Coming up next on the 34th annual Winston Churchill a other Congress Talks about the former Prime Ministers career as a historian and his six volume book it erred in a nobel prize in literature in 1953. This is about 50 minutes. Ladies and gentlemen. We had years conference a presentation by andrew roberts. We know a winning formula when we see one. To introduce andrew. [applause] quick hello. Brief toep my remarks maximize the amount of time we have to be informed and entertained by our next and final acre. For those of you who recall his letentation on churchills criminals nature have undoubtably been looking forward to this as much as i have. Among his numerous endeavors he served as a guest curator at the exhibit churchills shakespeare. He is the author and editor of 19 books including masters and commanders which you have heard about in the last two days. His most recent publication was a biography of napoleon, a short work coming just under 1000 pages. We are all eagerly awaiting his next book with just her to be his definitive single volume biography which will be published next year. Churchillrther ado on andrew roberts. [applause] andrew ladies and gentlemen, it is a great honor to be able to address you. Thank you very much for those kind words. , when we started this morning David Freeman equated this conference to a opera. The only thing i know about opera is that it is not over until the fat lady sings. I think that is a rather rude thing to say about me. Of the things that makes me proud to be a historian is that despite the pitfalls of my trade which can be summed up as pedantry and punditry. The greatest man in history also chose it as his. Anything other than a statesman and a soldier he was a historian. He was a statesman and politician almost entirely to the person of history. He was far from a model schoolboy jack blum reminds us. He was vital, selfinvolved. He was well ahead in history every time that he took it. So far from failing he sold more history books than any other 20th century historian. He was largely selftaught. I think it extremely difficult for anyone not born into his world or time to realize what a dominant past he had. Difficult perhaps but lets try. Port formalst public speech which happened with he said in this jubilee year our empire has reached the height of his glory and power. Now we should begin the decline of babylons decline. Do not believe these krogers but give them croaking by showing with our actions our races unimpaired. I am acquainted do a churchill voice. Kevin did that. You can take that however you would like. Liked to compare the British Empire to that of rome. It introduced pride in his audience, he was always looking at the advantage of the former. It was a mainstay of his writing. To give you a flavor of this i would like to show throw a few buckets over the ocean and examine what we find about this ever present phenomenon in his life. Churchill did not just use history as a way to stiffen the sinews. In the he employed at body of his arguments. He truly believed that his generation had to continue oftains work which they saw being at the forefront of human progress. Much of his pundit and that to the stand directly from this belief that britain had a historical duty to fulfill. They would be betraying their forefathers if they step back from that. A porte chinese demanded returned to them in the early 1920s he asked the cap that why should we meltdown our forefathers to please pacifists . I will give them nothing from nothing and precious little. It taught him that the essential in history did not change. He must strive like his predecessors had to be tremendously important and had a great effect on him. Anderson who was in the Iberian Peninsula in 1908 race despite every change of weapons there is the sheep who escaped from the cyclops and the oxen that broke the line. If anyone in the audience can how they used oxen to break the line i would be fascinated to know by that by the way. For those who like to mischaracterize churchill as aggressive and unpleasant. It is important to remember the statements he made in 1909 about the indian revolutionary who was hanged for the assassination of a british civil surgeon. It is towords had been learn how to die the only way to teach it is to live it. Direstll wrote to the that he would be remembered in 2000 years time as we remember regulars and heroes. He quoted his last words as the finest ever made. Is problem today of course by not actually being taught in schools we ourselves dont remember those heroes. As was demonstrated by the recent survey of british schoolchildren which shows 30 of them believe the american war of independence had been won by then so washington. Famous row over the naming of battleships that dragged on from 1911 or 1913 was about history. Although the king claimed to have not wanted Oliver Cromwells name immortalized because of the repression of catholicism, in fact it was probably his republicanism he took exception to. Churchill admired him as the founder of the palace of parliament. Ofn churchills promotion william penn robbed of the king to complain