The Lives of Winston Churchill and Alfred Milner
Introduction
This article traces the interweaving of the lives of Winston Churchill, the former Prime Minister of England, and Alfred Milner, a former member of the British War Cabinet and close confidant of Prime Minister David Lloyd George during World War I. Both played pivotal roles for England during the world wars, Milner in World War I, and Churchill in World War II. At the Doullens Conference of March 26, 1918, proof exists that Lord Milner united the Western Front with the selection of French General Ferdinand Foch. This decision may have saved the war from absolute defeat. With Winston Churchill, it is known that he kept England in the war shortly after Dunkirk, with his famous, "We shall fight on the beaches" speech, borrowed, from of all people, General Ferdinand Foch, who said, "I would fight without a break. I would fight in front of Amiens. I would fight in Amiens. I would fight behind Amiens. I would fight all the time. I would never surrender."
Formative Years
Winston Churchill (1874-1965) and Alfred Milner (1854-1925) are both from the Victorian Era of England, although Milner was a generation older than Churchill. Milner graduated from Oxford University with a law degree in 1879, and Churchill graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, as a commissioned officer in 1894.
Workaholics. Both worked as newspaper reporters, Milner for the Pall Mall Gazette (1881-1885), and Churchill for The Daily Telegraph and The Morning Post (1894-1903).
Rapture. Churchill had considerable praise for Alfred Milner's book, England in Egypt, in 1899. "His skillful pen displayed what had been overcome, no less what had been accomplished. By explaining the difficulties he enhanced the achievement. He showed how, while Great Britain was occupied elsewhere, her brilliant, persevering sons had repeated on a lesser scale in Egypt the marvelous evolution which is working out in India. Smaller systems work more rapidly. The Administrators were guided by experience. The movement had been far swifter. The results were more surprising. Such was the wonderful story, and it was told at a happy moment. The audience were eager and sympathetic. The subject was enthralling. The story-teller had a wit and smile that might have brightened the dullest theme. In these propitious circumstances the book was more than a book. The words rang like the trumpet-call which rallies the soldiers after the parapets are stormed, and summons them to complete the victory." (two more paragraphs).
Thumbs up. The two obtained fame in South Africa. They first met in 1899 when Milner was The High Commissioner for South Africa, at the outbreak of the Second Boer War. Introduced by a letter from Colonial Secretary Joseph Chamberlain, Lord Milner briefed Churchill on the outbreak of the war, and on the dire position the British were in until they received reinforcements. Winston then went on to fame in the armored train incident, where he was captured, taken prisoner by the Boers, escaped, and returned to England. After escaping the Boers, and finding safety at the British Embassy in Portuguese East Africa, Churchill telegraphed Milner to let him know he was OK.
Advice. Churchill was given wise advice and hunted jackal with Lord Milner upon returning to Cape Town in April 1900. "Sir Alfred Milner was far more understanding and spoke to me with kindliness and comprehension. His A.D.C. (aide-de camp) the Duke of Westminster, had organized a pack of hounds for his chief's diversion and exercise. We hunted jackal beneath Table Mountain, and lunched after a jolly gallop sitting among the scrub." (one more paragraph).
Praise. Winston returned the favor when he praised Alfred as "The Man of No Illusions" in his fourth book, "Ian Hamilton's March", later that same year. "Only at Government House did I find the Man of No Illusions, the anxious but unwearied Pro-consul, understanding the faults and virtues of both sides, measuring the balance of rights and wrongs, and determined - more determined than ever - to use his knowledge and his power to strengthen the imperial ties."
Protege. In a letter dated October 8, 1900, Alfred thanks Winston for a speech he sent him, he agrees with his sentiments, and he is happy Winston is about to be elected to Parliament (he won 2 weeks later). Alfred also thanked him for an election speech in Birmingham where Winston said, "few British public servants in this century have been saddled with a heavier load of difficulty and responsibility than Sir Alfred Milner. Scarcely one has borne it with greater strength...The removal of Sir Alfred Milner from his control of South African affairs at the present time would be a greater blow to Imperial interests than the defeats of Magersfontein, Stormberg, Colenso and Spion Kop put together."
