Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill
SIR Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, K.G., O.M., C.H., T.D., F.R.S., P.C., P.C. (Can) (30 November, 1874 – 24 January, 1965) was a British politician known chiefly for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He served as First Lord of the Admiralty from 1911 to 1915. He was forced from office following the formation of the First Coalition government.
Note: there are numerous books and internet articles on the life of Churchill. This article on Churchill will focus only on his first term as First Lord of the Admiralty.
Appointment as First Lord of the Admiralty
Reconstitution of the Board
War Staff
Reorganisation of Fleets
Resignation of Bridgeman
Argument over Names of Ships
Threat of the Board Resigning
Roskill seems to have convinced himself that Churchill was opposed to the separation of the Naval Wing from the Royal Flying Corps, claiming, "Churchill set his face firmly against such a step,"[1] putting a lot of faith in Churchill's statement before the C.I.D. in June, 1914, that "he had always looked on the Naval and Military Wings as branches of one great service."[2] A week after making this little speech, Churchill sanctioned the renaming of the Naval Wing to the Royal Naval Air Service. Quite how Roskill managed to reconcile these two events in his head is hard to fathom and conclude that Churchill was "firmly against such a step" is unclear.
Mobilisation & War
Resignation of Battenberg
Fall
Assessment
Churchill was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty in 1911 with a clear remit - to institute the equivalent of a General Staff in the Royal Navy. An Admiralty War Staff was created at the beginning of 1912, but its lack of executive authority and Churchill's domineering personality stunted its development. Far too many historians have blamed the staff's failings on the Navy's officer corps, when the responsibility and the fault lies clearly with Churchill.
Footnotes
Bibliography
- Churchill, Randolph S. (1966). Winston S. Churchill: Youth, 1874-1900. Volume I. London: William Heinemann Ltd.
- Churchill, Randolph S. (1967). Winston S. Churchill: Young Statesman, 1910–1914. Volume II. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0395075262.
- Churchill, Randolph S. (1969). Winston S. Churchill: Companion, Part 3, 1911–1914. Volume II. London: William Heinemann Ltd. ISBN 0-434-13008.
- Gilbert, Martin (1971). Winston S. Churchill: The Challenge of War, 1914–1916. Volume III. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0395131537.
- Gilbert, Martin. (1972). Winston S. Churchill: Companion, Part 1, Documents, July 1914–April 1915. Volume III. London: William Heinemann Ltd. ISBN 0-434-13012-5.
- Hough, Richard (1987). Former Naval Person: Churchill and the Wars at Sea. London: George Weidenfeld & Nicolson Limited. ISBN 0-297-79018-8.
- Roskill, Stephen (2004). Churchill and the Admirals. Barnsley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 1-84415-104-2.
Papers
Political Appointments | ||
Preceded by Reginald McKenna |
First Lord of the Admiralty 1911 – 1915 |
Succeeded by Arthur J. Balfour |