Matt Butcher

 In construction Matthew "Matt" Butcher is one of the main leaders of Catholic Rebels organized by his later adoptive sister, girlfriend and guardian angel, Maria Arzonia. He is the recurring hero in LOTM: Witnesses of Sleepy Hollow, a supporting character in LOTM: Sword of Kings AA Final - Eckidina Arc, and the secondary hero in LOTM: Witnesses of Sleepy Hollow Spin-Off - Firenza Junior. However, his past is shrouded in mystery until it was revealed in Sabbath Saga.

Being the current owner of the legendary Blade of Karma, Matt is a distant relative of Ichabod Crane who suffered from amnesia and could not remember his past prior to his parents' tragic death under Moloch's hand. Matt's grandparents were FBI Agents and personal friends to the parents of Nick Hawley. The parents of Hawley were treasure hunters. Years ago, they were searching for the Blade of Karma, an ancient artifact occupied by the malevolent vampires of Sabbath Clan, when they were killed by demons of Moloch, who were the true leader behind Sabbath Vampires.

Before they died, the parents of Hawley gave their last wish to make the grandparents of Matt adopt Hawley and hide the Blade of Karma, not wanting the Sabbath Clan finding it. Years later, after Moloch's destruction in the Old Timeline, the Sabbath Vampires went into hiding and never be heard again, and the blade of Karma became the possession of Matt's father.

However, in the Eleventh Year of Tribulations (2018), Matt's parents were killed by a Sabbath Vampire, and due to some unknown reason, Matt (who were accompanied his parents) lost most of his memories and he mistakenly deduced that his parents died in a car crash after accepting the Blade of Karma. Matt quickly mastered it and later hid it deep into his house in London. Later, after Michael Langdon's rise as the new pope, Matt wielded the blade once again and joined forces against Michael, the Fallen Roman Catholic Church and the KnightWalker Family.

By the end of LOTM: A Draw of Kings, after the Cataclysmic War, due to Ichabod Crane's death under the hands of Sir Isaac Ray Peram Wescott and Matt's blood relation to the Crane Family, Matt eventually took the mantle of the First Witness.

He is an OC character created by Officer Candy Apple from CIS Productions.

Naming Pun
Matt is a short for Matthew, which ultimately comes from the Hebrew name Matityahu. Saint Matthew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus in Christian theology.

Matthew the Apostle (Hebrew: מַתִּתְיָהוּ‎‎ Mattityahu or מתי‎ Mattay, "Gift of YHVH"; Greek: Ματθαῖος Matthaios; also known as Saint Matthew and as Levi) was, according to the Christian Bible, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and, according to Christian tradition, one of the four Evangelists. Among the early followers and apostles of Jesus, Matthew is mentioned in Matthew 9:9 and Matthew 10:3 as a publican who, while sitting at the "receipt of custom" in Capernaum, was called to follow Jesus. Matthew may have collected taxes from the Hebrew people for Herod Antipas. Matthew is also listed among the twelve, but without identification of his background, in Mark 3:18, Luke 6:15 and Acts 1:13. In passages parallel to Matthew 9:9, both Mark 2:14 and Luke 5:27 describe Jesus' calling of the tax collector Levi, the son of Alphaeus, but Mark and Luke never explicitly equate this Levi with the Matthew named as one of the twelve.

The Hebrew name "מַתִּתְיָהוּ‎" (Matityahu) was transliterated into Greek to "Ματταθίας" (Mattathias), which was shortened to "Ματθαῖος" (Matthaios). The Greek Ματθαῖος was Latinised as Matthaeus, which became Matthew in English.

The name is also sometimes used as an anglicisation of the Irish name Mathúin, meaning bear.

Butcher is a common family name in England but it may have French origins. The name first reached England following its conquest by the Normans in 1066. It was originally an occupational surname used to identify a person who worked as a Butcher. The name derived from the Old English word boucher or the Old French word bouchier. Residents of the French area of Boursières, or their descendants, may have also adopted the surname Butcher.

