At that time, both john churchill and Sarah Janus held high positions in the English court, and their annual income was considerable. Their annual salary was 64325 pounds, which was a huge sum at that time. After John was awarded the title of Dukedom of Marlborough, he could get a salary of 5,000 pounds a year, and with the huge rewards given by the king after several victories, the Churchill family already had huge property and a lot of treasures. However, after several generations of consumption, the economic situation of the Churchill family is getting more and more embarrassed. Churchill's grandfather was burdened with many children, and the embarrassing economic situation not only made him develop a hard and stingy character, but also forced him to sell his family property. Randolph Churchill was born in 1849, the third son of Dukedom of Marlborough VII. According to English law, Dukedom of Marlborough's title and territory should be inherited by his eldest brother, George Churchill. Randolph himself can only seek a way out in politics, the army, the colonial administration or religious circles. After graduating from Oxford University, Randolph decided to seek development in politics. Before entering politics,1August, 873, Randolph met Jenny, the daughter of American millionaire Leonard Jerome, at a dance. They fell in love at first sight and soon established a marriage relationship.
Jenny's father Leonard Jerome is a successful entrepreneur. He was engaged in diplomatic work in his early years and served as consul of Trieste in the United States. Later, he turned to business and became one of the bosses of The New York Times. At the same time, he also does real estate business. For Jenny and Randolph's marriage, he was not very satisfied at first, because in many aspects of social life, the concepts of Americans and British people are out of place. However, due to the persistence of both parties, he finally not only agreed to the marriage, but also promised to provide his daughter and son-in-law with 2,000 pounds a year to subsidize their lives.
Dukedom of Marlborough VII did not agree with his son Randolph's choice at first; For the sake of family background, marrying the daughter of an American civilian is not in line with the tradition and status of the nobility. Among the nobles outside the British royal family, there are only 20 dukes, and Dukedom of Marlborough ranks 10th in the Knights Order. Therefore, the Duke and Duchess attach great importance to their respected status, glory and prestige, which is second only to the royal family. Because of his son's insistence, the duke finally agreed to the marriage, but at the same time put forward a condition that Randolph must enter the parliament before the wedding can be held.
At the beginning of 1874, Lord Randolph Churchill, who just turned 24, was recommended by his father to run for parliament as the representative of the constituency in Woodstock Town, Oxfordshire, which was controlled by his family, and won. In mid-April of the same year, Lord Randolph and Jenny Jerome got married at the British Embassy in Paris. Six weeks after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Randolph Churchill returned to their hometown of Brenheim Palace and were warmly welcomed by local residents. The whole town was covered with colorful flags and residents greeted it in the rain. The mayor gave a warm speech and expressed sincere wishes to the newlyweds. Randolph and Jenny lived in Brenheim Palace for a while. In order to attend the parliamentary meeting, they came to London to rent a house and devoted themselves to the interesting and charming social life of London's upper class. They returned to Brenheim after the parliamentary recess in July. In order to pass the boring days, pregnant Jenny showed great interest in hunting. 1October 24th 165438+ She fell down and was frightened. On the 28th, Jenny had another "reckless car trip", which caused abdominal pain that night. The next day I tried to protect the fetus, but it didn't seem to have any effect. After eight hours of labor pains, Jenny gave birth to a son at 10: 30 on October 30th, 1874 1 1: 30, only seven and a half months before getting married. The Times of London and Oxford Daily reported that "Mrs. Randolph Churchill gave birth to her son at Brenheim Palace on the morning of1October 30." The Oxford Times added: "That night, the church rang a sweet blessing bell." The name of this premature baby is winston leonard spencer churchill. Lord Randolph thinks children are "very beautiful". Everyone says that his eyes and hair are black. For premature babies, his body is quite strong. "Some people suspect that the child is not premature. In this regard, Churchill's biographer Henry Palin wrote: "It is sufficient to guess whether the child is only two or three weeks premature, because it means that the child is twins."
