Winston Churchill’s 148th Birth Anniversary: 10 Quotes from the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, who led Britain to victory in the Second World War

During the Second World War Winston Churchill, the renowned orator served as Britain’s leader as it faced the Nazis alone. However, most of the West, especially the United States as well as Great Britain, have soiled the image of Winston Churchill.

Reputable academics like Christopher Hitchens have recently questioned Churchill’s reputation and legacy. Additionally, Winston Churchill was not at all sympathetic toward India. He publicly attacked Gandhi, supported colonialism, resisted Indian independence, and, by a deliberate act of neglect, contributed to the deaths of thousands of people in the Bengal famine.

Churchill’s opinions on India remained fairly typical of those held at the time by British Conservatives. He seems to accept the notion of the “White Man’s Burden” put forth by Rudyard Kipling. Colonial rule was supposed to usher in civilization and modernity for less fortunate people like ourselves. If left to our own devices, we would probably resort to violence.

Unsurprisingly, Churchill believed that the British Raj was a positive force in the globe and was a fervent supporter of it. He was a fierce opponent of Gandhi because of his devotion to the Indian freedom struggle.

The Bengal Famine of 1941 resulted in the deaths of about 3 million people. Yes, there had been natural causes and poor harvests that contributed to the shortage of food grain, but the British administration’s actions enormously widened the scope of the destruction. Churchill continued to transfer food supplies from India to support the war effort despite losing Burma (a food exporter to India) to Japan.

Was Churchill only a supporter of colonialism, a detractor of Gandhi, and a blatant apologist for the atrocities committed by the empire he backed? Churchill distinguished himself by upholding moral ideals on at least two significant occasions.

10 Quotes from the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who led Britain to victory in the Second World War

1. Nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at without a result.

2. My tastes are simple: I am easily satisfied with the best.

3. To improve is to change, so to be perfect is to change often.

4. All wisdom is not new wisdom.

5. Every man should ask himself each day whether he is not too readily accepting negative solutions.

6. If you destroy a free market you create a black market.

7. The price of greatness is responsibility.

8. When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber.

9. In finance, everything that is agreeable is unsound and everything that is sound is disagreeable.

10. You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something in your life.