Winston Churchill’s life history shows extraordinary commitment and dedication to his homeland. In his speeches, he stated that it is better to die than to be colonized by Nazi Germany. His commitment and dedication to the interests, safety, and greatness of his homeland are worth learning from, and we can take positive things from him for the development of our own character and the next generation.
Churchill is a controversial figure. From a young age to becoming the Prime Minister of England, he has always invited a lot of comments and often been vilified and considered a negative figure. However, many people see Winston Churchill as a racist figure, colonialist, and responsible for the deaths of millions of Indians who died of starvation.
In his book, Prabowo Subianto notes that Churchill should be classified as an extraordinary figure. Born on November 30, 1874, from a noble English family with a famous name in history. Churchill came from a lineage that had served England, but he was not the firstborn, and in the aristocracy system, only the firstborn male inherited all of his parents’ fortune. In his life, he did not enjoy great wealth.
Churchill is a combination of “a man of action” and “a man of intellect.” He is brave, energetic, has great ambition for his homeland. But he also has the ability to write, think, and in the end, a very astute oratory ability.
He was involved in many military operations, from Sudan, the Indian border, to South Africa. In World War II, he became the First Lord of Admiral Sea, responsible for changing the British warships from using coal to oil. Additionally, he experienced the lowest point in his career as the Minister of the Navy during the Gallipoli Amphibious Operation in Turkey. Due to ineffective field leadership, this landing operation was the biggest failure in British history.
In the 1930s, Churchill fought against the tired British political and military elite because the war had taken a great toll on the young people. Therefore, the British political and military elite were gripped by an attitude of being afraid of war or allergic to war. Churchill always warned through speeches, writings, newspapers, where he predicted that Hitler would start a war again. As a result, he was marginalized but he did not tire of warning that war was imminent. Finally, Churchill was elected as Prime Minister, leading England and its allies to defeat Hitler.
Prabowo Subianto recommends young people who want to learn military and political leadership to read Churchill’s biography. He was a brilliant orator, had very good rhetoric, and convinced his people to be spirited and not give up. His speeches are also a good learning material.
