Winston Churchill by John Keegan

¶ … Winston Churchill by John Keegan [...] how Churchill used his charisma in his ability to change political parties when he needed to, and how he was able to stay abreast of world events so as to be able to rally his fellow British countrymen during WWII. Churchill's charisma was evident in his speeches, in his dealings with government, and his ability to lead the English people. He used it effectively to rally the British during World War II, which ultimately helped them win the war against Germany.

Churchill's relationship to legal authority was absolute. He was afraid of ever doing anything wrong, and grew up during moral Victorian times, making him extremely fearful of breaking the law. He was a moral man, and expected others to be the same. However, he was not above creating new laws to help further his cause. He appointed himself the Minister of Defense when he became Prime Minister in 1940, and created a defense ministry that had not existed before. He was extremely moral and law-abiding, but he knew that he could bend legal authority when he needed to. For example, he spoke out against Chamberlain's policies when it was not acceptable for government officials to disagree with public policy, and he advocated resistance fighting during the war, especially supporting Charles DeGaulle's resistance efforts after France signed a treaty with Germany. Churchill used the law effectively and bent it when it was to the advantage of England.

Churchill used his relationship with legal authority to bolster his position and his country's position. Churchill rarely thought of himself in his dealings during the war, his sole purpose was to win victory for England. Some would see his party changing as an attempt to further his own political goals, but the author maintains it was his strong moral principles that caused the switches. Keegan writes, "It was the welfare issue, characterized by his as 'Tory democracy,' that had impelled him to change sides in 1904. In 1924 it was his libertarianism" (Keegan 103). Churchill was a man of strong beliefs and principles, and he did not use the law to further his own career. Rather, he used it to make England as strong as it could be in order to win the war in Europe.

Churchill studied everything, and made the choices he did solely based on winning the war, at any cost. He was an excellent soldier, and understood war tactics. He also understood the threat of Fascism and its affect on Europe and the world. He feared socialism and totalitarianism more than just about anything else, and most of his choices were made to keep England free and viable before and after the war. He based his decisions on his own military understanding and his total distrust of Fascism and totalitarianism. He came up with some military strategies that could have been questionable, such as bombing Germany and dropping leaflets blaming the bombs on retaliation, but for the most part, his decisions were legal, just, and supported by the war effort.