Winston Churchill and his leadership during World War IIWinston Churchill symbolized Great Britain during World War II. His image, and that of the British people as a whole, was one of defiance in the face of overwhelming adversity. His galvanizing and courageous leadership as British Prime Minister during World War II was the catalyst for the stubborn resistance of the British and the ultimate victory of the Allied forces over Hitler. His speeches moved the masses and mobilized the British. When everything continues to go wrong, when the situation doesn't seem like it can get any worse, he is there to encourage and support the allied armies. With his inspiring speeches, he motivated the British nation to do what they thought was impossible. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was born on November 30, 1874 at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire. His parents were Lord Randolph Henry Spencer Churchill and his American wife, Jeanette Jerome Churchill. Churchill attended St. George's and Misses Thomson's for primary school. He didn't do particularly well at either school. For high school he went to Harrow School, a suburb of London. He was only accepted into Harrow because of his father's reputation. At Harrow he did poorly. He rarely studied and the only subject he did well in was English. He had few friends at school. (Webb 6-14) According to Robert Webb, "Winston was a loner. He had no friends and apparently he didn't want them. What he did, he did alone." (14) After struggling for four years at Harrow, Churchill decided to attend the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He failed the entrance exam twice, but was finally accepted after narrowly passing......in the middle of the test.......(Webb 107-111) Churchill's words during the war years related both to himself and to the British people as a whole. "Let us therefore prepare ourselves for our duties, and let us see that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last a thousand years, men will say: 'It was their finest hour.' " (Geib, Internet) Bibliography: Braakhius, Wilfried, “The World at War”, 1997. (May 2000). Bradick, Lynn and Norbert Schrepf, “Sir Winston Churchill”, 1997. (April 2000). Geib, Richard « Sir Winston Churchill and the Great. Britain's Finest Hour. 1996. (May 2000) Gilbert, Martin. Churchill. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1967. “Sir Winston Churchill.” Britannia.com, 2000. (May 2000). Webb, Robert N Winston Churchill, the Man of the Century New York: Franklin Watts, Inc.., 1969.