The Churchill Series - Feb. 6, 2007

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

During most of his public life, The Times of London was one of Churchill’s sharpest critics, particularly during the 1930s.

Many of The Times’ editorials from that period castigating Churchill for his opposition to appeasement and his warnings of German rearmament and Nazi aggression read more like pieces composed in Berlin rather than in London’s Fleet Street.

During WW II, of course, The Times was generally on the side of the Government Churchill led.

But as the war was coming to an end, The Times decided it knew how Churchill could best serve his country and the world. Churchill was ready with his response. From The New York Times’ obituary of Jan. 26, 1965:

At the end of the war, before the election that he lost in 1945, The Times of London prepared an editorial suggesting that he campaign as a nonpartisan world leader and retire gracefully rather soon afterward. The editor first informed Churchill that he was going to make these two points.

"Mr. Editor," Churchill said to the first point, "I fight for my corner." And, to the second: "Mr. Editor, I leave when the pub closes."

I'll bet most of you are saying, “That’s telling him, Mr. Churchill. Cheers!”

At his death The Times of London paid Churchill many tributes. One in particular touched the British people. The paper removed all advertising from its front page. It had not done that in more than half a century.

The New York Times’ obituary can be found here thanks to The Churchill Centre.