Heroes or Just Good at PR? – Part 1: Winston Churchill

You know him. The guy whose statue stands tall in London. The one who always looks like he’s about to say, “Bring me a cigar, and throw in half the world while you’re at it.” Books say he’s a hero. They call him Britain’s savior. The fearless lion roaring bravely in Hitler’s face.

But what if the lion roared loudly only because it stole someone else’s lunch?

Let’s rewind a bit. Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill arrived in this world in 1874, in a palace. Yeah, an actual palace—not some dusty little house. From day one, life handed him gold spoons, silver forks, and probably diamond bowls too. His father was a Lord; his mother, a rich American. Forget rags-to-riches. Winston Churchill’s story was riches-to-more-riches-to-super-famous.

He wasn’t great at school, yet somehow slipped neatly into a military uniform. He went here and there—India, Sudan, South Africa—fought a bit, and wrote exciting stories. War, of course, looks wonderful when you hold the pen and not the rifle.

Then came politics. Churchill entered as a Conservative. Then he hopped to the Liberals. Then hopped back to the Conservatives. He changed parties like people change TV channels when nothing good is on—restless, bored, always looking for something better.

Now comes Gallipoli in World War I. Churchill thought his plan was genius. Reality disagreed. Thousands died. Churchill got sidelined. Normal people relax with movies or naps. Churchill relaxed by painting happy little trees and calm lakes. Good for him, I guess.

Fast-forward to World War II—1940. Hitler danced across Europe. Britain needed someone loud. Churchill grabbed the microphone, speaking words that woke up a frightened nation. Even today, documentaries use his voice like catchy pop songs: “We shall fight on the beaches…”

So far, sounds heroic, right? Hold on.

Now we arrive at the chapter history books whisper. Or just conveniently skip.

1943, Bengal in India. Europe had Nazis. Bengal had hunger. Millions starved. But wait—there was food. Lots of it. Yet Churchill’s government took rice meant for Indians. They fed British troops. They filled their warehouses. Bengal begged for help. Churchill replied casually, saying Indians “breed like rabbits.” Not exactly the speech you’d carve onto statues, huh?

Three million people died. No bullets fired. No battles lost. Just hunger.

But Churchill treating colonies badly wasn’t new. He always thought white people were on top. He believed in building empires by standing on others’ backs—literally.

He even supported using poisonous gas on rebels in the Middle East. “I strongly favor using poisoned gas against uncivilized tribes,” he once said. Nope, that’s not the villain from your latest action movie. That’s your hero, proudly staring from British banknotes.

In 1910, Churchill sent troops to crush coal miners protesting in Wales. In 1945, he backed bombing Dresden, Germany, turning thousands of civilians into smoke. But guess what? None of this stained his legacy. Win wars, write well, and history helps you clean your bloody hands.

He didn’t free colonies. He never said sorry. Instead, he wrote thick books, painted calm pictures, and made fiery speeches. For these “talents,” they handed him a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953.

Because hey, if you’re good with words, maybe they’ll forget the blood.

Here’s my view about history. Real history should tell facts without taking sides. It should be neutral, like a referee who doesn’t care who wins. But sadly, that’s rarely how it works. History usually picks sides. It’s either in love with someone or hates them completely. Churchill is just one example.

Now pause and think carefully. Hitler killed millions. Churchill caused millions to die too, just fewer. One is called pure evil. The other, a brave hero. Both saw some people as superior. Both caused suffering. One built death camps, the other built an empire that did pretty similar work. So, what decides a monster from a hero? Is it simply the number of dead bodies, or just smart PR work?

Here’s your puzzle: Was Churchill the courageous leader who saved Britain from Hitler’s darkness? Or was he a cold-hearted man who let millions starve while proudly waving his British flag?

Can one person be both heroic and horrible at once?

Or was Churchill just incredibly good at selling himself?

I won’t give you the answer. I just brought you the facts. History builds statues for some, erases others. So maybe before praising, we should always ask ourselves:

“Praise… for whom?”