that this was not dignified. The danger of giving nicknames that run with it. He majesty had been a sailor was not above a scatological reference. Thought it may be called noahs ark. Churchill argued that they had set a fine president where they are the greatest moments. He recalls the two famous statesman under where our race has achieved. They revived the elizabethan. In 1914. Ilt out inday the war broke god churchill exclaimed, my this is living history. Everything we are doing is throwing and will be read by 1000 generations. The First World War gave churchill many opportunities as on the 23rd of may when he said in a speech. It is the germans to be beaten decisively. They will be beaten like napoleon. That is to say they will be opposed by superior numbers. The front so expensive that they cannot do this. Probablyevious year he lead on history too much. Had successfully losing 10 straight men on the way and 29 on the way back. Underwater mines to not exist then. Iss was one of the times that of sustaining him his knowledge of history led him astray. Churchill spoke about the tribunal of history which is that is neville chamberlains funeral speech. During his discussions of intervention in the civil war he had frequent recourse on historical parallels. All British Forces should be of actuated. He said this is a very painful one. He was referring to the botched effort to open a second front during the napoleonic war. His knowledge of history was so deep that churchill could reasonably assume they could not only pick up the reference but it was a painful one. N theye desertion of the were only two members that they were talking about. Because of course today we know that the British Empire in india was evil and wrong because we are constantly taught that in our schools and universities by the bbc. His that hem in could not have known british was viciously exploited india and giving nothing back. They had the massive irrigation projects, political unity, they had never had that before. Best education should be mentioned. National trade. Free ideas of exchange. Obviously, universities, aqueducts and docks. Other than that absolutely nothing else did we give india. We got rid of the practice of burning widows. I suppose we gave them the only uncorrupt legal system and unprecedented disease prevention projects. Other than that, all you can really mention is the english language and the Telegraphic Communications and two centuries of protection from the russians, the french, afghans and other outside threats. Including Imperial Japan which killed 17 of the philippines. Apart from that we did nothing for india. In january 1925 churchill noted after meeting the french Prime Minister that he was personally convinced germany would never acquiesced permanently a condition of india. Greathe war of peter of it had recalled his ambition. In may 1914 he complained about the german naval treaty that defenseless. As he was open to criticism considered what he had done to program which only ended the previous year. The Wilderness Years were largely spent writing history. He had a passion for old tradition. Speech he said he is 10 years out of office when. E was laying the base once youve finished he started on another history book. It was always with the motive that history would be as helpful as a guide and difficulties. Said ourriend communication cannot be at the mercy of a less significant friendship. Theust remain recommend of mediterranean. Later that year he told a dinner at the ninth association of britain and france that this would embody the tradition and revived the fleet of napoleons army not in combination he found a helpless prey. Have the sovereign conceptions than they will be unconquerable. Having nelsons navy which were so antagonistic was utterly churchillian. Even references a confederate victory. In preparation for attacking the he said dolements not suppose this is the end. This is only the first taste of what is to come. This will on saying be a prophet to us your after year. We should take our sense of freedom and the ultimate time. Suffused and him after a lifetime of reading and writing history african would not be just as morally healthy in the open time tormenting. I articulate in this he was able to fund the british people into becoming as brazen as he was. Without the historical imagination there is this living sense of history, churchill could not have wired britain he woulduld he call a new dark age. Taught inges are not britain schools today. Ther the war had started had a celebratory lunch in 1914. The warrior heroes of the past may look down upon us now that the island basis are has therein asthe example and had faded the generations of succeeded one another. The very act of going to war had shown the reaction of olden times. April when the Norwegian Campaign was being fought he was somehow able at with his. To discuss Research Assistant and his guts this guts on to discuss how a signal was being brought in. They had this raging around the spreading shadow of the normandy invasion. Churchill wrote it comes down to a sink misty frail. I can still see the map