Politics
Parting ways
With the defeat of the conservative (unionist) Balfour Government in late 1905, and the rise of liberal government, Churchill was appointed Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies by Prime Minister Campbell-Bannerman. In this capacity, it was his duty to reverse the changes made in South Africa, and to supervise the return of the country to the Boers. Lord Milner had twice turned down a promotion as Secretary of State for the Colonies in 1903, after Joseph Chamberlain resigned that position and entered politics. Milner preferred to oversee reconstruction efforts in South Africa, making sure that economic recovery was permanent, and that it occurred quickly. Now, all his efforts were to be undone. It is noteworthy that Churchill crossed the isle from conservative to liberal in 1904 due to economics. He crossed back in 1924.
Lord Milner is on ice
After the successful conclusion of the Boer War, Milner returned to London on July 12, 1905. He gave his maiden speech to the House of Lords on February 26, 1906. Three weeks later, Churchill, now a liberal member of Parliament, denounced Milner for his treatment of Chinese laborers during the rebuilding period of South Africa. The first laborers arrived in June 1904, nine months before Milner left for England, and he denied knowledge of any mistreatment (the flogging of Chinese workers who failed to comply with work rules). He was supported by his fellow conservatives, who in a few months time gathered together 370,000 signatures from the public. However, the Boer War was controversial, with about half the public supporting it, and half opposed to it. Milner, Arthur Balfour and Joseph Chamberlain represented the British Empire, while the liberals, including Churchill, represented labour. Liberal newspapers referred to the national elections as the "Chinese Slavery" elections, so despite Churchill's admission that calling the hiring of Chinese contract workers "slavery" was a "terminological inexactitude", the controversy sidelined Lord Milner's career for ten years. Churchill's exact words spoken in the Commons were:
"Lord Milner has gone from South Africa, probably forever"
"The public service knows him no more."
"Having exercised great authority he now exercises no authority."
"Having held high employment he now has no employment."
"Having disposed of events which have shaped the course of history, he is now unable to deflect in the smallest degree the policy of the day."
"Having been for many years, or at least for many months, the arbiter of the fortunes of men who are 'rich beyond the dreams of avarice', he is today poor, and honourably poor."
"After twenty years of exhausting service under the Crown he is today a retired Civil Servant, without pension or gratuity of any kind whatever..."
"Lord Milner has ceased to be a factor in public life."
As Under-Secretary of State, once Winston found out that the Chinese were needed for rebuilding South Africa, contract pledges were kept and workers were imported until 1910.
They disagreed on the smallest things. The two were on opposite sides of the People's Budget of 1910. This budget signified the rise of the modern welfare state in England. Milner, having a background in budgeting, said in a speech in Glasgow on November 26, 1909, "If we believe a thing to be bad, and if we have a right to prevent it, it is our duty to try to prevent it and to damn the consequences." The budget was supported by Churchill and his contemporary, David Lloyd George, and it passed.
World War I
Comeback. In August 1915, Winston and David Lloyd George push hard for Lord Milner's National Service Plan (mandatory conscription) as members of Prime Minister Herbert Asquith's liberal government.
Destiny. Prime Minister Lloyd George revived both men's careers. The first came Lord Milner's, on December 8, 1916, with his appointment to the new British War Cabinet. Winston's came on July 17, 1917, with his appointment as Minister of Munitions. Although the latter's was not a War Cabinet position, Winston's appointment revived his career after the failed Gallipoli campaign, his resignation from government, and his self-imposed exile on the Western Front. Milner and his conservative allies on the War Cabinet strongly opposed this move, fearing Churchill would foul things up. However, Lloyd George liked Winston, particularly his fruitful mind and ideas, which was very important to a small insular group like the War Cabinet, that suffered from isolation. Due to Lloyd George's penchant for second opinions, Churchill quickly became an unofficial member of the War Cabinet, allowing him to sit in on all meetings, but not to contribute.