Introduction
Before Firenza Junior, Matt Butcher is only presented as nobody but an ordinary soldier in British Air Force during the English Civil War, fighting alongside his comrades against Carissa after the corrupt princess started a coup d'tact against British royalty. Unlike Carl who had showed his ability, Matt never had show his swordsmanship during the English Civil War.

However, Matt's later role was greatly extended in Firenza Junior after the further development. Originally, Matt served as a supporting character in the spinoff and would be killed off for real by the end of spinoff (see "Dropped Idea" below). However, after the ending was altered, the role of Matt was extended greatly into one of the main characters in the entire storyline. His past involved with vampires was later created to correspond Sabbat Saga in LOTM: Witnesses of Sleepy Hollow storyline, revealing him to be the successor of the original First Witness, Ichabod Crane.

Therefore, Matt was the most developed main member of La Nueva Familia de Arzonia, even more so than Maria Arzonia. Originally, Maria return was supposed to come much later than the story of Firenza Junior spinoff, while Carl and Magilou in the spinoff were following the orginal concept in the story.



Like Maria and Magilou, Matt presented a sense of humor under his serious, reckless and duty-driven personality, all of which he shared with Carl despite being less vicious. Matt maintained his close relationships with other members in the New Arzonia Family, since he was an orphan who had little to no memory of his past, with only a name "Vykos" which he was trying to find out what it meant.

There was also an important fact about Matt's code name. Matt was the executive of Trebol ("Clover" in Spainish, representing the club suit), which originated from a card suit that represented happiness. Matt's own charater was made for happiness since he was caring, honest and cheerful. He also had been calm and clear-minded, unlike Carl and Esther Blanchett who both had their emotions blinded their judgement in two extreme ways of polar opposite, and Matt criticized them both. He could seperate Vira from Eugen Katsuragi earlier than anyone else, deeming Vira was nothing but a monster with Eugen's skin, in the way he regarded Melancholia as a monster with Plaisir's skin.

Like Maria, Matt desired love from family so that he could understand the meaning of love, and therefore, he fell in love with Maria due to compassions, treating Carl as his brother and treating Magilou as his little sister. He also despise anyone who dared to mock and mistreat his colleagues from the New Arzonia Family, carimg them deeply. His sister, Erica, aka Noelle Bor, saw her brother as one of the most heartwarming man in the world she had ever seen.

Dropped Idea
During the final battle against FOLIE, Matt was supposed to be killed while sacrifising himself to deal his final blow to the sea monster. However, after the story was expanded due to Maria Arzonia's return and subsquent character development, the idea of making Matt died was scrapped alongside other ideas.

Matt's heroic sacrifise was later recycled on a redeemed Esther Blanchett, who redeemed herself with her heroic sacrifise that allowed Carl and his friends to go free towards Melancholia's underwater base to get the Grand Grimoire destroy FOLIE, while allowing La Nueva Familia de Arzonia take over parts of Spain as their new base thanks to Esther's redeeming sacrifise.

In the true ending, Matt survived the endgame via swimming out through a secret tunnel he accidentally discovered. Due to taking the only left of antidote in time, Matt returned back to his human form and escaped the collapsed base. With the help of a group of dolphins, Matt managed to surface back to water and was found by Maria and Magilou. Matt's surival was presented at the end due to the already sad outcome for Carl when Michael appeared and sent him into Sleepy Hollow, making a bittersweet ending and allowed Matt to have more roles and character developments in future.

Personal Information
All informations of Carl Robinson, such as his hobbies, his favourite things, etc


