How accurate is Churchill At War? Breaking down Netflix's WW2 docuseries

Churchill At War is Netflix's latest docuseries about World War II, which was released in 4-parts on December 4, 2024. It celebrates and captures Winston Churchill, the United Kingdom's former Prime Minister, and his efforts during World War II.

Netflix used colorized archival footage from WWII and AI to mimic Churchill's voice and guide the audience through the key moments of his life as the UK's most celebrated leader.

The docuseries stars Christian McKay as Winston Churchill, Langley Kirkwood as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Martin Munro as Frank Sawyers the Butler, Ethan Saunders as William Browne-Clayton, and Rafe Soule as Young Winston Churchill in the titular roles.

While it is an apt representation of the leader during WWII, some argue that the docuseries deliberately left out some parts of his history that portray him negatively.

Churchill At War is an apt representation of him as a Great Leader in the UK's darkest years

While Churchill came into power in the 1940s, Britain was already at risk of invasion by Nazi Germany in the 1930s. While he was not an active part of politics then, he had his fears about the rise of Adolf Hitler, which were not paid much attention then.

The docuseries is true in representing his stance as UK's Prime Minister at a time when the nation needed the strongest leadership against Nazi Germany. His efforts, tactics, policies, and speeches for the British people proved triumphant.

The Dunkirk evacuation, in which he managed to evacuate 330,000 Allied soldiers from German advancing forces, was a key moment and proved to be a logistic miracle.

Churchill At War also captures his role as the UK's Prime Minister during The Blitz, when the Germans bombarded major English cities, especially London. He proved to be a world-class leader who boosted the morale of his people.

Through his visits to the bombarded cities and speeches, which situate him as an excellent orator, Churchill managed to boost the morale of his people at the nation's darkest time.

The docu-series is an apt representation, and some would also argue that it is a better portrayal of the leader than Netflix's The Crown.

Churchill At War does not address some dark aspects of his history

While Churchill At War rightly captures his efforts towards the British nation and keeping his people's morale intact, many politicians also questioned his moral ambiguities during the war, which are conveniently left out from the series.

Many claim that Churchill redirected British India’s resources to help in the war effort, leaving many Indians to die during the Bengal Famine in 1943. His casual remark about this tragedy and his policies at the time brought in a lot of criticism.

He was also accused of being an imperialist, as he believed the British Empire was meant for the greater good of humanity. Churchill At War leaves out this narrative and focuses on his legacy as a larger-than-life figure.