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Adolf Hitler Saved Winston Churchill’s Political Career
The great irony of the supposedly great Briton.
In 2002, a poll commissioned by the BBC announced Winston Churchill as the greatest Briton of all time.
Given the cast of characters that the country’s produced over the centuries by way of politicians, inventors, artists, sportswomen, geographers, musicians, philosophers, abolitionists and entrepreneurs, voting for a perpetually inebriated, rabidly racist former prime minister did seem a bit strange.
But that episode was certainly a unique insight into how the English(not Scottish or Welsh) saw themselves and the wider world.
Had Winston Churchill died in the 1930s, his obituary would have described him as one of the great brilliant failures in British history.
And with good reason too.
No other British political figure’s career has been dogged by major miscalculations and blunders.
But how did it all start?
In 1904, exasperated by his lack of advancement in the Conservative party, our man proceeded to launch a ferocious attack on the leadership for their positions on the leading issues of the day.
This attack culminated in Churchill, “crossing the floor” which in British politics means dumping your political party for the other. In his case, our protagonist went to join the Liberals.
Back then, the Labour party was in its infancy and nowhere near as organized as it is today. And waiting for him in the Liberal party was Lloyd George.
In recognition of his talents, our man swiftly rose through the ranks and the signs of his destructive brilliance had begun to manifest itself.
As Home secretary, Churchill made the profoundly stupid decision to send in the army to put down a miners’ strike in South Wales. The ensuing stand off between the miners’ and the army led to several injured and one fatality.
The people of Tonypandy, Wales, still haven’t forgiven the ‘greatest ever Brit’ for his misdeeds.
And when the time came for Lloyd George to form a coalition government with the Conservatives, just as the first world war was raging across Europe, they said they…