 * Blade.Master.(Raven).full.1440704.jpgFavorite Color:
 * Black and orange
 * Favorite Foods:
 * English afternoon tea
 * Favorite clothes:
 * White coat and black gloves
 * Favorite hobbies:
 * Military training, watching the snow and sunrise, party, telling jokes, having fun, fighting with strong enemies, making some impressive pose, trying to impress his enemies, seeking truth, singing (sing horribly), dancing, cooking
 * Favorite allies:
 * Carl Robinson, Acqua of the Back, Katarina Couteau, Maria Arzonia, Sumireko Hanabusa, Mahiru "Shinya" Banba, Mary Spencer, Jellal Fernandes, Chinatsu, Sister Mary Eunice, Daniel Reynolds, Ichabod Crane, Abbie Mills, Kathrine Sforza, Vento of the Front, Plaisir, Katrina Crane, La Folia Rihavein, Imperia Deamonne, Noelle Bor, Joe Corbin, Jenny Mills, Nick Hawley, Sophie Foster, Diana Thomas, Villian, Molly Thomas, Lara Thomas, Esther Blanchett, Aerisi Kalinoth, Eve Fullbuster
 * Favorite enemies:
 * Acqua of the Back (rival) and anyone who fights with honor
 * Likes:
 * Being trusted, family, fighting with Carl Robinson in a duel, fighting enemies, participating into actions, being appreciated and acknowledged, freedom, talking really fun joke (with no sexual humor), having fun with others, training, fighting anyone who is strong enough
 * Religion:
 * Church of England
 * Hates:
 * Fanatics, fire, war, satanism, human experiments, assassins, mercenaries, nazis, fascists, Dark Empires, liars, serial killers, perverts, destroyers of worlds, slavers, corrupt politicians, greedy people, weak-minded people, warmongers, corrupt priests, dictators, evil demons, evil angels, Triggers Hell, coffee beans, lover stealers, Leohart's Cult, DEM Empire, United Kingdom of America, Sith Empire, Balam Alliance, troublemakers, bully, bullying, juvenile deliquents, genocidal tyrants, aristocrats, serial killers, people who tried to harm his family, people who targets weaklings, people who had no regards of history, skeptism, being mocked, people who have no sense of honor, math, strange laugh
 * Favorite music:
 * Light music, mainly Bandari & The Secret Garden's music
 * Age:
 * 22 years old in LOTM: Sword of Kings
 * Hated allies:
 * Esther Blanchett (until her sacrifising death)
 * Hated enemies:
 * Any enemy who fights without honor

Personality
Like his best friend, Carl Robinson, Matt is an extremely reckless man, even though he keeps claiming that he was reckless on purpose. Wanting to prove himself on the battlefield, Matt often clashes often with his sworn brother, Carl, who feels he is too inexperienced. Feeling the need to compensate, Matt recklessly tries to take on more responsibilities. Eventually, Matt learns to share his burdens with his fellow comrades and the two share a closer bond.

However, unlike Carl who was somewhat cynical, Matt was a strikingly jovial and playful person, and he was always fond of creating some comic relief on purpose even if it was critical situation, being a comedic hero of some sort.

Even so, Matt had more serious side when it came for his duties as a soldier, a brother and a friend. Often, he pays much of attentions on duties. He has a great sense of honor and perfection and would not accept any failure, even his own failure, having a determination towards survival as well as victory. To his friends and family, Matt is an upright warrior with strong character. Despite being compassionate, Matt is not always that forgiving. He would be angry when he saw fatal mistakes that could lead to horrid consequences, most notably Esther Blanchett's stubborn attitude in defending Michael Langdon.

Striving to live a warrior's life, Matt searches for ways to improve himself. He feels obligated to return any kindness given to him and will work hard to repay their feelings in kind. Matt is also a man of honor and will stay virtuous to the very end, no matter what obstacles come his way. Usually calm and just, he is also capable of turning into a fierce beast during battle. He believes that he can only find his true purpose in life during war and walks the warrior's path. Matt despise cowards and people who only targets the weak tensely.

In later stories, Matt suffers more personal self doubt upon seeing Carl being dragged into villainy by villains like Jasmine Porcelain and Melancholia before he overcame the feelings. Matt wonders if his path should end as well, together with his corrupted friend, or if he must continue with his personal beliefs. He sees Maria Arzonia as a kindred spirit, who also aims to follow the path a warrior would take, and developed a somewhat romatic relationship with her despite the fact that she was no longer a human. He always behaves like a brotherly figure in front of those he determined to protect, and to some extent, willing to sacrifise himself in order to stop the rampage of FOLIE by injecting himself with Carl's blood, destroying FOLIE and killed himself in the process, though Maria later managed to cure his accursed body with her tears and revived him.

