The Churchill Series – Feb. 5, 2007

(One of a series of weekday posts on the life of Winston S. Churchill.)

In Winston Churchill and His Inner Circle Sir John “Jock” Colville, Churchill’s Private Secretary for much of WW II and later his close friend, writes:

In the first few years after the war Britain was the sole European victor. …

Churchill’s mission, as he saw it, was to promote unity, but although Britain would be “of Europe,” she would, as he had written in 1930, not be comprised in it. Her destiny lay with the Empire and on the seas. It would be furthered and also insured by a close and special relationship with the United States.

Britain, strong and independent, would certainly not be excluded from Europe: on the contrary, she would add purpose and stability to the new continental union. She would provide a vital link not only with the United States but, because of her vast Empire, with Asia, Africa and the Pacific basin. (pgs. 263-264)

A lot could be said about all of that.

I’ll make just four points now:

1) Britain today is ambivalent about it’s place in a united Europe. It’s still won’t, for example, give up it own currency as so many other European countries have. (I'm not suggesting it should.)

2) The Anglo-American alliance was the 20th century’s most important alliance for democracy, commerce and a chance for a better life for billions of us.

3) Britain lost her Empire but the dominance of the English language was an enormously important, still under-appreciated contribution to human betterment.

4) What Colville terms “Churchill’s mission” is one more reminder of what a great and good man he was.