About the lecture

In this lecture, we think about the background to Churchill’s political views and career, focusing in particular on: (i) recognising Churchill as the last great Victorian politician; (ii) Churchill’s father, Randolph, who died when Churchill was quite young and who had been viewed as having the potential to remake Conservativism; (iii) Churchill’s ‘coming of age’ in a political sense during the 1890s, at the peak of British imperialism during the Scramble for Africa, which greatly impacted his political viewpoints; (iv) Churchill’s use of Victorian rhetoric in all his political discussions, a subject of criticism and something that was joked about in Parliament; (v) Churchill’s adoption of the modern methods of communication used by his peers, such as radio and later television; (vi) Churchill’s lack of independent wealth, when compared to many of his peers, meaning that he had to work hard to maintain is aristocratic image.

About the lecturer

Professor Jon Lawrence is a Professor of Modern British History in the Archaeology and History Department at the University of Exeter. Professor Lawrence’s research interests are in British social, cultural and political history, as well as the intersection of class and gender in popular politics. Some of Professor Lawrence’s recent publications include articles in BBC History Magazine and History Today.