A Great Crisis,
A Great Man

[Because, in some opinions, Aron is on vacation - this article is a reprint.]

On the Floor of the British House of Commons on November 11, 1947, a leader of Britain said, “Democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those forms that have been tried from time to time”. If one studies the life and actions of this leader it becomes clear exactly why he stated this.

Winston Churchill was born in 1874 in Blenheim Palace, a castle rich in historical significance. Blenheim Palace was built for John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, in 1702 for his victories against Louis XIV. Winston came from a long lineage of warriors and soldiers. His dream from his youth was to join the cavalry, which he accomplished after two faulty attempts. He loved to fight and loved the apprehension and uncertainty that accompanied war. He fought in Cuba, India, and Sudan for the British army. He was in these hotspots, not because his unit was called to fight, but because he pulled every string he could to get to the battlefield. Most times he went as a reporter or a journalist. Even though he was enthralled by war and armed conflicts, his true desire was to become a politician. His father had been a political failure, and had despised Winston as a child. In spite of this, Winston wanted to clear his father’s name of the dirt and grime of failure. He constantly strove throughout his life to restore his father’s honor in Parliament.

In 1901, Churchill entered Parliament under the Conservative party, but switched to the Liberal party four years later. His reasoning for this change was very sound because the liberal party was growing in power. In a short time he achieved high office. In 1911, he became First Lord of the Admiralty, the virtual head of the British navy. But in 1915, he resigned from this office because of the disgrace of defeat in the Flanders campaign. He would not regain his standing as a future statesman until 1940. Most of his ideas failed because of his love for the history that Britain had. Britain was known as the source of power and money in Western Europe, and as such, had to return to their roots. He returned to gold as the monetary standard, which sent his country into a depression of sorts. He exhorted the war in India because Britain had always been in total control. He thought that if they allowed the Indians a limited self-rule government, they were working themselves out of a province. In the latter 1930’s, he supported anti-Nazi policies and thus was placed in a position of trust by the people and Parliament in 1940, when Hitler began his second offensive. When Neville Chamberlain lost the confidence of the Parliament in 1940, Churchill was given the position of Prime Minister. He inherited a sticky situation. Britain had no allies once France was defeated and was under constant barrage by the German airplanes. Nevertheless, Churchill did not give an inch when Hitler offered peace, and even began to build forces that would eventually free Britain from the terror of air raids.

Churchill had always been impulsive and this malady plagued him throughout his political career. His greatest mistakes were made on the spur of the moment. Similarly, his greatest victories were achieved by decisions made quickly. His major redeeming quality which allowed him to prosper in war was his ability to motivate the people by well timed speeches and announcements. His speeches gave the British people hope and courage to go on, even though it looked like they were eventually going to lose. He constantly told the people that they could not be defeated and that the right always wins. He was able to talk to the public as if he were one of them. He also was the peace maker on many occasions and made alliances with nations that did not subscribe to the same ideas he did, simply to exterminate a common enemy.

In spite of all his mistakes and failures, he still was viewed as one of the greatest leaders that Britain had in the twentieth century. Why? Do all great leaders make that many mistakes? Did he change his actions to merit this respect? How was he any different from his father, a political failure? Did he do something different or was it the crisis that made the man?

From my research of history and my own personal study of Churchill and his theories, there is very little difference between him and his father. They were both inundated by failures and both were considered a rising politician at one time. Churchill’s training and education allowed him to formulate his beliefs on world power and government early in his life. Throughout his life, Churchill would stick to these beliefs and even become more tenacious in his beliefs. The only difference that I see between Churchill and his father is the situation in which they were placed. Churchill’s father lived during a time when there were no major crises in the British Empire. Churchill’s own career started out the same way, but took a drastic change in the late 1930’s when the war in Europe came to Britain’s front door. This provided the vacuum that Churchill needed to become a great leader. If this opportunity never had been presented, Churchill would have passed off the political scene in the early 1940’s and would have lived out his life away from the public eye, probably writing books about history.

I would argue that the difference between the great leaders in history and those we will never hear about is the absence of a major crisis during their time of control. Many ordinary men became extraordinary because of the situation that they were placed in. They were forced to make difficult decisions. Abraham Lincoln was a common farmer in Illinois until he was placed on the national stage as president. He became one of the greatest presidents the United States has ever had because of his response to the situation he inherited. By the same token, men who have failed in the time of crisis have missed their chance at becoming great men. Great men start as average men with a basis of good character and morals, which allows them to become great men when the crisis situation confronts them.

“Great men are not born, great men are made.”