Born November 30, 1874 was a British politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. Widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th Century. Churchill was also an officer in the British Army, a historian, a writer, and an artist. He is the only British Prime Minister to have received the Noble Prize in Literature, and was the 1st person to be made an honorary citizen of the United States.
Churchill was born into the aristocratic family of the Dukes of Marlborough, a branch of the Spencer family. His father, Lord Randolph Churchill, was a charismatic politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer; his mother, Jennie Jerome, was an American socialite. As a young army officer, he saw action in British India, The Sudan, and the 2nd Boa War. He gained fame as a war correspondent and wrote books about his campaigns.
At the forefront of politics for 50 years, he held many political and cabinet positions. Before the 1st World War, he served as President of the Board of Trade, Home Secretary, and First Lord of the Admiralty as part of the Asquith Liberal Government. During the war, he continued as First Lord of the Admiralty until the disastrous Gallipoli Campaign caused his departure from government. He then briefly resumed active army service on the Western front as Commander of the 6th Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliars. He returned to government as Minister of Manitions, Secretary of State for War, and Secretary of State for Air. After the war, Churchill served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Conservative Government of 1924-1929, controversially returning the pound sterling in 1925 to the gold standard at its pre-war parity, a move widely seen as creating deflationary pressure on the U.K. economy. Also controversial was his opposition to increased home rule for India and his resistance to the 1936 abdication of Edward VIII.
Out of office and politically "in the wilderness" during the 1930's, Churchill took the lead in warning about Nazi Germany and in campaigning for rearonament. On the outbreak of the 2nd World War, he was again appointed First Lord of the Admiralty. Following the resignation of Neville Chambalain on May 1940, Churchill became Prime Minister. His steadfast refusal to consider defeat, surrender, or compromise peace helped British resistance, especially during the difficult early days of the War when Britain stood alone among European countries in its active opposition to Adolf Hitler. Churchill was particularly noted for his speeches and radio broadcasts, which helped inspire the British people. He led Britain as Prime Minister until victory over Nazi Germany had been secured.
After the Conservative Party lost the 1945 election, he became Leader of the Opposition to the Labour Government. After winning the 1951 election, he again became Prime Minister, before retiring in 1955. Upon his death on January 24th, 1965, Elizabeth II granted him the honor of a state funeral, which saw one of the largest assemblies of world statesman in history. Named the Greatest Briton of all time in a 2002 poll, Churchill is widely regarded as being among the influential people in British history, consistently ranking well in opinion polls of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom.
General Helmuth von Moltke
Born May 23rd 1848, was also known as Moltke the Younger, he was a nephew of Field Marshal Count Moltke and served as the Chief of the German General Staff from 1906-1914. The Moltke's are often differentiated as Moltke the Elder and Moltke the Younger. Moltke the Younger's role in the developments of German war plans and the instigation of the 1st World War is extremely controversial.
Helmuth von Moltke was born in Mechlenburg-Scheverin and named after his uncle, Helmuth Karl Bernhard von Moltke, future Field Marshal and hero of the wars of Unification. During the Franco-Prussian War, Moltke served with the 7th Gredadia Regiment, and was cited for bravery. He attended the war academy between 1875 and 1878 and joined the General Staff in 1880. In 1882 he became personal adjutant to his uncle, then Chief of the General Staff. In 1891, on the death of his uncle, Moltke became aide-de-camp to Wilhelm II, thus becoming part of the Emperor's inner circle. In the late 1890's he commanded first a brigade and then a division, finely being promoted to Lieutenant General in 1902. In 1904 Moltke was made Quartermaster General; in effect, Deputy Chief on Schbieffen's retirement. His appointed was controversial then and remains so today. The other likely candidates for the position were Hans Hartwig von Beseler, Karl von Bulow, and Colman Freiherr von der Goltz. Critics charge that Moltke gained the position on the strength of his name and friendship with the Kaiser. Certainly Moltke was far closer to the Kaiser than the other candidates. Historians argue, however, that Beseler was too close to Schbieffen to have succeeded him, while Bulow and Goltz were too independent for Wilhelm to have accepted them. Indeed, Motlke's friendship with the Kaiser permitted him latitude that others could not have enjoyed. Goltz, at least, saw nothing wrong with Moltke's performance as Chief.
But do to the stress of World War I, Moltke's health took a bad decline, so on October 25th, 1914, he was succeeded by Erich von Falkenhayn.
After being succeeded by Falkenhayn, Moltke was entrusted in Berlin with the office of Chief of the Home Substitute for the General Staff. Which had the task of organizing and forwarding the reserves and controlling the territorial army corps, corresponding to those at the front. Moltke's health continued to deteriorate and he died in Berlin on June 28th, 1916. He left a pamphlet entitled Die Schuld am Kriege(The Blame for the War), which his widow Eliza intended to publish in 1919. She was dissuaded from doing so because of the problems this might cause. The pamphlet was designed to show the "chaotic" nature of events leading up to the war, in order to counter allied accusations of deliberate warmongering in Germany. However, army Chiefs and the German Foreign Ministry were disturbed by its contents. General Wilhelm von Dommes was sent to advise Eliza von Moltke against publication. Having read the pamphlet he confided to his dairy that it "contains nasty stuff". Instead Eliza published the blander Erinnerwngen, Briefe, Dokumente, a collection of her husband's letters and documents. Other material was archived. Some was later destroyed in World War II, and the original pamphlet has not been since accessible.
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