【素材】Module 6 文本 Winston Churchill（外研）-1

The political history of the 20th century can be written as the biographies of six men: Lenin, Stali

Thepoliticalhistoryofthe20thcenturycanbewrittenasthebiographiesofsixmen:Lenin, Stalin,Hitler,MaoZedong,FranklinRooseveltandWinstonChurchill.Thefirstfourwere totalitarianswhomadeorusedrevolutionstocreatemonstrousdictatorships.Rooseveltand Churchilldifferedfromtheminbeingdemocrats.AndChurchilldifferedfromRoosevelt--while bothwerewarleaders,Churchillwasuniquelystirredbythechallengeofwarandfoundhis fulfillmentinleadingthedemocraciestovictory. Churchillcameofamilitarydynasty.HisancestorJohnChurchillhadbeencreatedfirstDukeof Marlboroughin1702forhisvictoriesagainstLouisXIVearlyintheWaroftheSpanish Succession.Churchillwasbornin1874inBlenheimPalace,thehousebuiltbythenationfor Marlborough.Asayoungmanofundistinguishedacademicaccomplishment--hewasadmittedto Sandhurstaftertwofailedattempts--heenteredthearmyasacavalryofficer.Hetook enthusiasticallytosoldiering(andperhapsevenmoreenthusiasticallytoregimentalpoloplaying) andbetween1895and1898managedtoseethreecampaigns:Spain'sstruggleinCubain1895, theNorth-WestFrontiercampaigninIndia1897andtheSudancampaignof1898,wherehetook partinwhatisoftendescribedastheBritishArmy'slastcavalrycharge,atOmdurman.Evenat 24,Churchillwassteely:"Ineverfelttheslightestnervousness,"hewrotetohismother."[I]felt ascoolasIdonow."InCubahewaspresentasawarcorrespondent,andinIndiaandtheSudan hewaspresentbothasawarcorrespondentandasaservingofficer.Thusherevealedtwoother aspectsofhischaracter:aliterarybentandaninterestinpublicaffairs. Hewastowriteallhislife.HislifeofMarlboroughisoneofthegreatEnglishbiographies,and TheHistoryoftheSecondWorldWarhelpedwinhimaNobelPrizeforliterature.Writing, however,neverfullyengagedhisenergies.Politicsconsumedhim.HisfatherLordRandolph Churchillwasabrilliantpoliticalfailure.Earlyinlife,Winstondeterminedtosucceedwherehis fatherhadfailed.Hismotivesweretwofold.Hisfatherhaddespisedhim.WritinginAugust1893 toWinston'sgrandmother,thedowagerDuchessofMarlborough,hesaidtheboylacked "cleverness,knowledgeandanycapacityforsettledwork.Hehasagreattalentforshow-off, exaggerationandmake-believe."Hisdisapprovalsurelystung,butChurchillreactedbyvenerating hisfather'smemory.Winstonfoughttorestorehisfather'shonorinParliament(whereithadbeen dentedbytheConservativeParty).ThirtyyearsafterLordRandolph'sdeath,Winstonwrote,"All mydreamsofcomradeshipwereended.Thereremainedformeonlytopursuehisaimsand vindicatehismemory." ChurchillenteredParliamentin1901atage26.In1904helefttheConservativePartytojointhe Liberals,inpartoutofcalculation:theLiberalswerethecomingparty,andinitsrankshesoon achievedhighoffice.HebecameHomeSecretaryin1910andFirstLordoftheAdmiraltyin1911. ThusitwasaspoliticalheadoftheRoyalNavyattheoutbreakoftheFirstWorldWarin1914 thathesteppedontotheworldstage. Apassionatebelieverinthenavy'shistoricstrategicrole,heimmediatelycommittedtheRoyal NavalDivisiontoaninterventionintheFlanderscampaignin1914.Frustratedbythestalematein BelgiumandFrancethatfollowed,heinitiatedtheAllies'onlymajorefforttooutflankthe GermansontheWesternFrontbysendingthenavy,andlateralargeforceofthearmy,tothe Mediterranean.AtGallipoliin1915,thisAnglo-Frenchforcestruggledtobreakthedefensesthat blockedaccesstotheBlackSea.ItwasaheroicfailurethatforcedChurchill'sresignationandled tohispoliticaleclipse.