Born in November of 1874, Sir Winston Churchill remains today as one of the most famous democratic leaders in history. He served as Prime Minister in the British government from 1940-1945 and again from 1951-1955, a time of turmoil in Europe caused by World War II. Despite his success as a successful member of a serious, democratic government, he was also known for his witty humor and personality. As Churchill was first and foremost a war leader, the best reinforcement of his belief in democracy came when he recognized the individual will of the british people was what was going to win the war. Final confirmation of this was given at a speech at Whitehall on Victory in Europe Day when he told the assembled crowds that, "This is your victory". There are several famous quotes from Churchill regarding his thoughts on democracy as a whole, including, "It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all others that have been tried.” However, the original quote is even longer, bringing more depth to the commentary than many realize. Churchill said that, “Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”
Churchill is obviously arguing for democracy in this statement, though he acknowledges that it is not “perfect or all-wise”. This quote is considered all-encompassing by many, as it states democracy’s faults but also shows that it is the best system that we currently have available. Especially during the periods that Churchill was Prime Minister, there were several large government powers that the democracies were very much against. The first time he served as Prime Minister was during World War II, when the Nazi Party had occupied an enormous amount of Europe, allied with Japan, which was essentially under military rule at the time. The Nazis were considered a to be ruled by dictatorship or totalitarianism, with views that completely contradicted all that democracy stands for. Another example of a European dictatorship at the time of Churchill’s prime ministership is Mussolini’s Italy. Though he originally ruled under the pretence of democracy, by 1925 he had set up a legal dictatorship, until his ousting in 1943. Though they were not a dictatorship, another example is the Chinese Communist Party, which beat out the nationalist Guomindang in 1949. They established a communist regime that nations, like the United States, fought against by supporting the Guomindang with funding and equipment.
Churchill recognized the longevity of a government could only be ensured when it maintains a system where it is through the will of the people that the country is run. The examples above serve not only to reinforce Churchill’s ideals but also the rest of the world’s. What probably stood out most prominently in his mindset was the example of how a united, industrialized democracy ultimately holds final victory over other governmental systems, perhaps exemplified best by America and the United Kingdom.
Churchill is obviously arguing for democracy in this statement, though he acknowledges that it is not “perfect or all-wise”. This quote is considered all-encompassing by many, as it states democracy’s faults but also shows that it is the best system that we currently have available. Especially during the periods that Churchill was Prime Minister, there were several large government powers that the democracies were very much against. The first time he served as Prime Minister was during World War II, when the Nazi Party had occupied an enormous amount of Europe, allied with Japan, which was essentially under military rule at the time. The Nazis were considered a to be ruled by dictatorship or totalitarianism, with views that completely contradicted all that democracy stands for. Another example of a European dictatorship at the time of Churchill’s prime ministership is Mussolini’s Italy. Though he originally ruled under the pretence of democracy, by 1925 he had set up a legal dictatorship, until his ousting in 1943. Though they were not a dictatorship, another example is the Chinese Communist Party, which beat out the nationalist Guomindang in 1949. They established a communist regime that nations, like the United States, fought against by supporting the Guomindang with funding and equipment.
Churchill recognized the longevity of a government could only be ensured when it maintains a system where it is through the will of the people that the country is run. The examples above serve not only to reinforce Churchill’s ideals but also the rest of the world’s. What probably stood out most prominently in his mindset was the example of how a united, industrialized democracy ultimately holds final victory over other governmental systems, perhaps exemplified best by America and the United Kingdom.