January 1, 1970

Did writing about his ancestor Marlborough reinforce Churchill’s belief in the importance of rearming against an aggressive superpower? The 1^st Duke of Marlborough had fought against aggressive domination of Europe by a single country (albeit a different one; then it was France, not Nazi Germany). Churchill, always aware of his destiny as the descendant of the great leader, was almost certainly inspired by Marlborough’s story as he undertook his own campaign against appeasement in the later 1930s.

Click here to see David Starkey’s promotional film for his upcoming programme on ‘The Churchills’.