- Title Pages
- Preface
- List of Contributors
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 Churchill and the Pitfalls of Family Piety
- 2 Churchill and Germany
- 3 Churchill and France
- 4 Churchill and Social Reform
- 5 Churchill’s Economic Ideas, 1900–1930
- 6 Churchill and Lloyd George
- 7 Churchill and the Labour Movement
- 8 Churchill and the First World War
- 9 Churchill and Zionism
- 10 Churchill and the British Empire
- 11 Churchill and the Monarchy
- 12 Churchill and Appeasement
- 13 Churchill, Radio, and Cinema
- 14 Churchill in 1940: The Worst and Finest Hour
- 15 How Churchill Became Prime Minister
- 16 Churchill, Japan, and British Security in the Pacific 1904–1942
- 17 Wheel Within a Wheel: Churchill, Roosevelt, and the Special Relationship
- 18 Churchill and Stalin
- 19 Churchill’s Strategy
- 20 Churchill and the Defence Chiefs
- 21 Churchill and the Navy
- 22 Churchill and Eisenhower in the Second World War
- 23 Churchill and the Use of Special Intelligence
- 24 Churchill and Science
- 25 Churchill and Europe
- 26 Churchill and India
- 27 Churchill and Egypt 1946–1956
- 28 Churchill: The Government of 1951–1955
- 29 Churchill the Parliamentarian, Orator, and Statesman
- Index
Churchill: The Government of 1951–1955
Churchill: The Government of 1951–1955
- Chapter:
- (p.491) 28 Churchill: The Government of 1951–1955
- Source:
- Churchill
- Author(s):
Roy Jenkins
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Recidivist Prime Ministers in Britain have become rare. For the hundred years from 1850 they were more the rule than the exception. Since 1955, there have been eight Prime Ministers, but only Harold Wilson has returned, and his second term was brief and quiet. For Winston Churchill, the risks of a second throw were the greatest. It is believed that no one who has not served at least four years in Downing Street can stand near to the front. Many of those who came back therefore needed to do so if they were to give their reputations a chance to grow. Churchill was in the reverse position. After 1945, he had nowhere to go but down. It is impossible to re-read the story of Churchill's life as Prime Minister of that second government without feeling that he was gloriously unfit for office. The oxymoron is appropriate to the contradictions in his performance. The central achievement of the second Churchill government was that it excellently restored the balance of British politics.
Keywords: Winston Churchill, Britain, Prime Ministers, British politics, second government
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- Title Pages
- Preface
- List of Contributors
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 Churchill and the Pitfalls of Family Piety
- 2 Churchill and Germany
- 3 Churchill and France
- 4 Churchill and Social Reform
- 5 Churchill’s Economic Ideas, 1900–1930
- 6 Churchill and Lloyd George
- 7 Churchill and the Labour Movement
- 8 Churchill and the First World War
- 9 Churchill and Zionism
- 10 Churchill and the British Empire
- 11 Churchill and the Monarchy
- 12 Churchill and Appeasement
- 13 Churchill, Radio, and Cinema
- 14 Churchill in 1940: The Worst and Finest Hour
- 15 How Churchill Became Prime Minister
- 16 Churchill, Japan, and British Security in the Pacific 1904–1942
- 17 Wheel Within a Wheel: Churchill, Roosevelt, and the Special Relationship
- 18 Churchill and Stalin
- 19 Churchill’s Strategy
- 20 Churchill and the Defence Chiefs
- 21 Churchill and the Navy
- 22 Churchill and Eisenhower in the Second World War
- 23 Churchill and the Use of Special Intelligence
- 24 Churchill and Science
- 25 Churchill and Europe
- 26 Churchill and India
- 27 Churchill and Egypt 1946–1956
- 28 Churchill: The Government of 1951–1955
- 29 Churchill the Parliamentarian, Orator, and Statesman
- Index