on the wall with the people at norway with his usual insight. The strategic positions in 1066. Lek of attention on current business. It was the measure of a man with a supreme historical either. They were as close and mighty as the events at hand. Once churchill became Prime Minister his use of the past became if anything more pronounced. Whetherry recalled england had ever been in such dire straits before. Showed no outward sign of anxiety. In a discussion on the night of in the royalerved tank regiment that may. The men were the better grip that have stopped us sorry, saved us from invading. As the boeing had been stopped in these references to the napoleonic war in speeches and conversation undoubtably profoundly influenced the grand strategy that britain adopted. In them britain had played to her greatest strength, in this maritime. They avoided major commitments until the antagonists have blunted and broken their army at russia. William penn and lord liverpool had played a waiting game. They were waiting to overextend and then had left themselves at peripheral attacks only crossing the general into the netherlands. To deliver the crushing blow. When the war that was over. Churchill persuaded the americans to do this as well. We have crossed the mysterious boundary which separates the present from the past. Article about the battlefields of virginia. When americas entry into the Second World War ii loomed churchill crossed the mysterious boundary. He would fortify that only history can gaze. Some say the americans are soft, they could never stand the bloodletting. I have studied the civil war, they fought the last inch. Americanshought the were too decadent to make a difference on any european battlefield until the year of 1970. At 1914 said we must regard the next week or so as a very important piece in our history when the spanish armada was approaching the channel and drake was finishing his game. When nelson stood between us and napoleon. We have read about all of this in the history books. What is happening now is on a far greater scale and of far more consequence to the world and the civilization that ms. Brave old days of the past. A canadian diplomat and direst who said the affect of that speech and britain he read excellent diaries. He said they are living their history. Peopleect of killing that they have the eye of history on them. ,t has a tangible affect encouraging them to behave in a more noble way. To care themselves in such a way that they knew they would deserve their finest hour. When the chief of the general staff rights to churchill in 1940 explaining why the maverick should not be unemployed and a senior capacity churchill naturally reached for the history books. In a different sphere, lawrence of arabia, they all have great resemblance to the characteristic symbols he wrote in reply. A man of force and vision not to be exclusively confined to those who are saved by conventional standards. Dj was to prove churchill right by this point. Hitlers invaded the churchill gave several lectures on this. In a speech in 1941 after a heavy bombardment the commended the fortitude and the courage of the Material Affairs where the other ancient rome or of modern greece. If you days later he told wouldn wardens and this indeed be the graph heroic time and a light of glory shines us all. He allows them to see themselves as a great continuum of history. With the debate and 1941 he was careful not to equate napoleon, his hero and that of his ally the free french, with hitlers. With the egalitarian wins of the french revolution where his empire has nothing behind it but racial selfassertion, espionage, pillage, corruption. The fully on a campfire with all of their fault and glory fell and flashed away like snow at easter. Nothing that remained. Subsequentits regime. Later, he told his old friend and comrade our cheese sing should like to see rome. Gus mimic of ancient on his way to meet president roosevelt in newfoundland in august 1941, churchill read these splendid novel captain set during the napoleonic wars. And again he would quote from nelsons trafalgar memorandum. 1941, the king offered churchill the lord warden ship and he accepted, despite being daunted by the cost of upkeep, largely because of its tremendous historical connections to wellington. About her father, he said we should not be wiped out. Our history will not come to an end. King stood by a big map of it oncerica and stated all belong to egypt. Churchill was not going to let him get away from that and it once replied, he could not remember when, but to the best of his believe it belong to turkey before the italians took it. Rather sunk the king. Needless to say, churchill was right. Those tribes made incursions into egypt rather than the other way around it. I cannot imagine what the king might have been thinking of trying to make the historical point to Winston Churchill. Its very interesting. One of his ministers once made a pass at me. [laughter] this tol compares napoleon before ouster lives. He contrasted cairo in 1942 to napoleons defense of paris in 1814. Said in 1943 that if india were finally