Early Career: Churchill in the Military

In 1893, Churchill became an officer cadet at the Sandhurst, Britain’s royal Military Academy. At the school cadets learn about military history, geography, and wartime strategy. After Winston graduated he joined the cavalry. The months following were very difficult because his father as well as his nanny died. At the age of 21, Churchill felt alone.

 

Early Career: Churchill as a War Reporter

After being at the cadet school Winston sailed to Cuba. At the time the Cubans were fighting Spain for their independence. From being a war reporter there he learned a lot about independence movements and how they affected people. Soon after, Churchill decided to return back to his cavalry regiment just in time to go to Afghanistan to fight in battle. Afterward he wrote a book called The Story of the Malakand Field Force. In it he described the horrors of battle. He wrote, “I found that there is nothing more exhilarating than to be shot at without result (to be missed).

 

In 1899 Winston left the military to go and run for Parliament. He lost the election so he traveled to South Africa to report the Boer War, in which Dutch farmers called Boers fought to maintain independence from Britain. From the battles Churchill learned about different methods used by guerrillas (hit and run fighters) and commandos. He realized how small groups of well-trained soldiers could cause so many casualties in a battle. In World War II he would remember this and the British Army would form many small groups as such.