Pure of Heart Proposal
''In his debut within The Corbin Files crossover, Matt Butcher just appeared as only a minor heroic character, but Firenza Junior spin-off officially sealed his heroic status. Matt Butcher was born with a kind heart and was prophisized to be the new reincarnation of the legendary Methuselah himself who had slaughtered 1,000 demons after becoming an immortal. In the prophecy, Matt would assist the Witnesses and destroy almost 1,000 demons, but this reincarnation suffered a horrid fate when his real parents were killed by the sadistic vampire matriarch, Sascha Vykos, and her Sabbath Clan. He later gained the sword known as Blade of Karma (in his parents' collection) which would severly punish its wielders if they had any evil or selfish thoughts, and therefore, Matt made this blade as something that would keep him away from crimes. Like his best friend, Matt was later found and raised by Anglican Church in his most needed time, and during this time, he saw human's most vile and devious side of their nature when the KnightWalker Family and was determined to save them before finding his lost memory. Like Ichabod Crane, Matt was a caring man who valued duty, family, friends and needs of the many far superior than the needs of himself. He would be serious in many fights despite his own sense of humor and comical moments when he was casual. After Michael Langdon took over the Catholic Church, Matt was angry and participate the foundation of Catholic Rebels. He vowed to fight for greater goods throughout his entire life, especially after he heard about the sacrifise of Maria Arzonia, being one of the first heroes who were inspired by Maria's courage and joined forces to defeat KnightWalkers selflessly. Matt later fell in love with Maria who returned as a spirit of paradise and would try to protect her despite Maria's indifference upon him, and the two soon set out to save Carl Robinson, Matt's best friend, from the abyss of chaos and darkness. In an attempt to save Carl and Maria from FOLIE, a nigh-unstoppable sea monster created by Melancholia, Matt sacrifised himself to destroy FOLIE. Fortunately, Matt was eventually revived and joined forces against evil factions like Manufacturing Progressive Sciences willingly. After World War III, Matt and Maria returned back to Sleepy Hollow in order to apprehend Michael, and they joined Team Witness to start a new stage of war against the sadistic and twisted United Kingdom of America. Valuing friends, family and honor above all else, Matt would eventually mature himself by self restraining and one day, he would even carry on the mantle of First Witness himself and prevent forces from Hell to return with no regrets.''

Esther Blanchett
Despite showing sympathy on Esther Blanchett and knowing the reason why she was defending Michael Langdon, Matt did not hestitate to bitterly criticize Esther's own stubborn personality and deeds of defending Michael no matter what he had done, even after she knew the evil Pope's true evil nature, simply because he saved her.

Matt had assumed that Michael saved Esther (if he really saved her) was out of other malevolent purpose, but under the influence of Firenza Blood inside her, Esther disregarded his warnings.

Even so, Matt was one of the people who tried to save Esther from being infected by Firenza Blood after the massive outbreak of Firenza Blood mist in London to stop her from turning into an insane abonomation.

Later, during the climax of Operation Grand Grimoire, Matt was devastated by Esther's heroic sacrifise that killed her, and he was awestruck by how Esther died - standing under the falling church and never fall even after suffering injury from Michael, who revealed the truth behind the death of Esther's mother, breaking the only reason that Esther could forgive Michael and fueling her attempt of heroic sacrifice in order to atone her previous wrongdoings out of foolish reasons, all the while helping Carl to get the Grand Grimoire.

After Esther's death, Matt commented that Esther's rebellion and sacrifise, which allowed Carl to get the Grand Grimoire, destroyed much of Neo Inquisition, and led the Catholic Rebels into the underwater base to destroy FOLIE, was the first and only true right thing Esther had done in her life, showing his newly formed respect on Esther.

Physical Ability
Part of Matt's reputation as the most powerful master swordsman in the Catholic Rebels is also due to his tremendous superhuman physical power and fortitude which supplements his mastery of swordsmanship. Matt's blade strikes were executed with tremendous power, able to easily create immensely powerful compressed air slashes with a massive range, enough to split large battleships and a mountain of ice with ease.

