“I hate Indians. They are a beastly people with a beastly religion. The famine was their own fault for breeding like rabbits.”
Today marks the death of Winston Churchill. Here’s a thread of things you won’t see in the glowing tributes to the ‘greatest Britton ever’. 🧵
Today marks the death of Winston Churchill. Here’s a thread of things you won’t see in the glowing tributes to the ‘greatest Britton ever’. 🧵
The quote above references Churchill’s comments about the 1943 Bengali famine which killed as many as 3.8 million people.
Whilst Churchill blamed the starving Indian population, the famine was actually caused by Britian’s systemic looting of India’s food supplies.
Whilst Churchill blamed the starving Indian population, the famine was actually caused by Britian’s systemic looting of India’s food supplies.
In the 1930s, Winston Churchill described Palestinians as ‘barbaric hordes who ate little but camel dung’.
In 1937, he said the following:
In 1937, he said the following:
Describing the naval blockade he helped to lead against Germany at the beginning of WW1, Churchill said “the British blockade treats all of Germany as a besieged fort and explicitly intends to reduce the entire population to starvation… men, women and children."
"I am strongly in favour of using poisoned gas against uncivilised tribes,” declared Chirchill during his time as Sec of State for War.
Whilst his “squeemish” colleagues prevented him from using chemical weapons in colonial india, they were not so opposed to their use in Russia.
Whilst his “squeemish” colleagues prevented him from using chemical weapons in colonial india, they were not so opposed to their use in Russia.
Churchill oversaw the shipment of 50,000 chemcial weapons to Russia during the civil war and British chemcial aerial attacks began in August 1919.
A year earlier, Churchill had told the French that he was “in favour of the greatest possible development of gas-warfare."
A year earlier, Churchill had told the French that he was “in favour of the greatest possible development of gas-warfare."
As Home Secretary, Churchill sent Police batallions from london, and held soliders in reserve in Cardiff, to repress industrial action in South Wales.
He said that “if the Welsh are striking over hunger then we must fill their bellies with lead.”
He said that “if the Welsh are striking over hunger then we must fill their bellies with lead.”
Visiting Fascist Italy in 1927, Churchill praised Moussillini.
“If I had been an Italian, I am sure I should have been wholeheartedly with you from the start to finish in your triumphant struggle against the bestial appetites and passions of Leninism,” said Churchill.
“If I had been an Italian, I am sure I should have been wholeheartedly with you from the start to finish in your triumphant struggle against the bestial appetites and passions of Leninism,” said Churchill.
Going further, he would later state:
“The brilliant Roman personified by Mussolini, the greatest living legislator, showed many nations how to resist the pressures of socialism and showed the path that a nation can follow when it’s courageously led."
“The brilliant Roman personified by Mussolini, the greatest living legislator, showed many nations how to resist the pressures of socialism and showed the path that a nation can follow when it’s courageously led."
This thread barely scrapes the surface of the words & actions of one of Britain’s most committed imperialists. There’s plenty more.
What it should illustrate is quite how much those who celebrate Churchill’s legacy have to answer for.
What it should illustrate is quite how much those who celebrate Churchill’s legacy have to answer for.
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