Getting pregnant before marriage seriously violated the etiquette at that time. Therefore, whether Winston Churchill's early birth was his first impatience or the product of Lord Randolph's impatience, let's leave it for the time being. "
Winston Jr.' s birth, the heir to the title of Duke of Barrow in Jeanmart, was upset. Because his uncle George Churchill, the future Dukedom of Marlborough VIII, is known as the Marquis of Bradford in etiquette, and he has only one son. If anything happens to him, Winston Churchill should inherit the title and territory of Duke Marzlo. This possibility has existed for more than twenty years. Therefore, after Dukedom of Marlborough IX got married, the old duchess, Winston's grandmother, said to Consuela Vanderbilt, the daughter of a famous American millionaire, "Your main task is to have children. You should have sons. Winston, a premature baby, cannot be allowed to inherit the title of duke. " Duchess IX successfully completed the task assigned by her old grandmother, which also made Winston lose the possibility of becoming Dukedom of Marlborough. Shortly after Winston was born, Randolph and his wife took him to live in London. On the surface, Randolph, as a member of parliament, needs to take part in political activities frequently and cannot live in his hometown. More practically, the young couple can't adapt to the dull and rigid living habits of Brenheim Palace. In particular, Jenny, who comes from an American civilian background, is beautiful, intelligent, charming, lively and active, and is attached to her American concept, which makes her incompatible with the duchesses of Brenheim Palace. The habit of living in Paris for a long time also made her yearn for London society.
They live comfortably in London. In addition to Leonard Jerome giving 2000 pounds a year, the old duke also gives Randolph 1000 pounds a year, and the income of 3000 pounds a year allows them to meet the necessary expenses. However, both husband and wife are used to living a rich life, spending money like water, and often hosting banquets at home to entertain social friends; Randolph is also an avid horse racing enthusiast, so they often feel short of money.
Their generosity and hospitality, as well as the beauty, intelligence and elegance of the hostess who has lived in Paris for many years, won the welcome of London society, and soon the Randolphs became members of the romantic and luxurious circle of the Prince of Wales. Jenny is not only good at painting, but also good at playing the piano. She can also write some exquisite letters with witty remarks. Churchill once recalled: "My mother will always be like a fairy princess in my eyes, a radiant woman with unlimited talents." This attracted outstanding figures from the British aristocracy to visit their home, and disraeli, leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister, was once a frequent visitor to their home. Randolph did not give up his seat in Dublin. After returning to London, he devoted himself to political activities with a more active attitude. Whether Randolph Churchill's almost fierce political enthusiasm was aroused by the rebellious mentality of extreme hatred for the upper class after being hit, or his strong desire to display his talents, make contributions and get ahead is a matter of opinion. Obviously, in the years after returning to London, Randolph's political performance was outstanding. His fame and status are rising, and he is becoming a well-known political figure in the country.
Randolph, like his father, is a member of the Conservative Party. After the Conservative Party lost in the 1880 general election, its leader, disraeli, resigned as prime minister, entered the upper house, and soon retired. The Conservative Party lacks an eloquent speaker in the House of Commons like Gladstone, the leader of its rival Liberal Party. Randolph's eloquence at this time naturally attracted the attention of conservatives. It is said that Randolph was not very good-looking when he was a child, with a small head and prominent eyes. He was often laughed at by his classmates when he was studying at Eton College, which inspired him to make up for his shortcomings with wit and eloquence. Up to now, his eloquence is perfect. He should make careful preparations before his speech and consciously learn from the skills of well-trained actors in his speech; He used sharp words to ridicule and satirize the other side, used strict logic to draw conclusions that were beneficial to his own views, and hit the nail on the head to expose the policy defects concealed by liberals under high-sounding slogans, all of which achieved great success in the House of Commons. At this time, his appearance has become an advantage because of its characteristics: thin body, round eyes and a beard on the upper lip, which makes him an excellent performance object for cartoonists, thus further expanding his influence and popularity. In the 1980s, Britain's international status was in the process of sharp decline. Contrary to the rising young industrial countries Germany and the United States, Britain's industrial growth rate is getting slower and slower. The protracted economic crisis has seriously troubled British society and intensified domestic class contradictions; The labor movement has become increasingly active, and an independent political party, the Labour Party, has been established to strive for the independent representation of the working class in Parliament. The new economic and political situation forces the British Conservative Party and the Liberal Party to fundamentally consider changing the established policies and activities, explore new policy ideas in internal affairs and diplomacy, implement parliamentary reform, and gradually expand the scope of voters, so as to exert political influence on the increasing number of voters under the changed situation. The Conservative Party and the Liberal Party have gradually established their own modern organizational structure, so that as many representatives as possible can enter the parliament for political struggle. 1877, the National Alliance of the Liberal Party was established, effectively uniting local organizations, and then in 1880.
