, he repeatedly warned Europe against the Nazi danger, advised rearmament to the British government, but was not listened to. He strongly condemned the Munich agreements.
However, in 1939, he was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty, and became Prime Minister in 1940. He proved to be a great warlord, calling for resistance alongside General de Gaulle, defending his country and encouraging him to fight.
He approached the United States, and the two armies fought together. He began negotiations with Stalin, but remained suspicious of the Communists.
He was defeated in the 1945 elections, the Labor Party having won, but remained an influential politician. In 1946, during Fulton's speech, he denounced the communist threat and launched the expression "iron curtain".
He was re-elected Prime Minister in 1951, until 1955 when he retired from political life.
1874 - 1965
Status
Politician
Journalist
Military