Page 15 - Great Elizabethans

“In casting up this dread balance
sheet . . . I see great reason for intense vigilance and exertion, but none whatever for panic or despair.”
SPEECHES THAT INSPIRED THE NATION
But 20 years later, just as the Second World War with Germany broke out, Winston became incredibly important to Britain. Before fighting began, he had warned the prime minister, Neville Chamberlain, that Adolf Hitler, the leader of the Nazi Party which ruled Germany, was dangerous.
After Neville Chamberlain resigned in 1940, shortly after the start of the war, Winston became prime minister. He worked closely with the American and Russian leaders to fight the Nazis. He refused to consider surrendering, even when the situation seemed desperate, and he gave speech after speech that inspired and united Britain to keep on fighting.
During the Battle of Britain, when German aircraft attacked Britain for months, trying to force Winston and the government to give up, the Royal Air Force fought them back again and again. Winston paid tribute to the courage of the British pilots: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”
The determination shown by Winston and the British people paid off. Britain wasn’t invaded. In 1945, Germany surrendered, and the Second World War was over.
Throughout his life, Winston was affected by depression, which he called “my black dog".
HERO OF THE TIME
Although Winston was voted out of power at the end of the war, he became prime minister again between 1951 and 1955, and he remained very popular. When he died, in 1965, at the age of 90, he was given a state funeral – an honour usually only given to members of the royal family.
While Winston is generally considered a hero for what he did during the Second World War, he also held some very racist views. He said that African and Indian people were inferior to white people, a belief some people criticised at the time. In 1943, when Britain still controlled India, there was a terrible famine in the Bengal region of India and up to 3 million people died. Some historians say Winston didn’t do enough to help the people living there, and that his decisions actually made things worse. Although he was a remarkable and talented man, who led Britain successfully through a time of war, his inspiring actions do not mean we can’t recognise his faults – and expect better today.
Winston loved animals, especially cats, pigs and dogs. During the Second World War, his poodle Rufus sneaked into a government meeting. Winston told him he hadn’t asked him to join the wartime cabinet!
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