I chose Winston Churchill because at a crucial
moment in the history of Europe, during World War II, when most of Europe was subject
to Hitler’s rule, Churchill took the leadership of the United Kingdom and of
the alliance against Hitler. Largely thanks to him, Europe was eventually freed.
Winston Churchill was the son of an American
mother and a British aristocrat. He was first an army officer (therefore he
understood war and how to win it), then a journalist/war correspondent, then a
politician.
He wasn’t always successful; as First Lord of
the Admiralty during World War I, he lost a key battle against the Turks and
was thereafter ousted from the government.
Out of office in the 1930s, he was one of the
first to warn against the danger of the rise of Hitler. He succeeded in coming
back to Government and became Prime Minister.
As Hitler gained ground, he always refused to accept
the possibility of defeat or even compromise (unlike Neville Chamberlain…). He
inspired the British and the Allies to victory. Through diplomacy, he paved the
way for the American entry into World War II. He understood de Gaulle’s
potential and “promoted” him as leader of Free France, despite opposition from
other French resistance leaders.
Had it not been for his moral strength, political
judgement, vision, leadership, military skills, and stirring speeches, Europe would
not be what it has become today. That’s why I have chosen him as my favourite
well-known European figure.
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