WINSTON BEFORE THE WAR

Winston Churchill was one of the most iconic and important statesmen of the 20th century. He is most famous for leading Britain through the Second World War, after he became prime minister in 1940. His speeches in parliament and elsewhere during the war became symbolic of the resistance against Nazi Germany and its allies.

A resolute supporter of the British Empire, Churchill worked to protect his nation’s status as a world power, alongside the USA and Soviet Union. He was highly influential in the post-war settlement after the defeat of the Axis powers and was also instrumental in the creation of what would become the United Nations, in 1945.

Prior to these unparalleled accomplishments, Churchill had also been a soldier, writer and journalist, only entering politics at the turn of the 20th century, emulating his father’s career as a member of the Conservative Party. After navigating a path through the often cutthroat world of politics, he served in several top government positions, and during the First World War was the First Lord of the Admiralty. During these pre-PM years, Churchill played a key part in several major events in British history, from women’s suffrage protests to the Irish War of Independence.

Childhood and education

Churchill was born at Blenheim Palace, his family’s grand home in Oxfordshire, on 30 November 1874. The Churchills were aristocratic, embedded in Britain’s upper class, and well connected politically. Winston’s grandfather, John Winston Spencer-Churchill, was the 7th Duke of Marlborough and served as the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. In his autobiography, Churchill fondly recalled his family’s time in Ireland, which he claimed were some of his earliest memories. The family moved back to England shortly after