He also has extraordinary agility, being able to jump and leap enormous heights and distances. He is quick enough to counter Melancholia's Supreme Croat enhanced speed.

Swordsmanship
Matt demonstrates tremendous dexterity and supreme skill in swordsmanship, especially when using his main sword, the Blade of Karma. His range of abilities are extensive, from destroying entire fleets of ships and giant icebergs with immense power to being able to deflect the course of bullets with masterful and graceful precision.

Technique

 * Half-Moon Glaive: Matt waves his Blade of Karma from his side to above his head where he swings it down, creating a compressed air projectile that slashes his opponent. The strength and depth is such that it can create deep fissures in the ground for considerable distances.
 * Flipping Sword: Matt masters this technique after discovering the hidden ability of the Blade of Karma. The blade can be lengthened transformed into an urumi, which in turn allows its whielder to reshape it into a mace or to assault at various unsuspecting angles.
 * Corrida Glaive (literally meaning "Bullfighting Glaive"): Matt uses his sword and flattens it to reform and fold it in the form of a bull's head, effectively forming a stylized mace, which he uses to strike his opponent. Corrida translates to "race" in Spanish and Portuguese.
 * Vipera Glaive: Matt flattens the blade of his sword. The flattened blade will then extend itself and move like a snake towards a target in order to cut them. Vipera is a genus of venomous vipers.
 * Armada Bandera: Matt wears a steel block for a cape, which he uses in tandem with magic powers to make it flutter, while maintaining its steel quality for defense, capable of snapping cutlasses and injuring enemies rushing into it. Bandera is the Spanish, Catalan, and Filipino word for "flag".

Saga AA

 * Save the world from destruction (completed)
 * Get the Grand Grimoire from Michael Langdon (completed)
 * Go to Sleepy Hollow to find Carl (completed)

War Arc

 * Stop Michael from returning back to Sleepy Hollow (failed)
 * Stop Michael from continuing the cycle of Four Horsemen (failed)

Conquest Arc

 * Save Carl from becoming the Horseman of Conquest (failed)

Serious Quotes

 * "Do you beleve whether there is any kind of beast that never bites? Whether you believe it or not, I don't give a damn to buy that piece of nonsence. Now, eat sword!"
 * "Never underestimate any good people."
 * "No sword should be broken after a slash. That is a dishonor for a swordsman."
 * "The future lies upon us and upon our friends, and that future is now."
 * "Savior, conqueror, hero, villain. You are all things, Carl... and yet you are nothing. In the end, you belong to neither the light nor the darkness, but you will never stand alone."
 * "You fought bravely, and therefore I will give you a quick and painless death."
 * "They're people with only half the picture who believe they have all the facts. It makes their decisions flawed."

