Churchill and Empire[丘吉尔帝国]

Oneofourfinestnarrativehistorians,andjournalistfortheSUNDAYTIMESandLITERARYREVIEW,LawrenceJames,haswrittenagenuinelynewbiographyofWinstonChurchill,setwithinafullydetailedhistoricalcontext,butsolelyfocusingonhisrelationshipwiththeBritishEmpire.Asayoungarmyofficerinthelate19thcentury,Churchill'sfirstexperienceoftheEmpirewasservinginconflictsinIndia,SouthAfricaandtheSudan.HisattitudetowardstheEmpireatthetimewasthestereotypicalVictorianpaternalisticapproach-acombinationoffeelingresponsibleandfeelingsuperior.Consciouseventhenofhispoliticalcareerahead,Churchill'snaturalbenevolencetowardstheEmpirewasoccasionallyoverruledforpoliticalreasons,andhefoundhimselfreluctantlysupporting-oratleastnotpubliclycondemning-Britishatrocities.AsapoliticianheconsistentlyreliedontheEmpireforsupportduringcrises,butwasangeredbyanydemandsfornationalisation.Heheldwhatmanywouldregardtodayasracistviews,inthathefeltthatsomenationalitiesweresuperiortoothers,buthedidn'tregardthosepositionsasfixed.His(somemightsayobsequious)relationshipwithAmericareflectedthatview.Americawasaformercolonywherethenativeshadbecomeworthytorulethemselves,but-hefelt-stillhadthattietoBritain.ThusheoverlookedthefrequentlyexpressedAmericanviewthattheEmpirewasahangoverfromabygoneeraofcolonisation,andreflectedpoorlyonBritain'sabilitytoconductherselfasapoliticalpowerinthecurrentworldorder.ThisoutmodedattitudewasoneofthereasonstheBritishvotersrejectedhimafteraSecondWorldWarinwhich-itwasuniversallyfelt-hehadledthecountrybrilliantly.HisattituderemainedVictorianinaworldthatwasshapingupverydifferently.However,itwouldbeamistaketoconsiderChurchillmerelyasananachronisticsoldier.HegraspedtheproblemsoftheColdWarimmediately,believingthatimmaturenationsprematurelygivenindependencewouldbemorelikelytobesuckedintothevortexofCommunism.ThisviewchimedwithAmericanforeignpolicy,andmadetheAmericansrathermorepragmaticabouttheirdemandsforself-governanceforEmpirecountries.LawrenceJameshaswrittenafascinatingportraitofanendlesslyinterestingstatesman-andonethatincludestantalisingvignettesabouthispenchantsforsilkunderwearandchampagne.