Milner saves the day. After the German Spring Offensive was launched in March 1918, Lord Milner was sent to France, he attended the Doullens Conference he united the Western Front under a single command, and he reported back to London. On his heels, the Prime Minister sent Winston Churchill to France to serve as his personal liaison to French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau. This too, Milner and his friends opposed. The War Cabinet was a bit of a necessary evil for Lloyd George, a liberal politician who employed conservatives and empire builders to manage the running of the World War. From the Empire Builders came the Imperial War Cabinet, the Supreme War Council, and smaller groups like the X Committee and the War Policy Committee. They feared that Churchill's inexperience and mingling in affairs could upset England's relations with France. From the complaints, Lloyd George authorized Winston to remain in Paris but not to visit the front or speak to the generals. The message was relayed to him by Leo Amery. However, Churchill was already in France, he had spoken to General Sackville-West, the word got back to French officials, and Prime Minister Clemenceau decided to bring him to the front and meet with everyone. Later, on April 3rd, Lloyd George and General Henry Wilson arrived in France to attend the Beauvais Conference. They were greeted in Boulogne by Winston, and they travelled most of the way together to British Army Headquarters (GHQ), in Montreuil. Near the town, Henry Wilson insisted that Winston play no part in military discussions, and he was asked to get out of the car. The entourage then picked up General Haig at GHQ and motored on to Beauvais for the important conference. Churchill met up with them on the way home, that evening, at Boulogne.
Winston & Clemenceau. It is known that Prime Minister Clemenceau used the occasion of Churchill's visit to help him draft a letter to President Woodrow Wilson requesting 120,000 American infantrymen be sent to France, per month, over the next four months. This occurred on March 31st, and Winston telegraphed a copy of the letter to Lloyd George. Lord Milner and General Pershing signed the document on April 24th, and it became known as the Milner-Pershing agreement. It is not known if Lord Milner ever learned of Winston's behind the scenes role the matter.
Avarice. Some personal animosity may have existed between Lord Milner and Churchill, but the record on this is unclear. It is a known fact that French Premier Georges Clemenceau liked Alfred, famously saying to President Raymond Poincaré in December 1916, "He is an old friend of mine. We admired and loved the same woman. That is an indissoluble bond." That woman was Violet Cecil, who Milner met in 1898, and married in 1921.
Strategy. As Minister of Munitions, Churchill was responsible for tank production. At a war cabinet meeting in the summer of 1918, Churchill protested the conscription of munitions workers into the Army. He was certain tank production would fall behind targeted levels, which called for a massive buildup for a decisive outcome of the war in 1919. However, Milner, now Secretary of State for War, replied by saying, "Priorities right now call for manpower to the Front, not production in the rear." Just weeks later, Allied Commander Ferdinand Foch turned the tide of the war with his Hundred Days Offensive, leading to the armistice of November 11, 1918.
Colleagues. The two are famously featured seated next to each other in the painting Statesmen of World War I. The painting is a fictional representation of a meeting at the French War Office in Paris at the lowest point of the war for the Allies, when all hope was lost, with everyone overshadowed by the headless goddess of victory. Completed in 1930, it remains the largest picture on display at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Winston Churchill is featured front and centre. The painting was financed by South African gold mine owner (Randlord) and Lord Milner ally, Abe Bailey. Abe's oldest son, John Milner Bailey, married Winston's oldest daughter, Diana, in 1932.
Post War
Churchill succeeds. Upon Milner's transfer from Secretary of State for War to Secretary of State for the Colonies in January 1919, Churchill succeeded him at the War Office.
Churchill and benefactor. On Milner's retirement from government in February 1921, Churchill takes his place as Secretary of State for the Colonies.
Feuding. In 1921, Churchill was a strong critic of Milner's Egyptian Report, which guaranteed Egypt its freedom with military concessions given to the English.
Of Churchill, Milner wrote:
"Churchill seems inclined to go out & see for himself immediately, & I am strongly encouraging this idea. He is very keen, able & broad minded & I'm sure, if he only gives himself time to thoroughly understand the situation, he will take sound views & you will find him a powerful backer." On Churchill's weakness, he wrote he was "too apt to make up his mind without sufficient knowledge."
The above passage is from a letter Milner wrote to Sir Herbert Samuel, the High Commissioner of Palestine, on February 5, 1921, as he was preparing to retire from the Colonial Office. It is not known what Churchill thought of Milner later in life.
Lord Alfred Milner died on May 13, 1925 (age 71), and Sir Winston Churchill died on January 21, 1965 (age 90).
