• (© IWM A20723) Mr Churchill wearing his Persian lamb hat. Mr Churchill was presented the hat on his 69th birthday
    (© IWM A20723) Mr Churchill wearing his Persian lamb hat. Mr Churchill was presented the hat on his 69th birthday
    Winston Churchill

    The Big Three and the Tehran Conference

    How did these three giants on the world stage get on with each other at Tehran?

  • Winston Churchill superimposed on papers showing his 'We shall fight them on the beaches' speech.
    Winston Churchill

    Winston Churchill's Speeches | Why are they so good?

    Winston Churchill has many famous speeches. From 'We shall fight on the beaches' and 'Their finest hour', to 'Blood, toil, tears, and sweat' and 'The few', Churchill's words have shaped how we remember the Second World War. But what made his speeches so special and how did his words affect the outcome of the Second World War?

  • Georgina at her daughter's family home in Bristol, 1950. Image © Georgina Landemare’s family.
    Georgina at her daughter's family home in Bristol, 1950. Image © Georgina Landemare’s family.
  • The state funeral of Sir Winston Churchill KG. The coffin, bourne on a gun carriage is pulled by a detachment from the Royal Navy and escorted by members of the RAF and guards regiments, with arms reversed. The cortege moves up Whitehall, London and passes the entrance to Downing Street heading towards Trafalgar Square. Crowds line the street to pay their respects. The coffin is draped with the Union Flag and carries the insignia of a Knight of the Garter.
    The state funeral of Sir Winston Churchill KG. © IWM (RAF-T 5119).
    Second World War

    Fascinating Amateur Colour Footage of Churchill's Funeral

    A spectator caught the state funeral of Winston Churchill on film, as crowds of mourners and family members passed by.

  • Cecil Beaton portrait of Winston Churchill at his seat in the Cabinet Room at No 10 Downing Street, London.
    Second World War

    Darkest Hour: The People Who Helped Shape the Future of Britain in May 1940

    In May 1940 Britain was confronted with two of the most important questions in its history. Who should lead Britain in the war against Nazi Germany? Should Britain make a negotiated peace with Hitler? At stake was the very survival of Britain itself. 

  • A map of the Japanese attack on Singapore with British general Percival superimposed. The text reads: "Britain's biggest defeat".
    Second World War

    Why did Singapore fall?

    On the 15th of February 1942, Lt General Arthur Percival signed the largest surrender in British history at Singapore. The city was supposed to be a fortress, but his force of 85,000 men had been defeated by just 35,000 Japanese troops. So how did the Japanese defeat a numerically superior force? Why wasn’t Singapore an impregnable fortress? And could the British have held out?

  • Winston Churchill, Franklin D Roosevelt and Jospeh Stalin sit for photographs during the Yalta ('Big Three') Conference in February 1945.
    © IWM (NAM 236)
    Second World War

    How Churchill, Roosevelt And Stalin Planned To End The Second World War

    Yalta, a seaside resort on Russia's Black Sea Crimean coast, was the scene of the second and last wartime conference between the 'Big Three' Allied war leaders, Winston Churchill, Franklin D Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin between 4 and 11 February 1945.

  • Winston Churchill making his signature V sign
    Second World War

    Where does 'V for Victory' come from?

    Winston's Churchill's V for Victory sign is perhaps one the most iconic of the Second World War, but where does it come from?

  • Remington 'Noiseless' Typewriter.
    Second World War

    The Churchill War Rooms' Remington 'noiseless' Typewriter

    The Remington ‘noiseless’ Typewriter at Churchill War Rooms helps tell the story of what it was like for a typist to help Britain and its most iconic Prime Minister triumph during the Second World War.

  • Joy Hunter, a typist in the Churchill War Rooms during the Second World War, sits behind a desk
    Second World War

    Joy Hunter on life as a typist at Churchill War Rooms

    Joy Hunter was a typist in the Churchill War Rooms during the Second World War. She recalls what it was like to see Winston Churchill at work - and tells the story of one memorable evening with the film loving Prime Minister! 

  • Churchill waving to crowds in Whitehall, London, as they celebrate VE Day, 8 May 1945.
    © IWM (H 41849)
    Second World War

    How Churchill Led Britain To Victory In The Second World War

    Winston Churchill became Britain's prime minister on 10 May 1940. As he was later to write: 'I felt...that all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour and for this trial'.

    On the very day that Churchill fulfilled his life's ambition, Germany had, that morning, invaded France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

  • Sugar cubes belonging to Wing Commander John Heagerty. Three cubes sit on top of a white piece of paper placed on a brown file. They were discovered in the Map Room in the early 1980s.
    © IWM SITE CWR 389
    Winston Churchill

    9 Secrets from Churchill War Rooms

    Discover some of the hidden secrets and stories of Churchill War Rooms. 

  • Maria Blewitt
    IWM
    Battle of Britain

    How Winston Churchill helped Maria Blewitt keep calm and carry on during the Battle of Britain

    On 11 September 1940, Prime Minister Winston Churchill gave a wireless speech to the nation addressing the perilous situation Britain was now facing. 

  • Clement Attlee in red and Winston Churchill in blue
    Second World War

    How did Churchill Lose the 1945 General Election

    Winston Churchill is arguably Britain's greatest wartime leader, having led his country through its 'Darkest Hour' all the way to victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. So why, just months after VE Day, did he lose the 1945 General Election?

  • Minister of Munitions Winston Churchill meets women war workers at Georgetown's filling works near Glasgow.
    © IWM (Q 84077)
    First World War

    Churchill's First World War

    Winston Churchill had a varied career during the First World War. At the outbreak of war in 1914, Churchill was serving as First Lord of the Admiralty. In 1915 he helped orchestrate the disastrous Dardanelles naval campaign and was also involved in the planning of the military landings on Gallipoli, both of which saw large losses.