Funny Quotes & Dialogs

 * "What do you propose? We roam the country living on the land, like Bonnie and Clyde... [turned to see Carl] and Clyde?"
 * "Kill them! Without letting them die!"
 * Matt: "I feel something floating on my head, which could be a question mark."
 * ​Carl: "I feel something floating on my head, too, which definitely will be a hammer."
 * "I feel sorry for their intellegence."
 * "WHY ARE YOU WEAK TO COMPLIMENTS!?"
 * "When will this pathetic farce come to an end?"
 * "I saw five words floating on the sky:  It will be all right ."
 * (referring his bounty poster) "This is terrible, this is absolutely terrible because... THEY CAN'T EVEN MAKE MY NOSE RIGHT!"
 * (referring to a "wolf" which turned out to be a husky dog) "Wait a minute! Don't move! It might smell fear!"
 * Matt: (found a woman who parked a motorcycle on the pavement) Miss, I am sorry, but would you please take me a ride? I need to catch that truck!
 * ​Woman: No problem!
 * Matt: Are you good at riding this stuff?
 * Woman: Well, never mind. I drove a car before.
 * Matt: Phew...
 * [Matt took on the motorcyle and the woman took him towards the truck in a wild speed]
 * Matt: Whoa! Wait! You're riding dangerously!
 * Woman: That is how I ride, mister!
 * Matt: What kind of car did you drive before!?
 * Woman: Bumper car!
 * Matt: AHHHHHH!!!
 * Matt: [panicked] "Wait a minute! That means I accidentally killed Vizeran DeVir before we could get some vital informations from him!"
 * Maria: "Matt?!"
 * Matt: "It was an accident..."
 * Ichabod: "Can't we get him out of Nimbus Tower's Depths?"
 * Aerisi: "It was 200 meters deep from here towards the dungeon."
 * Carl & Abbie: "How long he has been down there?!" (╬￣皿￣)
 * (Ichabod, Maria, Aerisi, Carl and Abbie all looked angrily at Matt intensely... and Matt behaved like a child who had just did something wrong.)
 * Matt: [earnestly] Ten minutes, tops.
 * ​Maria: Who did this? Tell me NOW!
 * ​Magilou: It was Matt.
 * Sumireko: It was Matt.
 * Matt: It was Matt... Damn.
 * - Maria: "I won't chat with her in the topic filled with lewd porn, but that does not mean I won't sympathize with her. Poor dear creatures like her need love, and yet her life was filled with suffering. She needs her proper place in this world. Therefore, when Oriax joined the Rogues, I only said, 'So be it.' That's all."
 * - Sumireko:​ "You agreed because of her tragic past?"
 * - Maria: "Yes, why not? What do you think about the reason for letting her join us?"
 * - Magilou: "As a cute beast woman and can be reserved for mascot?!"
 * - Matt: "As our  spare rations for emergency ?!" - La Nueva Familia de Arzonia discussing to each other about the reason to make Oriax Wheelahr to join the Rogues
 * "I'll handle this. Drizzt? Uhh... your family was blew up by an astroid. Sorry."
 * "Just now, a cheese is keep sneezing and it cannot stop. You know why? Some people are taking photos not far away from him, keep shouting, 'Cheese!'"

Trivia

 * In the original draft, Matt was 27 years old instead of 22, but was changed in order to match closer to Maria's young age.
 * Matt's birthday overlaps Valentine's Day.
 * Matt's code name in Arzonia Family, Trébol, is the Spanish word for "clover". This matches the card suit motif of Arzonia's executive officers, as the clubs suit is called tréboles ("clovers") in Spanish.
 * Interestingly, despite believing he was British, Matt turned out to be an American born person. Even so, even after the end of the story, it was apparent that his Cockney accent dies hard.
 * Amongst the four highest-ranked members of La Nueva Familia de Arzonia, Matt have most of the character development and changing in his story after Firenza Junior.
 * Matt can speak Chinese and some Spanish.
 * Matt and Maria Arzonia are one of the few characters who rejected the request of Reality Council to battle against Balam Alliance. Instead, they went to the past Sleepy Hollow in order to stop Michael Langdon from summoning the Four Horsemen.
 * They only returned to future when the United Kingdom of America met its downfall so that the final legacy caused by Michael's change of timeline was destroyed.
 * Matt is the very first person Maria met after the latter returned back from the dead.
 * The introduction of Matt's blade, the Blade of Karma, is a promo to the story centered around the Sabbat Clan of vampires.
 * Matt is also one of the few characters from future who stayed in the past (alongside Maria Arzonia and Lara Thomas) in order to find the secrets of his troubled past until Moloch was destroyed.

Guan Yu


Guan Yu (died 220 CE), courtesy name Yunchang, was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dynasty. He played a significant role in the events that led to the collapse of the dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han – founded by Liu Bei – in the Three Kingdoms period. After Liu Bei gained control of Yi Province in 214, Guan Yu remained in Jing Province to govern and defend the area for about seven years. In 219, while he was away fighting Cao Cao's forces at the Battle of Fancheng, Liu Bei's ally Sun Quan broke the Sun–Liu alliance and sent his general Lü Meng to invade and conquer Liu Bei's territories in Jing Province in a stealth operation. By the time Guan Yu found out about the loss of Jing Province after his defeat at Fancheng, it was too late. He was subsequently captured in an ambush by Sun Quan's forces and executed.

