War correspondent, ready to risk his life for five pounds. A soldier who regretted so few wars and bragged about every corpse he lay. A kidnapping victim who was glad to have fallen into enemy hands. And finally:one of the most famous politicians in the history of the world.
When Winston Churchill was first elected to the British House of Commons in 1900, he was just under twenty-six. It was then that a career unfolded before him, which took him to the highest positions in the state and made - according to the results of a poll conducted for the BBC in 2002 - "the greatest Briton" in history. But, despite his young age, Churchill had already made quite a few achievements. Suffice it to mention that instead of the first session of parliament, he went on ... tourneé in Great Britain, USA and Canada.
In New York, crowds of listeners came to his lecture. It was announced by Mark Twain himself, the favorite of the Americans. "Ladies and Gentlemen," he began, "I have the honor of introducing you Winston Churchill - hero of five wars, author of six books and future Prime Minister of England."
However, Churchill had to wait a long time for the fulfillment of the literary's prophecy. But his popularity at that time was undoubtedly due to the fact that even then the world knew him as a gifted with great fantasy, a restless spirit, an adventurer, not to say an adventurer.
Churchill gained recognition at an early age. In 1900, even Mark Twain came to meet him in New York.
"I'd rather be a journeyman at a bricklayer"
The mismatch between Winston, son of Lord Randolph Churchill and grandson of the Seventh Duke of Marlborough, to the standards of his time was evident from an early age. He never got to like school. “Most of the boys were very happy, in the classrooms and on the playgrounds many of them experienced the greatest honors they had in their lives. I can only note the fact that I, no doubt through my own fault, was the exception, "he recalled.
This was undoubtedly influenced by his first experiences with educational institutions, which were rather drastic. At the age of seven, he went to St. James School, where there was draconian discipline. The description provided by Winston himself must have terrified even his contemporaries:
All students were rushed to the library a couple of times a month and one or two of the delinquents escorted to an adjoining room where were whipped until they began to drip blood > while the rest of us listened to their screams with trepidation.
While writing this article, the book by Thomas Kielinger entitled “Winston Churchill. Late hero ”(Bellona 2018).
Another school - this time in Harrow - did not change the young nobleman's reluctance to study. He didn't see much sense in it. Back in 1930, while writing down memories from his youth, he claimed that he would be more likely to work as a bricklayer or a messenger, or help his father "arrange the window of a grocery store". And he thought he would learn more that way.
At this point it was obvious that Winston would not follow in his father's footsteps, an Oxford graduate. Not because he did not want to follow his example in politics. However, he decided that he would become a statesman in another way - namely by choosing… a profession of a soldier. Thomas Kielinger, author of the book "Winston Churchill. Late Hero ” , he comments on this remarkable decision:
A future statesman like a young graduate of the Harrow Military Academy would have to take the route through "Oxbridge" (...). Winston, however, skipped this stage (...). He just used his "military experience" to start a political career which has not happened before in British politics since the time of the Duke of Wellington.
Young Winston had no intention of following in his father's footsteps, Randolph Churchill (pictured), and leaving Oxford.
"I can't sit still"
Undoubtedly, the choice of the young Churchill was influenced by his extraordinary lust for adventure and the desire to gain military fame. Even as a student of the Military Academy in Sandhurst, he even complained that the modern world had become too peaceful. "What a pity," he wrote, "that the era of wars between civilized nations is over forever" . He regretted that "when the whole world was becoming so sane and peaceful - and democratic - the glory days had gone forever into the past."
Soon he found quite remarkable consolation for himself. "Fortunately," he noted in his memoirs, "there are still savages and barbarian peoples left." Indeed, as soon as he graduated from Sandhurst school, he began to do everything he could to get onto the battlefield as quickly as possible.
In addition, to get into the troops involved in actual clashes, he often used the connections of his mother, Lady Jennie Churchill, who was very popular in the circles of the British aristocracy. This then exposed Winston to accusations that he wanted to "promote" himself through numerous contacts.
Gifted with an adventurous character, Winston eagerly used his mother's many connections, Jennie Churchill, to be at the center of the action.
His son, Randolph, however, believed that it was all about finding a strong experience:
(...) in his own opinion he did not seek easy promotion in the profession by using influence, but only the possibility of exposing himself to the fire of any of the enemies of England that was available at the moment . He was tireless in this quest: what he was looking for was fame, glory and reputation, and he happily put his life on the line to win them .
"I was looking for a tumor"
Churchill gained his first military skills at the end of 1895 in Cuba. However, he did not go there as a soldier, but during his free service. He earned some extra money as a war correspondent - the London Daily Graphic paid him £ 5 each for articles covering the conflict on the island. There was a local uprising against the Spanish rule.
During his stay in Cuba, Winston observed the fights with the guerrillas up close. When marching with a column of Spanish troops, he was even under fire several times. He admired the attitude of the soldiers who did not react to the bullets whistling around them. And he wanted to be equal to them. "We had to try very hard not to let us know," he later described.
The first war that Churchill took part in - still as a war correspondent - was the national liberation uprising in Cuba. The illustration shows a painting by Armando Menocali, depicting the death of one of the leaders of the rebellion, Antonio Maceo.
But the apparent contempt for death is not the most important thing that young Churchill got from his stay in Cuba. As Thomas Kielinger writes in his book "Winston Churchill. Late Hero ” , from this episode the Briton had "two habits that had a sacramental meaning for him:a cigar, preferably a Havana one, and an indispensable one that kept it in good condition - a siesta".
