Editing Winston Churchill (section)

===Cuba, India, and Sudan: 1895–1899===
[[File:Winston Churchill 1874 - 1965 ZZZ5426F.jpg|thumb|upright=.8|Churchill in the military dress uniform of the [[4th Queen's Own Hussars]] at [[Aldershot]] in 1895{{sfn|Haffner|2003|p=18}}]]
In February 1895, Churchill was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the [[4th Queen's Own Hussars]] regiment of the [[British Army]], based at [[Aldershot]].{{sfnm|1a1=Gilbert|1y=1991|1p=51|2a1=Jenkins|2y=2001|2p=21}} Eager to witness military action, he used his mother's influence to get posted to a war zone.{{sfnm|1a1=Gilbert|1y=1991|1p=62|2a1=Jenkins|2y=2001|2p=28}} In the autumn, he and friend [[Reginald Barnes|Reggie Barnes]], went to observe the [[Cuban War of Independence]] and became involved in skirmishes after joining Spanish troops attempting to suppress independence fighters.{{sfnm|1a1=Gilbert|1y=1991|1pp=56, 58–60|2a1=Jenkins|2y=2001|2pp=28–29|3a1=Robbins|3y=2014|3pp=14–15}} Churchill sent reports to the ''[[The Graphic|Daily Graphic]]'' in London.<ref name="HGN">{{Britannica|id=117269|title=Winston Churchill|author=Herbert G. Nicholas}}</ref> He proceeded to New York and wrote to his mother about "what an extraordinary people the Americans are!"{{sfn|Gilbert|1991|p=57}} With the Hussars, he went to [[Bombay]] in October 1896.{{sfnm|1a1=Gilbert|1y=1991|1p=63|2a1=Jenkins|2y=2001|2p=22}} Based in [[Bangalore]], he was in India for 19 months, visiting [[Calcutta]] and joining expeditions to [[Hyderabad]] and the [[Military history of the North-West Frontier|North West Frontier]].{{sfnm|1a1=Gilbert|1y=1991|1p=63|2a1=Jenkins|2y=2001|2pp=23–24}}

In India, Churchill began a self-education project,{{sfnm|1a1=Jenkins|1y=2001|1pp=23–24|2a1=Haffner|2y=2003|2p=19}} reading widely including [[Plato]], [[Edward Gibbon]], [[Charles Darwin]] and [[Thomas Babington Macaulay]].{{sfnm|1a1=Gilbert|1y=1991|1pp=67–68|2a1=Jenkins|2y=2001|2pp=24–25|3a1=Haffner|3y=2003|3p=19}} The books were sent by his mother, with whom he shared frequent correspondence. To learn about politics, he asked her to send him copies of ''[[The Annual Register]]'', the political almanack.{{sfn|Roberts|2018|p=52}} In an 1898 letter, he referred to his beliefs, saying: "I do not accept the Christian or any other form of religious belief".{{sfn|Gilbert|1991|p=92}} Churchill had been [[Baptism|christened]] in the [[Church of England]]{{sfn|Reagles|Larsen|2013|p=8}} but underwent a virulently anti-Christian phase in his youth,{{sfnm|1a1=Addison|1y=1980|1p=29|2a1=Reagles|2a2=Larsen|2y=2013|2p=9}} and as an adult was an agnostic.{{sfnm|1a1=Haffner|1y=2003|1p=32|2a1=Reagles|2a2=Larsen|2y=2013|2p=8}} In another letter to a cousin, he referred to religion as "a delicious narcotic" and expressed a preference for [[Protestantism]] over [[Roman Catholicism]] because he felt it "a step nearer Reason".{{sfn|Gilbert|1991|p=102}}

Interested in parliamentary affairs,{{sfn|Jenkins|2001|p=26}} Churchill declared himself "a Liberal in all but name", adding he could never endorse the [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal Party]]'s support for [[Irish home rule]].{{sfnm|1a1=Gilbert|1y=1991|1p=69|2a1=Jenkins|2y=2001|2p=27}} Instead, he allied himself to the [[Tory democracy]] wing of the Conservatives and on a visit home, gave his first speech for the party's [[Primrose League]] at [[Claverton Down]].{{sfnm|1a1=Gilbert|1y=1991|1pp=69, 71|2a1=Jenkins|2y=2001|2p=27}} Mixing reformist and conservative perspectives, he supported the promotion of [[Secular education|secular, non-denominational education]] while opposing [[Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom|women's suffrage]].{{sfn|Gilbert|1991|p=70}}

Churchill volunteered to join [[Bindon Blood]]'s [[Malakand Field Force]] in [[Mohmand campaign of 1897–98|its campaign against Mohmand rebels]] in the [[Swat Valley]] of north-west India. Blood accepted on condition he was assigned as a journalist, the beginning of Churchill's writing career.{{sfnm|1a1=Gilbert|1y=1991|1pp=72, 75|2a1=Jenkins|2y=2001|2pp=29–31}} He returned to Bangalore in October 1897 and wrote his first book, ''[[The Story of the Malakand Field Force]]'', which received positive reviews.{{sfnm|1a1=Gilbert|1y=1991|1pp=79, 81–82|2a1=Jenkins|2y=2001|2pp=31–32|3a1=Haffner|3y=2003|3pp=21–22}} He wrote his only work of fiction, ''[[Savrola]]'', a [[Ruritanian romance]].{{sfnm|1a1=Addison|1y=1980|1p=31|2a1=Gilbert|2y=1991|2p=81|3a1=Jenkins|3y=2001|3pp=32–34}} To keep occupied, Churchill embraced writing as what [[Roy Jenkins]] calls his "whole habit", especially through his career when he was out of office. Writing was his safeguard against recurring [[Major depressive disorder|depression]], which he referred to as his "black dog".{{sfn|Jenkins|2001|p=819}}

Using London contacts, Churchill got attached to General [[Herbert Kitchener]]'s campaign in the Sudan as a [[21st Lancers]] subaltern while, working as a journalist for ''[[The Morning Post]]''.{{sfnm|1a1=Gilbert|1y=1991|1pp=89–90|2a1=Jenkins|2y=2001|2pp=35, 38–39|3a1=Haffner|3y=2003|3p=21}} After participating in one of the British Army's last [[cavalry charge]]s in the [[Battle of Omdurman]] in September 1898, the 21st Lancers were stood down.{{sfnm|1a1=Gilbert|1y=1991|1pp=91–98|2a1=Jenkins|2y=2001|2pp=39–41}} In October, Churchill returned to England and began writing ''[[The River War]]'' about the campaign; it was published in 1899. He decided to leave the army{{sfnm|1a1=Jenkins|1y=2001|1pp=34, 41, 50|2a1=Haffner|2y=2003|2p=22}} as he was critical of Kitchener's actions, particularly the unmerciful treatment of enemy wounded and his desecration of [[Muhammad Ahmad]]'s tomb.{{sfnm|1a1=Addison|1y=1980|1p=32|2a1=Gilbert|2y=1991|2pp=98–99|3a1=Jenkins|3y=2001|3p=41}}

On 2 December 1898, Churchill embarked for India to settle his military business and complete his resignation. He spent much time playing [[polo]], the only ball sport in which he was ever interested. Having left the Hussars, he sailed from Bombay on 20 March 1899, determined to launch a career in politics.{{sfn|Jenkins|2001|pp=41–44}}