separated from your ,ajestys dominions [indiscernible] he told the dust he told the Royal College of physicians the longer you look back, the further you can look forward. And he noted when he reached one ,f the great rivers and italy here the defeat that sealed the fate of carthage, so i suggested we should go across, to what. I will stop at the end of the war. There were many occasions when he cited historical parallels. On the evening of his stroke in 1953, that same night he had dilated on the influence he exercised on rome and had the roman legions crossing the outs, all with something greater than they knew. This might have involved plumbing. The roman legions crossing the alps. He said, do you realize by the time the romans left britain until the arrival of the americans, this country was completely without central heating . He went on to speculate on what the romans did about lavatories, as he did not believe anyone had found a roman lavatory in this country. Able to send it into battle. This lecture i have john mica iples almost at random have drawn my examples almost at random. Churchill, just in this speech mentioned, nelson, genghis khan, napoleon, babylon, the norman conquest, charles i, cromwell, ouster lives, charles , and ancientgordon roman lavatories. How strange that the past is so little understood and quickly forgotten, churchill said. Said muche council the same thing in his lesson to a. D. s, and he died in 169 if our in past is better understood and hopefully not so quickly forgotten, much of the credit for that, ladies and gentlemen, should go to Winston Churchill. Thank you very much. [applause] right, we have a few minutes of easy questions. [laughter] someone give this gentleman the microphone. So, andrew. I have loved your past work. Napoleon. This is better. My question is this. Given the body of work out there on churchill, and in the wake of fabulousns onevolume biography, why are you tackling churchill now . Differents there a slant you might have . Yes, very good question. There are 1009 biographies of say, why on earth impose 1010 . Im not going to be the first person in over 100 years to write a biography of Winston Churchill that does not do well. Its a terrible thing to have to admit. Reuschel book was very good, as you say. It was published in 2001. There have been no fewer than 52 sets of papers lodged at the churchill archives in cambridge, including really important ones by well, randolph churchills papers, Winston Churchills son randolph, and also sera churchills papers are there now. All sorts ofen fascinating series of documents and diaries and letters that were not available either to or to roy. Wo row i am also the first person to be generosityrough the of her majesty the queen, to read the kings diary for the Second World War. That was not open in its entirety. That was not open to martin in its entirety. Martin had to use the published biography by bennett. And that is completely fascinating, the relationship with those he met. It is going to be a mainstay of my book. Onave basically concentrated primary sources. Roy never went to the churchill archives, never used any primary sources at all. He also wasnt terribly interested in the military strategy. And as you can imagine, having written books on the subject, i find it quite fascinating, but also central to understanding Winston Churchill. The other point of roy is he always laid out winston which i will not be doing. There are different aspects. There is more information. Also, Winston Churchill is such an enormous figure. So many appalling lies have been years,out him in recent since 2001, by the religionists, that i think every generation deserves a great big book about Winston Churchill that puts the truth out there. I think there is 1010. Over here. Rudy. [indiscernible] the question was, churchills use of American History. Churchill was very well up on American History, as you can imagine. Thirdirds of the biography of the history of englishspeaking peoples is the american civil war. He had this dream that the american war of independence never took place, and as a result, the englishspeaking peoples were able to be together and be so strong that kaiser was never going to take the risk of attacking them in 1914, and the world would be a much happier place. Imagine it. No Second World War, no russian revolution, no cold war. So, he read Teddy Roosevelts books on the 1812 campaign. He was very well read in American History. It was part of his you know, of america. Is love the next question is over here. Them seems to be a lamentable restriction in teaching history in schools i guess in america, as well as britain. My grandson who studied for his alevels was restricted to the the americantion, civil rights movement, and the wars of the roses. Anything in between was completely neglected. What is to be done about it . Can i first of all say next time youre talking to your son, congratulate him on the wars of the roses. It isomething nicknamed in britain about our history taking in schools is just called henry to hiller. Ii two atfrom henry vi a filler, virtually nothing hitler. Nd