Recommended Preface to "Churchill: Walking with Destiny"

"Taken in the face of defeat, ordered in the midst of danger." Churchill succeeded in his later years and became Prime Minister at the age of sixty-five. At this time, his fate was officially linked to the British Empire.

The ancients said, "For big and difficult things, it depends on responsibility; for good times and bad, it depends on tolerance; for good times and bad times, it depends on self-cultivation; for people to walk in groups, it depends on knowledge." There are not many people who question Churchill's responsibility, tolerance, and knowledge; but his self-cultivation is He is extremely controversial and famous for his bad temper and even a tendency towards depression. However, he can always find support for positive reactions from high-pressure negative events, allowing him to get rid of emotional kidnappings and act as a good national leader. character of. This is the reason why Churchill’s personality and psychological quality are admirable.

As the saying goes, "Those who are in charge are confused, and those who are onlookers are confused." However, for many complex decisions in the real world, what onlookers see is usually just the excitement that appears on the surface and is taken for granted; as for the true context of events and causal results hidden behind the chaotic appearance. , unless the trader himself speaks out "honestly", it is often difficult to be exposed. Faced with this possible dilemma of "the authorities are cynical and the bystanders are obsessed", the author of this book is lucky: there is a wealth of information about Churchill's various first-person and third-person accounts, so as long as the parties concerned have sufficient professional training and perseverance, It is possible to "replay" historical scenes with great efforts; and if an author like this can write a biography of this quality for himself, if Churchill knew about it underground, he should feel lucky for himself.

Zeng Guofan said, "Talent is forced out." This means: No matter how talented a person is, if he is not thrown into difficult problem situations that he cannot escape, he will not be able to make those wonderful decisions that have been praised and become classics or legends. of. Churchill was informed by the King of the United Kingdom that he would become Prime Minister on May 10, 1940; but on the same day, the German army stormed Belgium and launched the invasion of France; so in the first month and a half of taking office, Churchill faced a chaotic army and a domino company. We are in an unprecedented crisis state of collapse, embarrassment on all sides, and confusion. At this critical moment, Churchill was surrounded by several major problems related to the survival of the country: How to unite the three major political parties to form a wartime cabinet and build consensus for action? How to deploy Britain's defenses to resist Hitler's imminent cross-sea attack? How to confirm whether France can withstand Hitler's offensive, so as to determine how much strength should be used to respond to France's constant demand for support for air combat power? How to find ways to evacuate the 400,000 British troops who were besieged on the beaches of Belgium? How to make President Roosevelt believe that the new cabinet he formed can survive the crisis, so that he is willing to support him in the fight against Hitler? How to respond to the defeatist political opponents of the peace faction who publicly questioned Britain's ability to fight independently in Parliament (House of Commons) and constantly pressured the palace to demand peace talks with Hitler? How to face the suggestion that the British treasury gold reserves and even the British royal family should retreat to Canada as soon as possible? Churchill, who just took over the command and went into battle when the army was approaching the city, was not allowed any time to hesitate when faced with these series of problems. He must immediately understand their clues, plan countermeasures, and take action.

Churchill's aloof personality, coupled with his bad record of once wandering around the three parties, made him unpopular in Congress and even despised. He was not a popular figure at all. After the collapse of British Prime Minister Chamberlain, who advocated appeasement, he turned to the British Emperor. There was no good intention in recommending Churchill to succeed the Prime Minister. He was put on the back burner and treated as an abandoned son who could be sacrificed when necessary; because at that time, no one of the other political opponents who were eyeing him was optimistic that he could survive the turbulent times. There were many difficulties ahead; many faction leaders had even considered the possibility from the beginning that they would take over the formation of the government once Churchill collapsed.

"The times test the youth, and the youth creates the times" was once an inspirational slogan to encourage young people in Taiwan from the 1970s to the 1980s; this slogan actually lies in the question "Does the times create heroes, or do heroes create the times?" Choose a side and stand on the team that says "the times make heroes". Churchill's story also provides the best evidence for "the times make heroes": times gave Churchill a chance to test, and Churchill seized this opportunity and successfully created the history of his era. However, the reason why Churchill was able to become "the right man who did the right thing at the right time" can also be used in the two common sayings "A hero must have a place to be useful" and "Opportunities only come to those who are prepared." To understand, because the connection between these two sentences means "To become a hero who can create the situation, you must prepare yourself before the situation arrives." The biography of Churchill written by Roberts, titled "Preparation" and "Trial" and divided into two parts, reflects exactly the same point of view as above.

Churchill was born in a well-known old aristocratic family. He has had the aura of a protagonist since he was a child and feels good about himself. And because he grew up in the era when the British Empire was at its peak, inheriting the glorious glory of the empire became a natural sense of mission for him; even He has claimed since he was a child that he would one day save Britain. In fact, when Churchill later became Prime Minister, whenever he encountered an almost desperate dilemma, the psychological support that allowed him to regain his footing and regain his fighting spirit was the sense of mission that the glorious history of the British Empire would never end in his own hands.

At the age of sixty-five, Churchill finally found his way to the prime ministership he had longed for all his life at Britain's most dangerous and shocking moment. However, no one was optimistic about it and thought he would only be a short-lived cabinet. Under this circumstance, he not only survived the extremely arduous and lonely defense of England, but also finally united with many Allied Powers to usher in a comprehensive victory on the European battlefield, completing his historical mission of saving the fate of the British Empire.

