Without Clementine history of Churchill would have been a very different story. 17/11/22
She was one of the tiny group privy to the secret preparations of the Normandy landing. Churchill delayed this for as long as possible to ensure the greatest chance of success. The worlds future had so depended on the courage of a single man. She supported women's rights ,no matter how furiously she disagreed with Winston, she loved him, their union was exciting and famous, and he doted and depended on her.
Cherie Blair was probably the PM consort most involved in her husband's role since Clementine. It was often visiting Americans who were most observant of the scale of her contribution during the war , especially US ambassador Gil Winant who accompanied her on tours of bombed out London during the war.
As a child in 1899 her mother lived in Dieppe and she was enrolled in a Convent where she learned French. The Nuns and other girls were against the Brits in the Boer war. They were poor aristocrats and very young she learned to budget, Her mother took her to meet the Bohemian foreign artist like Oscar Wilde, Max Beerbohm and Walter Sickert (impressionist artist) who took her to meet Camille Pizarro.
1895 His father Randolf Churchill died from syphilis and so Winston was not one for casual sex.
1900 Her sister Kitty died of typhoid and as a result they returned to England where she got some formal English schooling.
1903 Received her matric certificate and was sent to Wannsee to spend 3 months at the home of the von Siemens family of the engineering company. Later in England she gave private French lessons.
1904 Churchill defected to the Liberals over his opposition to tariff reform, he was committed to free trade to keep food prices low. Winston had no capacity for small talk and was dismissive of women's conversation and got on with her. Wealthy American Ruth Lee and her British husband Arthur donated their country home Checkers to the nation.
At 22 she was meeting society women but she was better educated and knew more about life than they did and was actually interested in politics. Winston was promoted by the cabinet to president the Board of Trade.
With out Clementine, Winston felt lonely and over the next 57 years 1700 letters would be sent between them. Telegrams and lots the idea of putting their thoughts on paper even when they were under the same roof.. Clementine's accomplishments included 6 languages , music and brilliant conversation.
1907 Hozier her ostensible father died in Panama aged 69, a year before her marriage.
1908 their wedding at St. Margaret's in Parliament square with 1,300 guests including David Lloyd George and FE Smith and Sir Ian Hamilton. Winston adorned his mother despite her faults.
Winston had spent much time at Blenheim Palace while Clementine knew cheap lodgings. Once married she insisted on her own bedroom. She was up and active not involved in her children. She became immersed in social reform and threw herself into his world.
Winston went into history and she began reading the books he gave her. Her time as a dress maker made her loath sewing, but marriage clearly suited Winston's needs. If they had an argument they would make up before going to bed. The Churchills lived an upper class life with a middle class incomes. Winston was easily satisfied with the best. He gave short notice that he was bringing home important people including the King of Portugal.
1910 and 1912 he opposed bill giving women's rights and clashed with her over this "We already have enough ignorant people voting"
1910 This was the first of 15 elections campaigns that Winston and Clementine would fight together.
1918 he did vote for women of property aged over 30 to vote .As Chancellor of t he Exchequer under Lloyd George , labour exchanges and workers pensions were provided as well as pensions organized, and Clementine liked seeing that Winston was popular amongst the working classes.
1911 Act of Parliament would assert the supremacy of the House of Commons enabling financial measures through.
The Churchills were in debt but luckily they got help from Sir Ernest Cassel. Churchill took a fancy to flying which was in its infancy and many of the instructors got killed in this. She was on holiday in Overstrand Norfolk when the war broke out and the eastern seaboard of Britain like Scarborough, Harlepool and Whitby began to suffer German naval bombardment.
Clementina accompanied Winston inspected battleships and congratulated Admirals on their victories and rewards them with invitations to lunch. The army accounted for only an eight of the allied forces but had an enormous navy. The war helped her rediscover her sense of purpose.