Footnotes
This article traces the interweaving of the lives of Winston Churchill, the former Prime Minister of England, and Alfred Milner, a former member of the British War Cabinet and close confidant of Prime Minister David Lloyd George during World War I. Both played pivotal roles for England during the world wars, Milner in World War I, and Churchill in World War II. At the Doullens Conference of March 26, 1918, proof exists that Lord Milner united the Western Front with the selection of French General Ferdinand Foch. This decision may have saved the war from absolute defeat. With Winston Churchill, it is known that he kept England in the war shortly after Dunkirk, with his famous, "We shall fight on the beaches" speech, borrowed, from of all people, General Ferdinand Foch, who said, "I would fight without a break. I would fight in front of Amiens. I would fight in Amiens. I would fight behind Amiens. I would fight all the time. I would never surrender."
Formative Years
Winston Churchill (1874-1965) and Alfred Milner (1854-1925) are both from the Victorian Era of England, although Milner was a generation older than Churchill. Milner graduated from Oxford University with a law degree in 1879, and Churchill graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, as a commissioned officer in 1894.
Workaholics. Both worked as newspaper reporters, Milner for the Pall Mall Gazette (1881-1885), and Churchill for The Daily Telegraph and The Morning Post (1894-1903).
Rapture. Churchill had considerable praise for Alfred Milner's book, England in Egypt, in 1899. "His skillful pen displayed what had been overcome, no less what had been accomplished. By explaining the difficulties he enhanced the achievement. He showed how, while Great Britain was occupied elsewhere, her brilliant, persevering sons had repeated on a lesser scale in Egypt the marvelous evolution which is working out in India. Smaller systems work more rapidly. The Administrators were guided by experience. The movement had been far swifter. The results were more surprising. Such was the wonderful story, and it was told at a happy moment. The audience were eager and sympathetic. The subject was enthralling. The story-teller had a wit and smile that might have brightened the dullest theme. In these propitious circumstances the book was more than a book. The words rang like the trumpet-call which rallies the soldiers after the parapets are stormed, and summons them to complete the victory." (two more paragraphs).
Thumbs up. The two obtained fame in South Africa. They first met in 1899 when Milner was The High Commissioner for South Africa, at the outbreak of the Second Boer War. Introduced by a letter from Colonial Secretary Joseph Chamberlain, Lord Milner briefed Churchill on the outbreak of the war, and on the dire position the British were in until they received reinforcements. Winston then went on to fame in the armored train incident, where he was captured, taken prisoner by the Boers, escaped, and returned to England. After escaping the Boers, and finding safety at the British Embassy in Portuguese East Africa, Churchill telegraphed Milner to let him know he was OK.
Advice. Churchill was given wise advice and hunted jackal with Lord Milner upon returning to Cape Town in April 1900. "Sir Alfred Milner was far more understanding and spoke to me with kindliness and comprehension. His A.D.C. (aide-de camp) the Duke of Westminster, had organized a pack of hounds for his chief's diversion and exercise. We hunted jackal beneath Table Mountain, and lunched after a jolly gallop sitting among the scrub." (one more paragraph).
Praise. Winston returned the favor when he praised Alfred as "The Man of No Illusions" in his fourth book, "Ian Hamilton's March", later that same year. "Only at Government House did I find the Man of No Illusions, the anxious but unwearied Pro-consul, understanding the faults and virtues of both sides, measuring the balance of rights and wrongs, and determined - more determined than ever - to use his knowledge and his power to strengthen the imperial ties."
Protege. In a letter dated October 8, 1900, Alfred thanks Winston for a speech he sent him, he agrees with his sentiments, and he is happy Winston is about to be elected to Parliament (he won 2 weeks later). Alfred also thanked him for an election speech in Birmingham where Winston said, "few British public servants in this century have been saddled with a heavier load of difficulty and responsibility than Sir Alfred Milner. Scarcely one has borne it with greater strength...The removal of Sir Alfred Milner from his control of South African affairs at the present time would be a greater blow to Imperial interests than the defeats of Magersfontein, Stormberg, Colenso and Spion Kop put together."
