Winston Churchill is one of the most significant figures in world history. Unsurprisingly, he draws considerable attention, both positive and negative. It is appropriate that a figure such as Churchill be the subject of much discussion and debate.
Churchill’s admirers tend to focus on his opposition to the policy of appeasement of Nazi Germany and his inspirational leadership of the UK during World War Two. However, not even his most ardent admirers would argue that Churchill was flawless. To quote Richard Langworth “his [Churchill’s] mistakes like his virtues were on a grand scale”. There are several areas where criticism of Churchill’s record is warranted. For example, few of his admirers today defend his opposition to Indian independence in the 1930s.
However, Churchill’s fame makes him an attractive target for many ill-informed or lazy would-be contrarians. Regardless of how poorly sourced or inaccurate a negative article or comment about Churchill is, it is guaranteed to attract attention.
Anytime something happens that is somehow related to Churchill (be it the release of a film about his life, a statement made by a public figure referring to him, or a protest, etc) a slew of negative articles about the man will be published shortly afterward. These articles tend to be reliant on cherry-picked statements Churchill made, take his decisions or actions out of context, and usually ignore facts that contradict what I describe as the Churchillian Black Legend. These articles will then be relied upon by the next batch of writers and so the cycle of erroneous biography continues. These articles gain a lot of circulation thanks to social media. There are various groups of people who have a strong dislike of Churchill, are extremely active online, and have little interest in the truth. These include:
- Extremists on either the far right or far left
- Nationalists of various kinds (Indian nationalists, Irish republicans, Scottish cybernats, and American paleoconservatives to give some examples)
- Ignoramuses.
The purpose of this blog is to discuss common hyperbolic criticisms, myths, and clickbait relating to Winston Churchill - the Churchillian Black Legend, in other words. Common elements of this Black Legend include the following assertions regarding Churchill:
- That he was utterly incompetent and failed upwards his whole career
- He was a bloodthirsty tyrant and a warmonger
- He committed numerous crimes against humanity
- He was commonly regarded as a monstrous bigot even in his own time.
While I have my own personal bias, it is not my intention to turn this blog into a hagiography. I have no issue with genuine or honest criticism of Churchill’s life, career, or legacy. That is not my target, and I’ll happily concede flaws that Churchill had. I will be relying on scholarly works about - and primary sources related to - Winston Churchill. All references will be provided so that readers can verify my claims. I welcome corrections and rebuttals provided they are evidence-based and polite.
