You might expect, if you’ve read a little about Winston Churchill, that only during World War II did he become deeply engaged with the military. But that’s far from true. From the time he enlisted in the British Army as a second lieutenant in 1895, Churchill was almost continuously engaged in military affairs, directly or indirectly, from 1895 to 1945. In his 20s, he fought in Britain’s colonial wars on three continents, in Cuba, India, Sudan, and South Africa. And as Anthony Tucker-Jones so ably shows in Churchill, Master and Commander, the then-future prime minister inserted himself in military decision-making almost without a pause, sometimes as a member of the Cabinet, sometimes sniping from the sidelines. For Winston Churchill was a warlord above all. He saw himself that way. And he acted that way during the fateful years from 1940 to 1945, holding forth from 10 Downing Street.
Controversial decisions, sometimes fatally flawed
Of course, if you’re fairly well versed in the story of Churchill’s life, you may well be aware that he fought in the Boer War in 1899 as a civilian-soldier and served as First Lord of the Admiralty in World War I. It was in that office that he directed the ill-conceived Gallipoli campaign that led to more than 200,000 British casualties and the withdrawal of British and Commonwealth troops from the region. Churchill’s shame for the tragic losses in that campaign lasted throughout his lifetime. But, as Tucker-Jones (and many other authors) demonstrate, Churchill’s strategic sense was equally flawed on many occasions during the Word War II as well.
Churchill, Master and Commander: Winston Churchill at War 1895–1945 by Anthony Tucker-Jones (2021) 401 pages ★★★★★
The warlord stumbled on many occasions
There are several occasions when Churchill’s high opinion of himself as a military strategic proved to be hollow:
Norway
In April 1940, before his appointment the following month as prime minister, Churchill was serving again as First Lord of the Admiralty. He used that position to direct the invasion of northern Norway in hopes of dislodging Nazi troops from the area. The effort utterly failed, and Britain withdrew its troops in June. While he was not solely or even primarily responsible for the loss, he was identified as the plan’s author. It was only because Neville Chamberlain took responsibility for the disaster that Churchill escaped censure by Parliament.
Italy
Before the United States had entered the war in Europe in full force, Churchill played the role of senior partner in the Anglo-American alliance. Exerting his leverage, he insisted on the invasion of Italy in the belief that the campaign would be quick and easy, allowing Allied forces to drive the Germans north of the Alps and threaten the German homeland. But nothing of the sort happened. The fighting lasted for two years and resulted in more than 300,000 Allied casualties.
Balkans
As the number of US troops in Europe and North African continued to grow, becoming far more numerous than the British, FDR and his generals gained the upper hand in negotiations with Winston Churchill. Still, the British Prime Minister continued to argue forcefully and without a break for Allied forces to attack the Balkans before opening a second front in France. It was only with difficulty that FDR and George Marshall managed to persuade Churchill and his general staff to accede to the Normandy Invasion. And he continued to fight just as doggedly to send troops eastward instead of invading southern France in conjunction with Operation Overlord.
Japan
Although Britain might play only a minor role in the runup to the invasion of Japan, Churchill insisted that the Americans include British warships in the island-hopping campaign across the Pacific. He believed the Japanese were overrated and could easily be subdued. The Allies learned to their chagrin that proved to be a fantasy.
In the final analysis, however, Churchill’s heroic performance in 1940, when he rallied the British people to resist Nazi Germany, was proof positive that he possessed a strategic sense that historians would be likely to recognize as brilliant for centuries to come. And this was his true legacy as a warlord.
About the author
According to Wikipedia, “Anthony Tucker-Jones is a British former defence intelligence officer and a widely published military expert on regional conflicts, counter-terrorism and armoured and aerial warfare.” Born in 1964, he holds a BA in from the University of Portsmouth in Historical Studies and an MA in international relations from the University of Lancaster. He pursued a 13-year career in defence analysis capped by two years as a Counter-Terrorism Coordinator in charge of Defence Intelligence. Since then he has pursued a career as a freelance writer and commentator on related issues. He is the author of at least 16 books.
For related reading
I’ve read and reviewed a number of books about Churchill, including the following:
- Darkest Hour: How Churchill Brought England Back from the Brink by Anthony McCarten (New insight into Prime Minister Winston Churchill)
- The Duel: The Eighty-Day Struggle Between Churchill and Hitler by John Lukacs (When Churchill faced Hitler alone)
- The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson (An intimate view of Winston Churchill in WW2)
- Three Days at the Brink: FDR’s Daring Gamble to Win World War II by Bret Baier and Catherine Whitney (When FDR, Churchill, and Stalin planned the Normandy invasion)
- Kingmaker: Pamela Harriman’s Astonishing Life of Power, Seduction, and Intrigue by Sonia Purnell (She helped jump-start the WWII Anglo-American partnership)
You might also enjoy and 10 top nonfiction books about World War II, 7 common misconceptions about World War II, and The 10 most consequential events of World War II/\.
And you can always find my most popular reviews, and the most recent ones, on the Home Page.