Politics
Parting ways
With the defeat of the conservative (unionist) Balfour Government in late 1905, and the rise of liberal government, Churchill was appointed Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies by Prime Minister Campbell-Bannerman. In this capacity, it was his duty to reverse the changes made in South Africa, and to supervise the return of the country to the Boers. Lord Milner had twice turned down a promotion as Secretary of State for the Colonies in 1903, after Joseph Chamberlain resigned that position and entered politics. Milner preferred to oversee reconstruction efforts in South Africa, making sure that economic recovery was permanent, and that it occurred quickly. Now, all his efforts were to be undone. It is noteworthy that Churchill crossed the isle from conservative to liberal in 1904 due to economics. He crossed back in 1924.
Lord Milner is on ice
After the successful conclusion of the Boer War, Milner returned to London on July 12, 1905. He gave his maiden speech to the House of Lords on February 26, 1906. Three weeks later, Churchill, now a liberal member of Parliament, denounced Milner for his treatment of Chinese laborers during the rebuilding period of South Africa. The first laborers arrived in June 1904, nine months before Milner left for England, and he denied knowledge of any mistreatment (the flogging of Chinese workers who failed to comply with work rules). He was supported by his fellow conservatives, who in a few months time gathered together 370,000 signatures from the public. However, the Boer War was controversial, with about half the public supporting it, and half opposed to it. Milner, Arthur Balfour and Joseph Chamberlain represented the British Empire, while the liberals, including Churchill, represented labour. Liberal newspapers referred to the national elections as the "Chinese Slavery" elections, so despite Churchill's admission that calling the hiring of Chinese contract workers "slavery" was a "terminological inexactitude", the controversy sidelined Lord Milner's career for ten years. Churchill's exact words spoken in the Commons were:
"Lord Milner has gone from South Africa, probably forever"
"The public service knows him no more."
"Having exercised great authority he now exercises no authority."
"Having held high employment he now has no employment."
"Having disposed of events which have shaped the course of history, he is now unable to deflect in the smallest degree the policy of the day."
"Having been for many years, or at least for many months, the arbiter of the fortunes of men who are 'rich beyond the dreams of avarice', he is today poor, and honourably poor."
"After twenty years of exhausting service under the Crown he is today a retired Civil Servant, without pension or gratuity of any kind whatever..."
"Lord Milner has ceased to be a factor in public life."
As Under-Secretary of State, once Winston found out that the Chinese were needed for rebuilding South Africa, contract pledges were kept and workers were imported until 1910.
They disagreed on the smallest things. The two were on opposite sides of the People's Budget of 1910. This budget signified the rise of the modern welfare state in England. Milner, having a background in budgeting, said in a speech in Glasgow on November 26, 1909, "If we believe a thing to be bad, and if we have a right to prevent it, it is our duty to try to prevent it and to damn the consequences." The budget was supported by Churchill and his contemporary, David Lloyd George, and it passed.
World War I
Comeback. In August 1915, Winston and David Lloyd George push hard for Lord Milner's National Service Plan (mandatory conscription) as members of Prime Minister Herbert Asquith's liberal government.
Destiny. Prime Minister Lloyd George revived both men's careers. The first came Lord Milner's, on December 8, 1916, with his appointment to the new British War Cabinet. Winston's came on July 17, 1917, with his appointment as Minister of Munitions. Although the latter's was not a War Cabinet position, Winston's appointment revived his career after the failed Gallipoli campaign, his resignation from government, and his self-imposed exile on the Western Front. Milner and his conservative allies on the War Cabinet strongly opposed this move, fearing Churchill would foul things up. However, Lloyd George liked Winston, particularly his fruitful mind and ideas, which was very important to a small insular group like the War Cabinet, that suffered from isolation. Due to Lloyd George's penchant for second opinions, Churchill quickly became an unofficial member of the War Cabinet, allowing him to sit in on all meetings, but not to contribute.
