4 ms·

Churchill is a figure that always puzzled me. The image I have of him was that of a non-intelectual politician who had very deep understanding of human nature a

by atmosx 10y ago

Churchill is a figure that always puzzled me. The image I have of him was that of a non-intelectual politician who had very deep understanding of human nature and lack of charisma. Some of his quotes are incredibly catchy (e.g. "I will be sober tomorrow, but you'll still be ugly", " best argument against democracy is a 5-min conversation with your average citizen", etc.) ... He managed to win a war, sit at the same table with Stalin and Roosevelt at the end of WW2 and after all that he managed to lose 2 IIRC elections!!! How is this possible? I don't known. He is by far and large the most famous British figure of his era, but he came in power mostly because of the situation not because voters. I wonder how others see him...

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
digi_owl 10y ago
The guy was a throwback to Victorian Britain basically. He was still fighting for the empire when the public was tired of everything but friends and family. And frankly i am not sure how much "he" won it and how much he basically survived it.
- icebraining 10y ago
  The empires of the future are the empires of the mind. -- Churchill (1943)
- flukus 10y ago
  > And frankly i am not sure how much "he" won it and how much he basically survived it. He was very active in creating a military build up long before the war started, Britain could have fallen had it not been for his planning.
  - digi_owl 10y ago
    Frankly they were on the brink of falling even with said buildup. Except that Hitler got vindictive and impatient, first he redirected the Luftwaffe to bomb cities, giving the RAF time to recover and reorganize, and then Barbarossa started.
    - atmosx 10y ago
      The WWII is kinda complex... Don't you think that saying that Hitler didn't win the war because of one decision a bit stretched?
- osullivj 10y ago
  Churchill was wrong about many things. But we must credit him with one towering achievement. In May & June 1940 the whole of Europe lay at Hitler's feet. Many in Britain wanted to reach an accommodation with the Third Reich, fearing that fighting on would lose all [1]. Churchill refused to consider any compromise and insisted on a fight to the end. If Britain had acceeded to a Nazi dominated Europe in 1940, where would the world be now? [1] Lukacs, Five days in London, May 1940
arctangent 10y ago
> and after all that he managed to lose 2 IIRC elections!!! How is this possible? Churchill was very much a "war leader". After a period in the political wilderness, Churchill was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty at the outbreak of WW2 and soon became Prime Minister. The British people may have disliked [1] some of his personal opinions but he clearly embodied the "bulldog spirit" which the British were keen to rally around. Once the war was won Churchill was quickly dispensed with, having essentially served his purpose. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. [1] Today, many of Churchill's non-war opinions are controversial to say the least. However, he was a product of his time.
nugget 10y ago
Churchill was also a prolific author - the vast majority of his earned income came from books, newspaper articles, and paid speeches. He had terrible financial habits and constantly flirted with personal bankruptcy. Fortunately for all of us, his trusty typewriter (and the marketability of his name...) saved him every time.
kirrent 10y ago
Non-intellectual might be a bit of a stretch. He won a well-deserved Nobel prize in literature. Churchill is right up there with Einstein for mis-attributed quotes. For example, there is no record of Churchill ever saying the "you'll still be ugly" quote. Not to say that he didn't actually have a good few zingers.

by atmosx 10y ago

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

digi_owl 10y ago

The guy was a throwback to Victorian Britain basically. He was still fighting for the empire when the public was tired of everything but friends and family. And frankly i am not sure how much "he" won it and how much he basically survived it.

icebraining 10y ago
The empires of the future are the empires of the mind. -- Churchill (1943)
flukus 10y ago
> And frankly i am not sure how much "he" won it and how much he basically survived it. He was very active in creating a military build up long before the war started, Britain could have fallen had it not been for his planning.
- digi_owl 10y ago
  Frankly they were on the brink of falling even with said buildup. Except that Hitler got vindictive and impatient, first he redirected the Luftwaffe to bomb cities, giving the RAF time to recover and reorganize, and then Barbarossa started.
  - atmosx 10y ago
    The WWII is kinda complex... Don't you think that saying that Hitler didn't win the war because of one decision a bit stretched?
osullivj 10y ago
Churchill was wrong about many things. But we must credit him with one towering achievement. In May & June 1940 the whole of Europe lay at Hitler's feet. Many in Britain wanted to reach an accommodation with the Third Reich, fearing that fighting on would lose all [1]. Churchill refused to consider any compromise and insisted on a fight to the end. If Britain had acceeded to a Nazi dominated Europe in 1940, where would the world be now? [1] Lukacs, Five days in London, May 1940

arctangent 10y ago

> and after all that he managed to lose 2 IIRC elections!!! How is this possible? Churchill was very much a "war leader". After a period in the political wilderness, Churchill was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty at the outbreak of WW2 and soon became Prime Minister. The British people may have disliked [1] some of his personal opinions but he clearly embodied the "bulldog spirit" which the British were keen to rally around. Once the war was won Churchill was quickly dispensed with, having essentially served his purpose. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. [1] Today, many of Churchill's non-war opinions are controversial to say the least. However, he was a product of his time.

nugget 10y ago

Churchill was also a prolific author - the vast majority of his earned income came from books, newspaper articles, and paid speeches. He had terrible financial habits and constantly flirted with personal bankruptcy. Fortunately for all of us, his trusty typewriter (and the marketability of his name...) saved him every time.

kirrent 10y ago

Non-intellectual might be a bit of a stretch. He won a well-deserved Nobel prize in literature. Churchill is right up there with Einstein for mis-attributed quotes. For example, there is no record of Churchill ever saying the "you'll still be ugly" quote. Not to say that he didn't actually have a good few zingers.