This is the second part of my Winston Churchill biography. This page deals with Winston's first foray into politics through to the First World War (1900-1918). These years include his marriage to Clementine, his promotion to Cabinet politics at the young age of 33 and his time as a leader of men in the trenches of the Great War. For links to his earlier and later life please scroll to the foot of the page.
Into Politics
Back in England and now famous, Churchill easily won his first seat in parliament. On 1st October 1900 he became the Conservative MP for Oldham. Though a Conservative, Churchill was very much his own man - he would soon come to be seen as a reformer and a champion of the underdog and the unprivileged. He spoke out many times against his party leaders if he didn't agree with them - no unthinking-loyalty for Winston, he was a man of principle. The issue which most caused his split from the Conservatives was his views on free trade. The Conservatives under Colonial Secretary Joe Chamberlain were proposing a policy of protectionism. This was something that Churchill was strongly against. In 1904, Churchill decided to stand for election as a Liberal, and on the 31st May he "crossed the floor" to join the opposition...a move he was to reverse 20 years later.
Liberal Under-Secretary
After the fall of the Conservative government and the appointment of the new Liberal one (Churchill had backed the winning horse) in 1905, Winston was made under-secretary of state for the colonies under Lord Elgin. He was promoted to President of the Board of Trade in 1908. This made him a member of the Cabinet at the incredibly young age of only 33. Alongside the Chancellor, David Lloyd-George, Churchill instigated many social reforms: labour exchanges, unemployment benefits and a minimum wage for many. This wasn't the most momentous event in Winston's life during 1908. He married his beloved Clemmie and they would be together until Winston's death 57 years later.
Clementine Churchill and their children
Clementine Hozier was born on 1st April 1885 and first met Winston in 1904. That first meeting wasn't a great success as Winston was (perhaps for the first and only time) terribly tongue-tied! At their second meeting in 1908, Winston had learnt his lesson and didn't make the same mistake twice. They were married on the 12th September of the same year. Their first child, Diana, was born the following year to be followed in turn by Randolph, Sarah, Marigold - who tragically died as a child - and Mary. Winston had not enjoyed close relations with his father and while he did his best with his own children it is probably fair to say that he wasn't much better - certainly by modern hands-on-dad standards.
Home Secretary
Churchill was made home secretary in 1910 and set about prison reform and establishing better working conditions for miners. There were moments of controversy for Churchill too. In particular in his dealing with striking miners in Tonypandy (to be fair to Churchill it was his order that stopped the military getting involved) and the "Siege at Sidney Street". Sidney Street was the scene of a police siege in London. A gang of burglars were holed up in a house, shooting at the surrounding police. Churchill (characteristically) decided to visit the scene and his only intervention was his order to the fire brigade not to fight the fire in the building (sensible given the bullets flying around). However the press and other members of parliament thought Churchill had acted irresponsibly and rashly.
War Brewing
In 1911 Winston Churchill became the First Lord of the Admiralty - he threw himself into his new role with typical enthusiasm. He was keen to speed up the fleet (which he did by ordering the conversion from coal to oil power) and boosting the fire power (by introducing 15 inch guns). When on the 26th June 1914 the heir to the Austrian throne was murdered by a Serbian assassin the escalating crisis began to spiral into what would become the First World war. With Britain committed to defend Belgium any German invasion of France via Belgium would mean Britain's military involvement. Churchill hated the idea of war (having experienced it first hand) but once war became inevitable he chose to prosecute it as vigorously as possible.
Dardenelles
The first world war saw slaughter in the trenches at an unprecedented rate. This sickened Churchill and he sought alternative solutions. He devised a plan to take the pressure off the French battlefields by attacking through the Balkans and linking up with Russian allies. Churchill received little support from his political colleagues. With hard pressed Russia demanding British aid in attacking Turkey it was agreed that the British would attack the Dardenelles. Told by Kitchener that no troops could be spared, it was decided to be solely a naval exercise - against Winston's wishes. If the British fleet could make their way through the Dardenelles and on to Constantinople, then perhaps Turkey could be forced out of the war - thus relieving Russia and the massed allies could attack Austria via the Balkans, which in turn would relieve the body-strewn battlefields of France. It was a noble aim but under supported and with troops only being made available when it was too late it was doomed to fail. These allied troops (Brave British, Australian and New Zealanders) landed at Gallipoli - to be bogged down in a bloody battlefield every bit as brutal as the French trenches. The blame was laid at Churchill's door. It was something that was to haunt him the rest of his life.
Churchill in the trenches
Now with limited power in Cabinet, post the Dardenelles debacle, Churchill decided to go to the trenches himself. In November 1915 Churchill landed in France to serve in the Grenadier Guards as a Major. By New Year he was in charge of the 6th Battalian Royal Scots Fusiliers - a body of men who had experienced a very tough time. By all accounts (not just his own) Churchill was an extreme success - and his men loved and admired him. Churchill was very hands-on, personally courageous, unconventional, sociable, nothing was too much trouble for the former cabinet Minister - he trained his men thoroughly...and made it fun, or as much fun as possible. It was here amongst the mud and death that Churchill took up painting with enthusiasm, this hobby became a life long passion. When his regiment amalgamated with another there was no longer was any need for Churchill (the equivilant officer from the other regiment was senior by some months to Winston). To be honest this was the excuse Churchill needed to get back into politics - he had for some weeks decided that he would have more influence from London than from within the trenches.
