In this three-part history series David Starkey uncovers the links between Britain's two greatest war leaders, both called Churchill: Winston, who defeated Hitler, and his ancestor John Churchill, who faced down Louis XIV of France. Starkey tells the story of the two greatest war leaders in British history, both of whom were called Churchill. Everyone knows Winston Churchill led Britain and her Allies in their struggle against Hitler; less well known is John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, who led Britain and her Allies against an earlier would-be dictator of Europe, the Sun King Louis XIV of France.
In this third and final episode it's two years after Blenheim and Marlborough once more crushed the French at the battle of Ramillies. However in 1940 it was Britain who was routed in Europe and,as the French had earlier lost morale,Churchill chose not to deploy air strikes on the continent,allowing for the decisive Battle of Britain. Like his ancestor Churchill saw the need for alliances,courting the support of President Roosevelt, to whom the first volume of biography was dedicated,even before America's official entry into the war. Now an accomplished strategist Churchill made the decision to engage on a Mediterranean war front,rather than back American plans for a premature invasion of northern France ,which turned the war in Allied favour. But,just as Europe endured an uneasy peace following Marlborough's last victory at Malplaquet, Churchill was aware that Russian domination of the East of the continent after the war threatened its liberty. Historian Starkey concludes by endorsing Churchill's post-war policies and regretting the lack of a worthy successor to him.
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