How on Earth Did Winston Churchill Lose the Election Directly Following Germany's Defeat

Discover the historic turning point in British politics! Learn how Clement Attlee's Labour Party swept to victory in the 1945 general election, reshaping the nation's future.

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[deepdrag]

After Churchill lost in 1945, his wife said to him, “perhaps this is a blessing in disguise” to which Churchill responded, “if it is, it’s very well disguised.”

[richardhart]

"How can I accept the Order of the Garter, when the people of England have just given me the Order of the Boot?" LOL! One of the funniest quips I have ever heard.

[fredyellowsnow]

Many ordinary British folk didn't like Churchill, recalling his anti-labour stance during the 1920s. They grudgingly admitted he'd been the right person to lead the country through the war, but were damned if they were going to give him carte-blanche to carry on.
That, coupled with the promising dream of the social and welfare reforms promised by the Labour Party were enough to tip him out.
I think a lot of people today fail to realise how grim it was in Britain, pre-war. The social reforms were a huge thing to many people.

Btw, it's not OWchinlech, it's Och-in-leck, right laddy?

[GreatSageSunWukong]

He didn't practice what he preached my grandmother complained about that, while they starved and were rationed, ordered to kill their pet cats and dogs to save on food at one point, he sat there getting fat, drinking, smoking cigars and eating gourmet food all very publicly, it enraged people.

[michellejones]

It was the most basic food that caused Churchill's down fall, Bread was still being strictly rationed with no end in sight and people (mostly the poor) were fed up of being hungry and felt their lives had not got any better after the war had ended. My grandmother told me about this when we were learning about Churchill in school

[GordonLonghouse]

When I was a child my parents had an English babysitter who was an adult in England in 1945.
I asked her why Churchill lost. She said that after the war the English were fed up with “blood toil tears and sweat”. They wanted an end to war and to reap the benefits of peace. Churchill seemed to promise more struggle while Attlee promised the benefits of peace.

[adam]

I've always found it interesting that Churchill lost power after the war and this video clearly outlines some reasons why. What's just as surprising is that after voting for Clem Attlee and party that he lost to Churchill in 1951. It would be interesting to see a follow up video on how and why that happened.

[TheMajorStranger]

Churchill always had a Warhawk reputation and wasn't really liked by Brits. He was seen as necessary. So as soon as the war was won everyone wanted him out.

[susanbooth]

My father maintained that Churchill was booed on the Western Front (he was, after all, there.) The Beveridge Report had been circulated and read widely among the troops as well as the civilian population, and they were hungry for the Welfare State it proposed. Memories of some of Churchill's actions in the 20s and 30s were perceived as hostile to the working classes, who comprised most of the returning forces. It is easy to see that with no further need of a war leader, lots of folk did not want his version of post war Britain.

[shortentertainment]

Atlee becoming PM, was one of the significant moments in Indian independence movement. Also for Sri Lanka, Burma, Nepal.

[darreljones]

"...when the King had offered [Churchill] The Order of the Garter, he declined, saying the people had already given him "the Order of the Boot."

One of Churchill's best quips ever.

0:13 "Prime Minister of the British Empire" ... the writer needs a slap, and Simon deserves one too for not catching that. The Queen was Queen of the British Empire, but Churchill was only Prime Minister of the UK.

[scottgraham]

I was surprised by my grandmother once, when she expressed her dissatisfaction at the social situation during the war. Despite being quite conservative, she told me that there was a lot of inequality and that the wealthy had been able to avoid the hardships endured by the rest of the population. On the other hand, my father and uncle were both small boys when the war started, but both grew to over 6ft, so it seems that Jack Drummond's efforts in creating a well balanced diet for all paid off.

[markstott]

This was a very well written explanation of Churchill and Attlee on the domestic front. I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. Nice one, Daven and Simon.
😊😊😊❤❤❤😊😊😊

[readmylisp]

I stun my Russian friends when I ask them what happened to Churchill at the end of WW2.
When they hear he was voted out of office their brains explode.

[TihetrisWeathersby]

Churchill was a good Wartime leader but people's conditions weren't improving and they went with someone else

[gingercat]

Didn't want a repeat of WW1 where nothing changed for the people who sacrificed the most.

[jon-paulfilkins]

I remember my Grandfather saying that Winston was the right man for the war, but the wrong man for peace! Churchill was considered a warmonger pre war. Grandad also had personal beef, not only working class and socialist (growing up on stories of Churchill sending tanks to quell a strike in Scotland) but lost a lot of his friends in the fall of Singapore. His school year got called up in the navy, they had a bit of class reunion in singapore before their ship HMS Repulse sailed off with a dozen of so of his schoolmates. Grandad was convinced Churchill sent Z force without adequate back up there as a "big man" gesture, Grandads ship was one of the last out before the fall.

[michaelrredford]

I asked my father years ago how Churchill lost...he answered that people had had enough of Churchill with a grimace . I think that not everyone was enamoured with Churchill, they put up with him during the war but saw him as a bit much, a tiresome windbag.

[PantherMom]

👋Howdy!👋 🇺🇸 American here. I knew Mr Churchill lost an election after WW2, also that the 🇬🇧 UK embraced social support systems. But, I knew NOTHING about Mr Attlee, & I learned sooo much! This was a fascinating lesson. Thank you 🎉😊