Milner saves the day. After the German Spring Offensive was launched in March 1918, Lord Milner was sent to France, he attended the Doullens Conference he united the Western Front under a single command, and he reported back to London. On his heels, the Prime Minister sent Winston Churchill to France to serve as his personal liaison to French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau. This too, Milner and his friends opposed. The War Cabinet was a bit of a necessary evil for Lloyd George, a liberal politician who employed conservatives and empire builders to manage the running of the World War. From the Empire Builders came the Imperial War Cabinet, the Supreme War Council, and smaller groups like the X Committee and the War Policy Committee. They feared that Churchill's inexperience and mingling in affairs could upset England's relations with France. From the complaints, Lloyd George authorized Winston to remain in Paris but not to visit the front or speak to the generals. The message was relayed to him by Leo Amery. However, Churchill was already in France, he had spoken to General Sackville-West, the word got back to French officials, and Prime Minister Clemenceau decided to bring him to the front and meet with everyone. Later, on April 3rd, Lloyd George and General Henry Wilson arrived in France to attend the Beauvais Conference. They were greeted in Boulogne by Winston, and they travelled most of the way together to British Army Headquarters (GHQ), in Montreuil. Near the town, Henry Wilson insisted that Winston play no part in military discussions, and he was asked to get out of the car. The entourage then picked up General Haig at GHQ and motored on to Beauvais for the important conference. Churchill met up with them on the way home, that evening, at Boulogne.
Winston & Clemenceau. It is known that Prime Minister Clemenceau used the occasion of Churchill's visit to help him draft a letter to President Woodrow Wilson requesting 120,000 American infantrymen be sent to France, per month, over the next four months. This occurred on March 31st, and Winston telegraphed a copy of the letter to Lloyd George. Lord Milner and General Pershing signed the document on April 24th, and it became known as the Milner-Pershing agreement. It is not known if Lord Milner ever learned of Winston's behind the scenes role the matter.
Avarice. Some personal animosity may have existed between Lord Milner and Churchill, but the record on this is unclear. It is a known fact that French Premier Georges Clemenceau liked Alfred, famously saying to President Raymond Poincaré in December 1916, "He is an old friend of mine. We admired and loved the same woman. That is an indissoluble bond." That woman was Violet Cecil, who Milner met in 1898, and married in 1921.
Strategy. As Minister of Munitions, Churchill was responsible for tank production. At a war cabinet meeting in the summer of 1918, Churchill protested the conscription of munitions workers into the Army. He was certain tank production would fall behind targeted levels, which called for a massive buildup for a decisive outcome of the war in 1919. However, Milner, now Secretary of State for War, replied by saying, "Priorities right now call for manpower to the Front, not production in the rear." Just weeks later, Allied Commander Ferdinand Foch turned the tide of the war with his Hundred Days Offensive, leading to the armistice of November 11, 1918.
Colleagues. The two are famously featured seated next to each other in the painting Statesmen of World War I. The painting is a fictional representation of a meeting at the French War Office in Paris at the lowest point of the war for the Allies, when all hope was lost, with everyone overshadowed by the headless goddess of victory. Completed in 1930, it remains the largest picture on display at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Winston Churchill is featured front and centre. The painting was financed by South African gold mine owner (Randlord) and Lord Milner ally, Abe Bailey. Abe's oldest son, John Milner Bailey, married Winston's oldest daughter, Diana, in 1932.
Post War
Churchill succeeds. Upon Milner's transfer from Secretary of State for War to Secretary of State for the Colonies in January 1919, Churchill succeeded him at the War Office.
Churchill and benefactor. On Milner's retirement from government in February 1921, Churchill takes his place as Secretary of State for the Colonies.
Feuding. In 1921, Churchill was a strong critic of Milner's Egyptian Report, which guaranteed Egypt its freedom with military concessions given to the English.
Of Churchill, Milner wrote:
"Churchill seems inclined to go out & see for himself immediately, & I am strongly encouraging this idea. He is very keen, able & broad minded & I'm sure, if he only gives himself time to thoroughly understand the situation, he will take sound views & you will find him a powerful backer." On Churchill's weakness, he wrote he was "too apt to make up his mind without sufficient knowledge."
The above passage is from a letter Milner wrote to Sir Herbert Samuel, the High Commissioner of Palestine, on February 5, 1921, as he was preparing to retire from the Colonial Office. It is not known what Churchill thought of Milner later in life.
Lord Alfred Milner died on May 13, 1925 (age 71), and Sir Winston Churchill died on January 21, 1965 (age 90).
Footnotes
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