The early days of Churchill's leadership of the war cabinet were an extremely thrilling and torturous process. In the process, he showed the personality traits of a leader who became increasingly frustrated and courageous, as well as the strong psychological quality needed to support this personality trait. The so-called personality traits refer to a person's unique way of responding to the environment in terms of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors; while psychological quality refers to the tenacity to relieve mental stress and restore psychological balance when facing setbacks and pain. When it comes to psychological quality, South Africa's Mandela is the leader. He used William. Henry's poem "Invictus": "My unyielding soul... no fear how narrow the gate of destiny, no matter how many sins and punishments there are on the road of life; I am the master of my destiny, I am my soul "Commander." As a psychological healer, he maintained his will to survive and never give up in the endless prison life with no hope. The connotations of the career experiences of Churchill and Mandela were different, but the essence of the test of psychological quality was the same.

On May 13, 1940, the third day after Churchill took over as Prime Minister, he went to Parliament to deliver his first speech. At that time, he was starting to form a cabinet, and people in Congress were in a state of flux. Some people were looking forward to joining the cabinet, while others were waiting for a good show; and as the new prime minister, he had to respond to "the new war that Hitler just launched with great momentum three days ago. Why should we resist?" and expressed his views to the anxious British people. Since the cabinet system was still "just turned on", Churchill really could not come up with any specific countermeasures at that moment, so he used "the confidence of the British Empire as the world's hegemon" as leverage to issue an impassioned "bloody speech". , tears, sweat" speech: He honestly told the people that the future will be a very long period of suffering and struggle; he admitted that "except blood, hard work, tears, and sweat, I have nothing to offer."; he also firmly declared that "we Our policy is to fight, and our goal is to win!" He used this declaration to draw a clear line with the peace faction, inspiring the masses to join him in defending the independence and freedom of the British Empire, and letting everyone know "why And fight”!

More than a month later, on June 18, when France proposed a surrender agreement to Germany, which meant that the German army could launch a campaign to invade Britain at any time, Churchill promptly delivered the speech "We will fight on the beaches . " He shouted to the people at the top of his lungs: "We will fight in France... we will fight on the sea... we will fight in the air, we will defend our islands, no matter the cost! We will fight on the beaches... we will fight in the fields and in the streets …Fight on the hills; we will never surrender!”

The trick for leaders to turn crises into opportunities is to provide a clear direction for the hesitant, confused, and disillusioned masses, and lead them to overcome difficulties and achieve their goals. At this critical moment, Churchill transformed his self-expectation "If the British Empire lasts for another thousand years, the present will be the most glorious moment in its history" into a common goal to inspire the British people. This desire to fight for the continuation of the glorious history of the empire calls for the determination to fight for one's own values ​​and beliefs.

The rhetorical skills and oral training that Churchill had deliberately cultivated in his youth came in handy at this time, making him a speaker who chose words with precision and sonority, cited scriptures, was handy, eloquent, and deeply charming to the masses. What is noteworthy is the inflammatory rhetoric he used. In addition to awakening the people's collective subconscious confidence that the British Empire's indomitable spirit would eventually win, more importantly, he wanted the entire country to follow him and do more. Further resolve to fight to the end and never surrender. In his early days in office, he proposed many times

"Even if this island falls, our vast overseas imperial subjects, under the protection of the Royal Fleet, will continue to fight." This statement is used to fight back against the peace faction who forced him to show off, and expresses his resolute and unwavering "eternal Don’t give in to your determination”! Anyone who has dealt with difficult problems knows the difference between confidence and determination: Confidence often comes from unstable romantic feelings and may waver at critical moments; but determination is bound to be life-or-death commitment.

Churchill's leadership of the war cabinet was the peak period of his life, and it also allowed him to realize his self-prophecy of saving Britain. When Hitler swept across the French battlefield with overwhelming force, he immediately established a firm foothold in the new cabinet, and also initially stabilized the British military morale and popular sentiment, which enabled him to face the ensuing Battle of Great Britain. The battle for air supremacy over the English-French Channel, which was crucial to the fate of the British Empire, began in July 1940. After more than two months of fierce fighting between the German and British air forces, the decisive battle began in mid-September. As a result, the British army won, making The arrogant German army suffered its first defeat since the beginning of World War II. This defeat also made Hitler decide to let go of the British target first and turn his troops east to the Soviet Union. In other words, the victory in the Battle of Great Britain reversed the fate of the British Empire, which had hit rock bottom, and gave hope to Churchill's goal of "fighting to win"; therefore, for those who sacrificed their precious lives in this air battle, In Britain's twenties, Churchill said the following sentimentally: "Never on the battlefield of human conflict have so many achievements been attributed to so few people."

The victory in the Battle of Britain retained an important forward base for the Allied forces' future European counterattack. However, Churchill's basic situation of "struggling to hold on and wait for change" did not change immediately; it had to wait until President Roosevelt of the United States extended a clear helping hand, or even the United States officially declared war on the Axis powers such as Germany and Italy, and Hitler's offensive on the Eastern Front. After the Soviet Union suffered setbacks in the war and showed its fatigue, his goal of "defeating Nazi Germany and saving the fate of the British Empire" was finally achieved.

If I were to comment on Churchill in one sentence, I would say that he was not a perfect man, but he was a well-deserved British great man.

August 13, 2023

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