Historical Figure: Winston Churchill - Term Paper Example

Historical Figure: Winston Churchill Introduction Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was an influential English statesman, soldier, orator and historian. Churchill served in the UK as a Conservative Prime Minister for most part of World War II. He was an influential political and military leader as demonstrated by the fact that he achieved high office during his period that was characterized by war. His influence in political and military leadership is also expressed by his writings about the experiences that he went through. It is in this regard that Churchill is considered one of the most influential historical figures for courageous political and military leadership. This paper gives a critical analysis of Winston Churchill in line with the past history that influenced his courageous leadership, his influence during his leadership period and how his influence on political and military leadership has extended to the current era. How Previous History Influenced Churchill The leadership skills that Churchill demonstrated were motivated or influenced by his experiences within the military. Churchill attended and was part of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, which culminated the beginning of his career in the military. At the college and later in the military, Churchill’s leadership abilities and skills were obvious. In the year 1901, Churchill entered parliament. At this time he was only 26 years old and his courage and leadership qualities made him to gain significant admiration from members and colleagues within his party (Bell 1097). When the Second World War broke out, Churchill was appointed within the Royal Navy as the First Lord of Admiralty. However he resigned from this role after the Dardanelles expedition which was characterized by disastrous incidents. This however did not weaken his spirits. As a result, Churchill rejoined the military and later went back to a political career where he played senior governmental roles within missions in overseas nations. The 1939 breaking out of the war caused Churchill to be reappointed as the First Lord of Admiralty. The resignation of the British prime minster Chamberlain in 1940 was followed by the Churchill takeover as the new prime minister. This officially marked his important role in the political and military reigns within the UK and other parts of the world. His charisma and courage was demonstrated by the fact that he refused to give in to the Nazi Germany. This led to great inspiration to his country and the military in addition to political leaders. Their focus was therefore to stage a retreat and win against the influence of the Germans. An air defense was therefore organized by Churchill which successfully marked the victory in the battle of Britain and Mussolini’s Italy. Italy in return gained the trust of Britain under the leadership of Churchill. It is therefore notable from the historical perspective that Churchill was both a charismatic and influential leader within the political and military reams of Britain and other parts of the world. The Influence of Churchill during his Time Even though Churchill lost his prime minster position in the year 1945, his passion for leadership in politics was not lost. This reveals that he was a determined individual who was focused at achieving his dreams. Because of this determination, Churchill was reelected in the year 1951 as the prime minister of Britain (Dumbrell 35). During his tenure as prime minster, Churchill was an exceptional military or war time leader who served both political and military roles for his country. More importantly, Churchill was a successful literary scholar. This is disclosed by the fact that he started writing his campaign reports early when he was only 24 years old. From the campaign reports, Churchill came up with his first publication in the year 1900. The culmination of Churchill’s achievements and influence in leadership was achieved in 1953 when we was honored with a Nobel Prize for Literature in addition to an Order of the Garter which was given to him by the Queen of England (Lyons 9). Churchill’s personality traits are attributed to the great influence that he demonstrated during his time. The leadership qualities and traits that were maintained by Churchill include being visionary, effective communication, encouragement, engagement and influence upon his followers. These qualities and leadership traits as depicted by Churchill were maintained throughout his tenure as the prime minister of Britain. His influence specifically is attributed to the fact that he was able to command the military and encourage them to stage successful expeditions upon the enemy. In addition, the influence of his party members allowed him to successfully lead political and military decisions which allowed him to be recorded as one of the most effective prime ministers within Britain. More importantly are his communication skills which he revealed through both oral articulation of political and leadership concepts and policies and through his literary works and scholarship. His literary works presented people within Britain with encouragement which made the country to grow politically and militarily. Influence of Churchill’s Legacy and Leadership in the Current Era In his leadership within the political and military scenes, Churchill was described as a charismatic leader. His influence has therefore shaped the application of the charismatic theory of leadership in the modern political and military leadership. The theory of charismatic leadership was put forth in 1977 by Robert House. The elements and effects of this form of leadership was based on a review of past leadership figures including Winston Churchill. Therefore the influence of Churchill on leadership has contributed significantly to the role of charismatic leadership in modern day political and military endeavors. The charismatic leadership theory postulates that the beliefs of leaders should be trusted by group members. In addition, this leadership approach provides for obedience, acceptance and emulation of the leader by the followers. However the analysis of the postulates of the charismatic leadership theory and Churchill’s leadership traits reveals that many of the elements of the charismatic leadership were excluded by Churchill during his reign as a prime minister and military leadership of the Second World War. Regardless of this, his courage in leadership and influence upon his followers was significantly noticeable. This means that Churchill influences the modern view of charismatic leaders which reflects that for a leader to inspire others, it is not necessarily because of his charisma or dictatorial powers. This argument is based on the evaluation of Hitler’s dictatorial leadership as he led Nazi German during the time of Churchill’s reign as the British Prime Minister (Lyons 12). A comparison of these two leaders reveals that Hitler, Unlike Churchill was not a personalized charismatic leader because his dictatorial tendencies were aimed at achieving a form of leadership that served his interests. The political leadership of Churchill during his reign has significantly influenced democracy in the modern era (Bell 1103). For example his contribution to the Munich Agreement in addition to the speeches that he made in support of democratic governments are argued to be one of the major influential forces behind the democratizations processes and the endeavor of developed states such as the US to spread their democratic systems and policies to other parts of the world. Moreover, Churchill’s effective leadership is attributed to the current good relationship between Britain and other countries such as the US. For example, in 1941, the Lend-Lease Agreement between the US and Britain is attributed to the opening of the shipping routes across North Atlantic. This demonstrates that Churchill influenced both the political and economic relations which are being experienced between Britain and other parts of the world in the current era. Through his influence and scholarship in addition to his political speeches, Churchill introduced the culture and wave of individual freedom (Dumbrell 40). This has had an impact on the modern views political and social freedom within the societies of the world. This influence is significant within autocratic nations where political and social freedom in addition to the rights of individuals is being violated. Furthermore, the influence of Winston Churchill in the political and social cultural environment of small powers of the world is being felt even in the modern era. For example during his tenure, Churchill aided Singapore and Yugoslavia and at the same time encouraged smaller states to form and joint various political and economic alliances. It is in line with this that the modern British allies can be linked to the influence of Winston Churchill. Conclusion In light of the above analysis of the life and influence of Winston Churchill, it is conclusive that this political and military figure played important roles within the British and world politics and military endeavors which are being felt even in the modern era. More importantly is the charismatic and personalized leadership of Churchill in the promotion of democracy and the culture of individual freedom. The contribution of Churchill in political leadership was expressed by his roles and contributions as the British Prime Minister in addition to his literary works. It is therefore important to note that Churchill is one of the most influential leaders of all time both within the political and military scenes. Works Cited Bell, Christopher. "Winston Churchill And The Ten Year Rule." Journal Of Military History 74.4 (2010): 1097-1128 Dumbrell, John. "Winston Churchill And American Foreign Relations: John F. Kennedy To George W. Bush." Journal Of Transatlantic Studies (Edinburgh University Press) 3. (2005): 31-42 Lyons, Justin. "Winston Churchill And The Rhetorical Challenges Of Democratic Statesmanship." Perspectives On Political Science 35.1 (2006): 4-13 Read More