In my opinion, I think Winston Churchill understood Hitler better.

This is evident in
numerous cases. One piece of evidence that highlights why Churchill understood Hitler much
better than King is through the way he described Hitler in the excerpts on page 273 of the
textbook. King describes Hitler as a very loving and kind man which in reality we now know
Hitler is not. King states “He is really one who truly loves his fellow man” and “the affectionate
look in his eyes” which indicates he viewed Hitler as a very warm and friendly man. As we all
know today, Hitler is not, which means King only saw what Hitler showed to him on the outside
but not what his true personality is like. King was persuaded and trusted Hilter based on what he
observed from Hitler’s appearance which indicates that he does not understand him well.
Churchill, on the other hand, knew and understood exactly what Hitler was like. This is apparent
through his statements on the consequences and effects of Hitler’s actions. He states “This is
only the first sip, the first foretaste of the bitter cup… ” and “... we have sustained a defeat
without a war, the consequences of which will travel far with us along our road”. This indicates
his understanding of Hitler because he is able to foresee what Hitler’s work will cause based on
his knowledge of Hitler’s personality and character. He can predict all these outcomes because
he understood Hitler so well. Another piece of evidence that supports why Churchill understands
Hitler better than King is through their responses to Hitler’s actions. King seemed very laid back
and pleased with Hitler’s work which does not make much sense since Hitler was invading land
that was not his and killing thousands. King states “I hoped that the work might continue...” and
“It is bound to be followed in other countries to the great advantage of mankind…” which
indicates that he was extremely satisfied with what Hitler was doing which shows that he truly
doesn’t understand Hitler’s intentions. Churchill reacts much differently as he responded quickly
to Hitler’s work. He states “There has been a gross neglect and deficiency in our defences...”
and “we rise again and take our stand…” which shows that he understands Hitler’s actual
intentions through his reaction of making changes to defend Hitler from harming his people. This
also aids Britain through WWII. In brief, I think Winston Churchill understands Hitler much better
than William Lyon Mackenzie King. This is based on a comparison between statements about
Hitler’s personality and intentions.