The National Churchill Museum gathered historian Andrew Roberts and retired Gen. David Petraeus during a webcast Friday to discuss the timely topic of leadership in times of crisis.
Motivated by COVID-19 shutdowns around the world, the webcast was the second virtual conversation the museum has hosted. Another webcast planned for Thursday will feature Katherine Carter, project curator at Winston Churchill's family home.
"We are dealing with a global pandemic right now as the COVID-19 crisis continues to be on everyone's minds and as so many people are sheltered in place," said Timothy Riley, National Churchill Museum director and chief curator.
During the conversation, the panelists shared their knowledge of Churchill's leadership during times of adversity.
"We might just start off about Churchill and flu and flu epidemics because of course he was a school boy when he wrote his only poem which was entitled 'Influenza' at the time of the Russian Flu," Roberts said. "He was also, of course, Secretary for War and Minister for Munitions at the time of the terrible Spanish Flu of 1918, which killed 25 million people in 25 weeks."
During the Spanish Flu pandemic, Churchill's whole family fell ill, and he lost friends.
"It was a scourge that he knew very well in his own life, and his instinctive reaction was of course one of resilience in adversity," Roberts said.
With six volumes of Churchill's history of World War II behind him, Petraeus drew upon his experiences as a military leader to inform the discussion. Petraeus noted Churchill seemed to seek out adversity throughout much of his life - Churchill was a war correspondent, as well as leader during times of conflict.
"I'd like to thing during the surge in Iraq, or some of the other wonderful leadership opportunities I was privileged to have, that I was a strategic leader," Petraeus said, explaining he sees Churchill as a strategic leader.
Throughout the discussion, the speakers piggy-backed off of one other, trading questions. Roberts asked Petraeus how political modern generals have to be to achieve success. When he was a two-star general, Petraeus even stopped voting in order to be as impartial as possible.
Petraeus noted much of Churchill's success came from his ability to communicate.
"This is where I think Churchill was also just brilliant - he did not sugarcoat, he didn't put lipstick on pigs as they say," Petraeus said.
Roberts compared Churchill's strategies to those currently being used by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
"If it's not unfair to leap forward in the British sense, I do suspect in the last few speeches Boris Johnson has made during this national emergency that he's got that sense as well," Roberts said. "He does understand that you can tell people terrible news. He told us early on in this crisis that we were going to lose loved ones."
At the end of the webinar, Riley told viewers about an upcoming contest - the International Churchill Society contest inviting participants to inspire the world in the face of struggles caused by COVID-19.
Participants can submit up to 300 words or a video no longer than 60 seconds to "Inspire like Churchill" by May 30.
The first prize winner will win $10,000 for the health organization, hospice, hospital or medical-related nonprofit of their choice, as well as a funded trip to an International Churchill Society event in London or New York once the pandemic crisis is over. The second-and third-place winners will win $2,500 and $1,500 for the organization of their choice.