Gallipoli peninsula attack Jan 1915 was approved by the War Cabinet to get Turkey which was Germany's new ally out of the war. This army was ill equipped lacked doctors and drugs. Sir Ian Hamilton and old friend of Winston's was appointed overall commander a choice Clementine regretted. Winston was held liable for the bloodiest military failure and removed from the Admiralty. Clementine stood by him and kept him sane and he returned to action in the army , she kept him up to date with the politics and met Lord Curzon when the idea of an airforce was born.
Labor's Ramsey Mc Donald and Lloyd George liked her. Asquith blocked French' s offer to Churchill to take charge of a brigade. She got involved in organizing workers canteen as more than 7 million women worked in factories in WW1. She introduced a rule that women could smoke in the same canteen s like men
1916 Introduction of Conscription.
This gives an idea of the forceful personality and how much Clementine was able to influence Winston. .
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World War II 13/12/22
1939 Sept1 Germany attacked Poland and WW2 started, Sept 3rd. Because Winston had the status of a visionary man of action, Chamberlain was forced to give him a cabinet post of First Lord of the Admiralty. Merchant ships were immediately armed and naval ship fitted with radar. In October the HMS Royal Oak was sunk at Scapa Flow with the loss of 833 lives.
The phony war ended with in spring 1940 with the German invasion of Norway, and this was followed by the German blitzkrieg to capture Holland, Belgium and then France and only then did Churchill make it clear that appeasement was over. At this stage Clementine was checking his speeches and suggesting more simple words for what he would broadcast and later when he broadcast in French to occupied Europe , Clementine coached him before he spoke.
At this stage the Americans were not keen to support Britain in keeping up the empire. Winston had a tyrannical style so Clementine took it on herself to be corrective and invited his key staff one by one to take tea with her alone. She showed she was an enormous important component in the war. She was privy to all the discussions with military chiefs that took place during meals and what she did was for Winston's good. The role of the unelected spouse of t he PM had never been defined .
1940 Jan Rationing was introduced.
At Dunkirk the British troops escaped but lost and destroyed material that would take 9 months to replace.
The call females to arms was delivered by Winston but clearly bearing Clemintenes fingerprints and she also set an example by doing fire watching duties.
During the most important sortie of the Battle of Britain Air Vice Mashal Keith Park of New Zealand put every airplane into service. This was now won. Clemintien was the one who watched the domestic front and fed information into Winston's speeches, as he was oblivious to the mindset of the majority.
Clementine niece was Diana Mitford a personal friend of Hitler married to Sir Oswald Moseley. In 1943 Diane's mother came to plead against her daughter being incarcerated. Clementine said they were safer there otherwise they may be lynched.
Harry Hopkins was Roosevelt friend and speaking to him was like speaking to the President. He had been an architect of the New Deal. Joe Kennedy had been US Ambassador to London and he was a defeatist, and advised Americans to leave the UK. Clementine was the one who entertained Hopkins, convinced him of Churchill greatness as a leader and that England would fight, and not capitulate and aid to England was worthwhile. Bletchley park had already informed Churchill that the invasion of Britain was cancelled but he kept this quiet.
Clementine kept up friendly correspondence with Hopkin . Clementine would entertain Janet Murrow in Downing street and Winston seized the moment when Ed collected her to give him an interview. She was also friendly with Gil Winant the new US Ambassador.
Averell Harriman was the son of a US railroad tycoon and he was incharge of "Lend Lease " to see what supplies Britain needed. He was given an office in the Admiralty with access to the secret cables and was seduced by Winston daughter in law Pamela. Their son Randolph was upset about this but he was an unreliable gambler. Clemie entertained Henry Morgenthau , American treasury secretary and later Eisenhower and made sure they all got their favorite dish.
June 1941Germany's Operation Barbarossa attacked Russia up till that date Russia had been supplying Hitler with material assistance, and hoping to get spoils of the British defeat The Soviet Ambassador Ivan Maisky dashed to Checkers, Stalin was demanding that Churchill immediately send troops to northern France. Clementine saw Maisky with Hopkins and kept prowling till Maisky left.