Defeated the Conservative Party in the 2008 general election. At that time, although the National Alliance of Conservative Party Associations was also established, it failed to carry out its activities well due to the arrogance of the "elderly gang" within the party. Now, Randolph is taking advantage of the dissatisfaction of the leaders of the party's local organizations to challenge the "old people's gang" within the party through the organization "National Alliance of Conservative Associations". He publicly declared that the "National Alliance" should participate in the formulation of the party's policies, and should not be just a tool for the party leaders to carry out political struggles. 1883 At the annual meeting of the National League held in Birmingham, he said: "If you want to win the trust of the working class, you should allow them to participate and actively participate in the party's leadership and management, and really participate rather than pretend." He said: "The Conservative Party will never regain its strength unless it wins the trust of the working class. If we trust the working class, our interests will be safe and reliable if they are in their hands? We should invite them to join our party so that they can play a practical role in managing the party's affairs. " Earlier, his close comrades Wolff and Gaster put forward more clearly in an article published in Biweekly Review, demanding that the unreasonable phenomenon of aristocratic leaders monopolizing party affairs be changed. The article points out that just after the conservative local association won the election, the nobles who occupied the leading position of the party rushed out to share their prey. "A class of forces occupied the dominant position. All independent political opinions are ruthlessly punished? As a result of all this, the association has lost its vitality, and those who only care about pleasing the party leaders have replaced the honest people of the party. Soon after, it failed? The whole organization of the party must be completely changed. "
1884, after Randolph Churchill became the chairman of the National Union of Conservative Party Associations, there was a complicated struggle between him, his followers and the actual leaders of the party, which lasted for several months. After disraeli's death, the leadership of the Conservative Party actually fell to Lord Salisbury, leader of the Conservative Party's upper house, and Sir Stafford Northcote, leader of the Conservative Party's lower house. The two of them have been quite dissatisfied with Randolph's Primrose Club and think it is ridiculous. Later, I was even more disgusted with Randolph's struggle for power and profit However, due to the development of the times and the enhancement of Randolph's political strength, they had to make some concessions, reach a compromise with Randolph and fix it through an agreement. According to the agreement, Randolph promised to stop attacking the upper conservative party; Lord Salisbury promised to accept Randolph as a member of the front row and be listed as the party leader; And because of the rapid development and expansion of the "Primrose Club" organization, its members are all over the country and are recognized as the official organization of the party.
Although conservative leaders have adopted a tolerant attitude towards Randolph Churchill, they are always wary of Randolph; Although I restrain his ambition and pretentiousness, I always stay away from him. Arthur Balfour, nephew of Salisbury and future Conservative Prime Minister, said: "I tend to.
