Winston Churchill: Leading by Waging an Ethical War

Winston Churchill’s critics accused him being a warmonger through much of his early political career and the label often remains associated with Churchill even today. Before most, Churchill recognized the evilness of the Nazi regime and continual deterioration of freedom across the European Continent resulting from the rise of dictatorships in Germany, Russia, and Italy. Churchill’s desire to fight stemmed from an ethical resolve in the protection of freedom, democratic principles, and human life.

An article titled “Universal Human Values: Finding an Ethical Common Ground,” by Rushworth M. Kidder and published in Leadership Development Studies: A Humanities Approach, provides a link between courage and ethical leadership which Churchill strongly represents. In the article, Kidder quotes Nien Cheng’s thoughts on courage and ethics. Cheng said, “One should basically know what is right and what is wrong, and, when you know that, be courageous enough to stand for what is right” (Kidder 121).

Churchill strongly stood for his ethical convictions “On 1 October [1938], [when] Chamberlain [the British Prime Minister] returned to an ecstatic public reception in London following his meeting with Hitler at Munich” (Churchill 171) This was the day that Hitler made a peace agreement with Chamberlain “pledging that Britain and Germany would never again go to war” (171). For this, Chamberlain was credited as a hero. While celebrations of peace ensued, Winston Churchill courageously argued that the agreement was worthless and war would be inevitable. “At this point Churchill could number his political allies in the House on the fingers of one hand” (171).

Here is a video of the celebration of the "accomplishments" of Hitler and Chamberlain:

Facing enormous pressure, Churchill audaciously addressed his countrymen and shared his bleak vision of the future based upon Hitler’s peace agreement. A key aspect of the peace agreement allowed Nazi Germany’s occupation of Czechoslovakia to continue. Churchill despised this appeasement and felt that Britain and France failed the Czechoslovakian people. Further, he believed that Britain’s quest for peace created vulnerability for the entire European Continent.

Below are some of Churchill’s powerful and ethical words on 1 October 1938:

           

“Many people, no doubt, honestly believe that they are only giving away the interests of Czechoslovakia, whereas I fear we shall find that we have deeply compromised, and perhaps fatally endangered, the safety and even the independence of Great Britain and France. This in not merely a question of giving up the German colonies, as I am sure we shall be asked to do. Nor is it a question only of losing influence in Europe. It goes far deeper than that. You have to consider the character of the Nazi movement and the rule which it implies. The Prime Minister desires to see cordial relations between this country and Germany. There is no difficulty at all in having cordial relations with the German people. Our hearts go out to them. But they have no power. You must have diplomatic and correct relations, but there can never be friendship between the British democracy and the Nazi Power, that Power which spurns Christian ethics, which cheers its onward course by a barbarous paganism, which vaunts the spirit of aggression and conquest, which derives strength and perverted pleasure from persecution, and uses, and we have seen, with pitiless brutality the threat of murderous force. That Power cannot ever be the trusted friend of the British democracy” (179).

Works Cited

Churchill, Winston S. Never Give In!: The Best of Winston Churchill’s Speeches. New York: Hyperion, 2003. Print.

Kidder, Rushworth. “Universal Human Values: Finding an Ethical Common Ground.” Leadership Development Studies: A Humanities Approach. Jackson: Phi Theta Kappa, 2008. 117-121. Print.

Neville Chamberlain - Peace in our Time. Wolfmanwill, 2010. YouTube.Com. Web. 25 Apr. 2013.