1941 Oct. The German's torpedoing of the USS Reuben James failed to provoke an American Declaration of war.
1941 Dec After Pearl Harbour, Churchill and Roosevelt signed the Atlantic Charter with principles of self- determination and free trade. Eleonor had been her husband political partner in the New Deal but was excluded from the war matters. She went on highly paid lecture tours and had a syndicated column called "My Day" and visited slums , mines factories. Clementine welcomes her on her visit to England to find out about Women in the army and in the War effort. Eleonor aired her opinions even if they were at odds with Franklin. She was the one who establish the prominent role of the First Lady. Tons of clothing were collected in America and the Empire as the Homefront in England had no new clothes during the war.
1942 Feb Clement Attlee made Churchill deputy PM first time in British history. Clementine as predident of the YWCA set up and appeal to set up canteen, hostils for working women in war effort and servicewomen. She also set up the Red Cross aid to Russia Fund, and worked with Agnes Maisky to resolve conflict of interests with Russia. At this time Roosevelt was more suspicious of British Imperialism that Russian totalitarianism. Roosevelt refused to support an operation on the Greek island of Leros.
Clemie took a stand about segregated black US soldiers and about European Jews seeking asylum in the US. Churchill role was reduced now that the American's were in the war driving seat and Winston took her to Washington hoping to improve his position with Roosevelt where she won over the American people.
She had a homely relationship with Chief of Staff Alan Brooke and noticed how many high ranking officers were unmarried. She made sure Winston had a good relationship with his generals.
Winston had an acrimonious relationship with de Gaul and once when he arrived she diverted him from his aides and told him to take care not to hate his allies more than his enemies. The meeting then went well with Winston.
1943 Harriman was posted to Moscow and Pamela - Randolf Churchill ex wife missed him.
1943 Sept the Battle of Salerno was raging while Churchill with Clemie were in Canada. Churchill wanted to fly back to visit the troops there and leave Clemie to return on the Battleship. She said she would not have it said that a Battleship was used especially for her and so she would travel on a merchant ship convey, Winston relented. In Canada she delivered an address in both English and French thanking the people for the war effort.
1944 The V-1 Doodlebugs' started being launched over England. When Henry Morgenthau wanted to go on a tour of the Bomb shelter Clementine was the one sent to chaperone him.
D day cost the lives of 4000 soldiers which was considered a great success. There were later a million British troops in Europe while America had 3 million.
Churchill had neglected the Homefront and it was Clemie who managed to get him to arrange army lorries to distribute coal.
Once Paris was freed Winston became worried about Communisms while the American needed Stalin's help if the Atom bomb failed. Russia was already breaching the Yalta agreement. Clemie went on a Russian tour and was very popular and met Stalin, she was given the Order of the Red Banner for labour and met Tito there, but when she arrived home said the West should break diplomatic ties with Russia.
1945 Eleonor Roosevelt age 61 only just started her substantive career when Truman appointed her US delegate at the UN and drew up the international bill of rights. In 1952 she was touted as a possible Presidential candidate.
Clemie was involved in setting up New Hall , the third university collage for women and Churchill collage was one of the first all-male collages to admit women.
1945 When Churchill lost the Conservative majority and Clement Attlee became PM. Clemie helped Violet Attlee move into Downing Street. Winston was in debt and could not keep up Chartwell so a number of wealthy friends bought it for the National Trust but Churchill could live in it while he was alive.
----- On Winston death she moved out of Chartwell to a small house but had a say in how this PM home she be displayed to the public.
Under Harold Wilson she was made a life peer and had a seat in the House of Lord, where she voted against capital punishment.
1977, she died at 92 She was a widow for 13 years and outlived 3 of her 5 offspring, there were many divorces amongs them. Mary was a perfect daughter to her and lived a full life till 2014.
FD. Roosevelt's 6 children also had many divorces and remarriages.
General Pug Ismay, Winston Chief of Staff observed that without her history of Winston would have been a very different story.