But watching the anti-Hispanic uprising was only a prelude. The ambitious noble survived the real baptism of fire on the other side of the world - in India. The 4th Hussar Regiment in which he served was transferred to Bangalore in the fall of 1896. Admittedly, the soldiers of the unit led a rather comfortable life, and their main goal was - as Churchill himself wrote - playing polo , but the future prime minister also took this opportunity to look for new adventures.
The chance for another extraordinary experience came when in 1897 the uprising of the Pashtun tribes broke out on the border between India and Afghanistan. Churchill was eager to join the Penal Expeditionary Corps - the Malakand Field Force - under the command of General Sir Bindon Blood. Despite his own efforts and his mother's intervention, it turned out that there were no vacancies. However, he could go there again as a correspondent. Of course, with your own money…
While writing this article, the book by Thomas Kielinger entitled “Winston Churchill. Late hero ”(Bellona 2018).
Representing the Daily Telegraph this time, Winston set off on a five-day journey by train to join the corps. He was lucky because it was soon decided to use his military skills. Churchill was assigned to the 31st Punjab Regiment. On September 17, 1897, he took part in the battle near the village of Markhanai. "I'm not sure, but I think I shot four" - he wrote later in a letter to a friend. Before his mother, however, he boasted:
I ran the full length of the firing line on my gun while everyone else was hidden. It may be stupid, but I play high stakes and if I am being watched there is no act that is too bold or too noble.
"Understandably, you will go there at your own expense ..."
Churchill described his experiences from the pacification of the Pashtun uprising in his book "The Story of the Malakand Field Force". This is how his career began, not only as a journalist, but also as a writer. The publication was recognized by the Prince of Wales himself, the future King Edward VIII.
In the ranks of Makaland Field Force, Churchill fought the Pashtuns.
However, the thirst for adventure pushed the young soldier further. He returned to Bangalore, to the unit. Then he spent some time in Calcutta, circling - as always - in the circles of the highest-ranking people. However, when he found out about the Sudanese campaign against the dervishes (fighters involved in the Mahdi uprising) in preparation in 1898, he immediately volunteered.
After several months of efforts, thanks to the personal intercession of Lord Salisbury, who had a great sympathy for the tireless soldier, Churchill was assigned as "surplus second lieutenant" to the 21st Lancers Regiment. However, he heard the following condition: "Understandably, you will go there at your own expense, and in the event of death or injury (...) you are not entitled to any compensation" . It's good that the book brought him quite a good income. Anyway, before leaving for Africa, he also managed to get himself a contract to write a series of letters for the "Morning Post".
In Sudan, Winston took part in the Battle of Omdurman. As always, he tried to be at the center of the action. He later boasted that he was the first to see a hostile army preparing for battle. "I saw 40,000 men - in ranks extending eight kilometers," he reported.
In Sudan, Churchill took part in the Battle of Omdurman.
His impressions of this war, however, were slightly different. He was terrified by the cruelty with which British troops, led by Lord Kitchener, treated the rebels. He heavily criticized them in his next book, "The River War", which certainly did not make him friends in military official circles ...
"It's boring from dawn to dusk"
After returning from Sudan, Churchill tried his hand at politics, but after losing the elections in June 1899, he left again. This time he became a correspondent for the Morning Post in South Africa. England was there to defend its citizens against the Boer republics:Natal, Orange and Transva. And although he was close to death before, he met her almost face to face there.
Just two weeks after his arrival, this journalist of military origin was ambushed by the Boers. He was captured. He was not believed to be merely a war correspondent, because at the time of his capture, was helping the soldiers to disconnect the locomotive from the train. "Every minute of captivity I have worse memories than any time in my life," he recalled.
In 1899, Churchill was captured by the Boer. The photo shows the Boers' unit.
However, what bothered him the most during it was not the bad conditions. It hurt him that he had to obey someone else's orders and submit to the enemy's will, while
(...) there is war around, great events take place, great opportunities to act and experience great adventures are missed. The days drag on mercilessly. Hours crawl like paralytic centipedes (…). Life is boring from dawn to dusk.
After just a few weeks, the enterprising young man made an attempt to escape, along with other captives. However, only he managed to jump over the fence. He went on a lonely journey. Despite an arrest warrant sent for him and a reward for his head managed to get to safe territory. However, almost two weeks passed from the escape (December 11) to the rescue (December 23) - during which he could have died at any moment.
Better than "Oxbridge"?
Did this adventure discourage him from being a warrior? Nothing similar. After describing his adventures so far (thanks to which he gained immense popularity), he again went to Africa to fight a few more battles. Only later did he return to Poland to take part in the elections once again. And - in October 1900 - start a career. This time - strictly political.
In 1900, Churchill got into parliament. From then on, he went into politics.
Churchill entered parliament as a recognized writer and a soldier experienced in the hardships of combat. The "military experience" he had acquired was undoubtedly the main pillar on which he could base his reputation. It should be added, however, that during the years spent at the front, the future politician was constantly learning at the same time.
When he was in India, his mother sent him books, thanks to which he gained knowledge, especially in the field of history. He valued her very highly. Only this and the orientation in other fields completed the character of the man who, many years later, defended England against Hitler.
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