I believe that as long as Randolph is not unfaithful to the Party and makes himself hopelessly unbearable, all of us should avoid all conflicts. "Therefore, compromise with Randolph is only a political expedient. This also indicates the inevitability of Randolph's political tragedy in the future. 1885, the Conservative Party won the parliamentary election. According to the election results, Salisbury came forward to form a cabinet; Lord Randolph became Minister of Indian Affairs. Randolph soon showed that he could be a priest easily and happily. He can not only make major decisions, but also deal with complex relationships, and he can do his duty and work hard. He arranged to reinforce the Indian army in case of Russian invasion; He approved the annexation of upper Burma to eliminate the hidden danger of instability; He even managed to get an appointment that was strongly opposed by the Queen approved, and a very capable soldier, General Frederick Roberts, was allowed to be the chief of staff of India. But Randolph stepped down after only seven months as Minister of Indian Affairs. Because the Conservative Party failed to win an overwhelming majority in the House of Commons in the general election of June 1885+0 1, the Liberal Party came back to power. General election in July, 1886. As a result, the Conservative Party won a total victory, gaining a clear majority in the House of Commons for the first time since 1880. Salisbury was re-elected as Prime Minister. Randolph Chugi
This time, Joel won the most important ministerial position after the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and also served as the leader of the Conservative Party in the House of Commons. Randolph, 36, reached the pinnacle of his political career and felt quite complacent, but he still yearned for a higher position. 1885165438+10 In October, when a friend asked about his future plans, he replied, "I will be the leader of the opposition party for five years, and then I will be the prime minister for another five years. I will die in the future. " Randolph Churchill once called gladstone, the respected leader of the Liberal Party, an "old man eager for success", but in fact he was a little eager for success himself. A cartoonist in the British humor magazine Clumsy called Randolph Churchill a "great young man", and it was not long before people changed this statement to a "great young man eager for success". Later, this nickname was passed on to his son Winston, and it was called for a long time.
Randolph Churchill felt important in the cabinet, tried to exert greater political influence, and extended his hand to areas other than finance. He intervened in foreign affairs and publicly stated that he wanted to strengthen ties with the German Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He adopted a policy similar to that of william ewart gladstone, leader of the opposition party, and advocated reducing taxes and military spending. In this regard, the Admiralty did not object, but it was rejected by the War Department. His ideas were repeatedly opposed in the cabinet; He thought the government needed him and twice threatened to resign to force Salisbury to make concessions. But in 1886 12, when he resigned for the third time in order to force his budget plan to be passed, the long-awaited Salisbury finally waited for the right time and got rid of this difficult cabinet colleague. Salisbury correctly assessed the situation and thought that Randolph's resignation would not have a fundamental impact on the cabinet and the political situation, so he calmly accepted Randolph's resignation and immediately appointed G·J· Goshen, a former member of the Liberal Party, as finance minister. Although this treatment caused some political fluctuations, the government persisted. Obviously, Randolph was surprised by the ending. He realized that he had made a mistake. Later, when someone asked Randolph why he resigned so rashly that he ended his political career prematurely, he replied, "All great men make mistakes. Napoleon forgot blucher, but I forgot Goshen. " Randolph Churchill only served as Chancellor of the Exchequer for five months, and then returned to the back seat of the House of Commons, which is gone forever. He hopes to have a chance to go out again later. But every time "bring Randolph back!" Salisbury always turned a deaf ear to such appeals. He made a speech at the rally.
During the speech, the audience became less and less, and the newspaper rarely published his news again. Political frustration made Randolph extremely depressed, which led to the deterioration of his health. 1On October 24th, Randolph Churchill died at the age of 46.
Randolph Churchill's memorial service was held in Westminster Abbey. The Prime Minister and many politicians attended the memorial service. The funeral was held in the church of Randolph's hometown Woodstock, and he was buried in the churchyard in Braden after being shot by an arrow. It is the last resting place of many Churchill family members. Perhaps, Randolph Churchill should not regret this life like his wife, as Mrs. Randolph Churchill, who died 26 years later, proudly declared: "I have no regrets in this life: I gave birth to Churchill for Britain!" This refers to Winston Churchill, of course.