When you think of Winston Churchill, the image that often springs to mind is that of a bulldog‑browed statesman, a wartime hero, and a Nobel laureate. Yet, behind the rousing speeches and the iconic cigar lies a record of 10 terrible things that cast a long, unsettling shadow over his legacy. In this deep‑dive we’ll unpack each of those dark deeds, keeping the focus keyword front‑and‑center, and we’ll do it with a dash of wit to keep things lively.
10 He Wanted To Let Gandhi Die
When Mahatma Gandhi launched his campaign for Indian independence, British troops hauled him into a Bombay jail, branding his non‑violent civil disobedience as a crime. Word spread that Gandhi contemplated a hunger strike, a move that could have turned him into a martyr and shattered Britain’s moral high ground. Churchill, however, was untroubled. He cast his vote to simply let Gandhi “do as he likes” – even if that meant starving to death in a colonial cell.
Gandhi’s health indeed faltered, but the British eventually released him, fearing a death in custody would ignite a far‑worse scandal. Had Churchill’s wish prevailed, the world might never have witnessed the beacon of non‑violence that Gandhi became.
9 He Let Millions Of Indians Starve To Death
World War II demanded massive resource allocation, and Churchill’s war machine redirected supplies that traditionally fed the Indian subcontinent. Historians argue this diversion was a chief catalyst for the catastrophic Bengal famine of 1943, which claimed roughly three million lives.
When informed of the famine, Churchill allegedly retorted, “Then why hasn’t Gandhi died yet?” He blamed the tragedy on Indians “breeding like rabbits,” refused aid requests, and famously muttered, “I hate Indians. They are a beastly people with a beastly religion.” By the war’s end, the famine’s death toll eclipsed Britain’s own wartime casualties by a factor of six.
8 He Supported Chemical Warfare Against ‘Uncivilised Tribes’
As Secretary of State for War, Churchill confronted a Kurdish uprising against British rule. Rather than conventional tactics, he advocated the use of poison gas, proposing a bombardment that would force victims to cough up blood and vomit. In a letter, he declared his fervent support for “poisoned gas against uncivilised tribes,” accusing opponents of being “squeamish.”
While most evidence suggests the British ultimately resorted to conventional combat, lingering claims hint at the possible deployment of chemical agents. Churchill’s readiness to unleash such weapons underscores a chilling willingness to employ extreme measures against those he deemed “uncivilised.”
7 He Blamed The Rise Of The USSR On Jews
In 1920, Churchill penned an article titled “Zionism Versus Bolshevism,” attempting to separate “good” Jews from “bad” Jews. While he advocated for a Jewish homeland, he simultaneously propagated anti‑Jewish conspiracy theories, blaming Jews for the very existence of the Soviet Union. He wrote, “There is no need to exaggerate the part played in the creation of Bolshevism by Jews.”
Churchill further accused Jews of wielding undue influence across Europe, citing their “evil prominence” in the Hungarian socialist regime of Béla Kun and alleging they preyed on a “temporarily prostrated” German populace. These remarks reveal a disturbing undercurrent of anti‑Semitism in his early political thought.
6 He Supported Eugenics
As a young politician, Churchill boasted, “The improvement of the British breed is my aim in life,” openly endorsing eugenic ideals. He championed the sterilization of those deemed “unfit,” labeling the mentally handicapped and ill as a “national and race danger which is impossible to exaggerate.”
In 1907, he backed a recommendation to sterilize the mentally handicapped, and his correspondence is replete with inquiries about the best methods to prevent the “unfit” from reproducing. Churchill’s advocacy for eugenics illustrates a darker facet of his vision for Britain’s future.
5 He Believed In Racial Hierarchies
Churchill’s worldview placed races on a strict hierarchy: white peoples at the apex, Indians below, and Africans near the base. This belief colored his policies across the British Empire, justifying oppression and exploitation.
He went so far as to claim that the genocide of Indigenous Americans and Australians was not “a great wrong.” In his own words, “I do not admit that a great wrong has been done to the Red Indians of America or the black people of Australia… a stronger race, a higher‑grade race… have come in and taken their place.” Such statements reveal a stark endorsement of racial superiority.
4 He Wanted To Use ‘Keep England White’ As A Slogan
In his twilight political years, Churchill fixated on preventing black immigrants from the West Indies from settling in Britain. He even suggested rebranding his campaign slogan to “Keep England White.”
His insensitivity manifested in crude jokes: when a black colonial official was denied restaurant service, Churchill quipped the man should bring a banjo so staff would think he was “one of the band.” When measles ravaged black communities, he snickered, “Well, there are plenty left; they’ve got a high rate of reproduction.” These remarks expose a deeply racist streak.
3 He Covered Up The Katyn Massacre
In 1940, the Soviet army executed thousands of Polish officers and intelligentsia, burying them in mass graves at Katyn. When the atrocity surfaced, Churchill opted for silence, remarking, “If they are dead, nothing you can do will bring them back.”
Needing Soviet cooperation against Nazi Germany, Churchill promised to thwart any International Red Cross investigation, effectively sealing a pact of secrecy that concealed the massacre from the world.
2 He Planned A Surprise Attack On The Soviets
Detesting Stalin and the Soviet juggernaut, Churchill drafted a bold, if reckless, plan: ally with the remaining German forces to launch a sudden strike against the USSR. Dubbed “Operation Unthinkable,” the scheme would have seen former enemies turn on each other in a dramatic post‑war twist.
The proposal faced fierce opposition. Britain’s army chief dismissed it as a yearning for another war, while the United States flat‑out refused participation. Military forecasters warned of inevitable defeat for Britain, and the plan never left the drawing board.
1 He Said That Britain ‘Should Find A Hitler’
In November 1938, as Hitler’s aggression escalated, Churchill penned an open letter urging the German dictator to curb his expansionist aims. Yet, paradoxically, he also expressed admiration for certain aspects of Hitler’s ideology.
Churchill wrote, “If Great Britain were defeated, I hoped we should find a Hitler to lead us back to our rightful position among the nations.” While condemning Hitler’s militarism, he seemed to respect the German leader’s social policies, revealing a complex and unsettling stance.
+ Further Reading
Well, it is politics season, so you can forgive us for tossing a few more links your way. Dive deeper with these archival gems:
- 10 Surprising Stories About Winston Churchill
- 10 Scandalous Facts About Historical Figures
- 10 Geniuses Who Owe Their Inspiration To Drugs
- 10 Political Candidates No One Thought Would Win
Author: Mark Oliver – a regular contributor whose work also appears on sites like The Onion’s StarWipe and Cracked.com. Read more on his WordPress site.