Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965)


Arguably Britain’s finest leader, Winston Churchill successfully inspired Britain through desperate times during WWII and the eventual Allied victory.


As the son of politician Lord Randolph Churchill, Winston Churchill was born to rule. After fighting the Boer War in South Africa, Churchill became a Member of Parliament in 1900. It was the start of a political career lasting 61 years.


Churchill progressed through the Cabinet ranks to Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1924, before experiencing a lull in his career.


During the 1930s, Churchill became a fierce critic of Prime Minister Chamberlain’s appeasement of Nazi Germany. In 1940, he eventually succeeded Chamberlain as PM, after a vote of no confidence. This was Churchill’s ‘walk with destiny’.


He set about preparing the nation for battle with the Nazi army. After five years of conflict - near defeat and eventual victory - the British public rewarded Churchill by voting him out of office in the post-war elections of 1945.


Britain needed rebuilding and Churchill was surplus to requirements. He was made prime minister again in 1953, however, before finally retiring from politics in 1964 He died the following year.