to adolph before andothing after. I chaired an Advisory Group in 2005, a small group of torians we were pointed we were pointed by the tory party, by the secretary for education on precisely this, the when, which history of really important things in the nation just have not been and wont be and are not taught. And we gave this report i would love to give you a copy. Im very proud of the report in fact. It was deposited, i believe, and a 30 square container [laughter] and thats it. To bring pressure to bear politically on people. You can persuade the secretary of state fairly easily, but then after that, he has got a vocational establishment, and teachers trade unions. You would not believe the civil service, and theyre almost anger at the idea that british history can be taught properly and chronologically, including bits that have nothing to do with hibbler and henry hitler and henry. It is a political battle that is still being fought, but not being one. Next question. Can you comment on churchills reading habits, given his and normas workload, and his point of view on fdrs domestic policies he is in normas workload, and his point of view on fdrs domestic rmousies his eno workload, and his point of view on fdrs domestic policies . He read darwins and all of the greats of the ancient world. That is when he read his socrates and plato and so on. When i think when you say he was very busy, you might be referring to the Second World War. Then, he only read two novels, but of course, he was bowed down with the amount of work he had in his red boxes, which he did master. So, he did not have that much opportunity to read beyond the subject then. Of booksvoracious love. He was as you are going to, i hope, in the next year discover, also of voracious level of love of shakespeare and poetry. He had a photographic memory for musical songs and for soliloquies and so on. Was really truly make aive it would marvelous reading list for anyone going to university today in fact. The second question about the its very interesting because he criticized the new deal when he was riding his roosevelt from his rooseveltg from afar essay for three great contemporaries. He put it into great contemporaries. Then when the war broke out, in fact before that, when he desperately needed the goodwill of president roosevelt, he cut him out of great contemporaries, and then he stuck him in again. Like to ever accuse Winston Churchill of opportunism, when it comes to his dealing of that particular essay, lets just say it was super timing. Anymore . Well, i am very pleased that was a completely comprehensive speech, and ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much indeed. [applause] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2017] this weekend on American History tv on cspan3 tonight at 8 p. M. Eastern on lectures in history a look at the american revolution. Washington wrote to a group of german calvinists, the establishment of civil and the motiveiberty was which induced me to the field of battle. Pay threeould not ea or on the pound for t Something Like that. I fought for principal and for religious liberty. And Academy Awardwinning film about the soviet union and the berlin wall. Ourinns can only be attained by the current sociale condition. And thus the road begins. And see the exhibit for chief Justice John Marshall at the Constitution Center in philadelphia. We have the nomination of John Marshall, the official nomination for John Marshall to be the chief justice of the supreme court, one of the great moments in his career, one of the great moments for our nation. American history tv, all weekend, every weekend, only on cspan3. Cspans of the quote shington journal washington journal live at 7 a. M. Eastern. Up tomorrow, a look at prioritiesrumps with sebastian gorka. Then we will focus on the wall of the medical community in combating the opioid crisis. Be sure to watch cspans washington journal. Join the discussion. He has been called one of the premier chroniclers of outrage. At best selling author whose books have been adapted into three awardwinning movies. Michael lewis will be our guest sunday on indepth. They are interesting characters to me in interesting situations. Thehe trick is to catch reader in the character of a beginning of the book they will follow that character anywhere. Trust me, there is no one who was to read my description of financial instruments, but once you realize that the lives of these people turn on knowing what it is, you want to know. Is the author of several books, including liars eyball, the big short, and his most recent the undoing project. With author Michael Lewis from noon to 3 p. M. Eastern sunday on cspan2. Behind me is richard flank and pettigrew. He came to view territory in 1869 as a surveyor. Come with us to his home to learn more about his contribution to the city of sioux falls. We are in the pettigrew home and museum, the home of u. S. Senator Richard Franklin pettigrew who served in the u. S. Senate from 1889 until 1901. Lived in the home from 90 1911 until his death in 1926. Indoorradiators, plumbing, gas and electric lights, en