As one of the best known Chinese historical figures throughout East Asia, Guan Yu's true life stories have largely given way to fictionalised ones, most of which are found in the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms or passed down the generations, in which his deeds and moral qualities have been lionised. Guan Yu is respected as an epitome of loyalty and righteousness. He is portrayed as having a red face.

Winston Churchill


Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, PC, PCc, DL, FRS, RA (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. As Prime Minister, Churchill led Britain to victory over Nazi Germany during World War II. Churchill was also an officer in the British Army, a non-academic historian, and a writer (as Winston S. Churchill). He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953 for his overall, lifetime body of work.

Churchill was born into the family of the Dukes of Marlborough, a branch of the Spencer family. His father, Lord Randolph Churchill, was a charismatic politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer; his mother, Jennie Jerome, was an American socialite. As a young army officer, he saw action in British India, the Anglo–Sudan War, and the Second Boer War. He gained fame as a war correspondent and wrote books about his campaigns. At the forefront of politics for fifty years, he held many political and cabinet positions. Before the First World War, he served as President of the Board of Trade, Home Secretary, and First Lord of the Admiralty as part of Asquith's Liberal government. During the war, he continued as First Lord of the Admiralty until the disastrous Gallipoli Campaign caused his departure from government. He then briefly resumed active army service on the Western Front as commander of the 6th Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers. He returned to government under Lloyd George as Minister of Munitions, Secretary of State for War, Secretary of State for Air, then Secretary of State for the Colonies. After two years out of Parliament, he served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in Baldwin's Conservative government of 1924–1929, controversially returning the pound sterling in 1925 to the gold standard at its pre-war parity, a move widely seen as creating deflationary pressure on the UK economy.

Out of office and politically "in the wilderness" during the 1930s because of his opposition to increased home rule for India and his resistance to the 1936 abdication of Edward VIII, Churchill took the lead in warning about Nazi Germany and in campaigning for rearmament. At the outbreak of the Second World War, he was again appointed First Lord of the Admiralty. Following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain on 10 May 1940, Churchill became Prime Minister. His speeches and radio broadcasts helped inspire British resistance, especially during the difficult days of 1940–41 when the British Commonwealth and Empire stood almost alone in its active opposition to Adolf Hitler. He led Britain as Prime Minister until after the German surrender in 1945.

After the Conservative Party suffered an unexpected defeat in the 1945 general election, he became Leader of the Opposition to the Labour Government. He publicly warned of an "Iron Curtain" of Soviet influence in Europe and promoted European unity. After winning the 1951 election, Churchill again became Prime Minister. His second term was preoccupied by foreign affairs, including the Malayan Emergency, Mau Mau Uprising, Korean War, and a UK-backed coup d'état in Iran. Domestically his government laid great emphasis on house-building. Churchill suffered a serious stroke in 1953 and retired as Prime Minister in 1955, although he remained a Member of Parliament until 1964. Upon his death aged ninety in 1965, Elizabeth II granted him the honour of a state funeral, which saw one of the largest assemblies of world statesmen in history.

Named the Greatest Briton of all time in a 2002 poll, Churchill is among the most influential people in British history, consistently ranking well in opinion polls of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom. His highly complex legacy continues to stimulate intense debate amongst writers and historians. In 1963, he was the first of only eight people to be made an honorary citizen of the United States.

Chen Yi
Chen Yi (Chinese: 陈毅; pinyin: Chén Yì; Wade–Giles: Chen I; August 26, 1901 – January 6, 1972) was a Chinese communist military commander and politician. He served as Mayor of Shanghai from 1949 to 1958 and as Foreign Minister of China from 1958 to 1972.

A comrade of Lin Biao from their guerrilla days, Chen was a commander of the New Fourth Army during the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), spearheaded the Shandong counter-offensive during the Chinese Civil War, and later commanded the Communist armies that defeated the KMT forces during the Huaihai Campaign and conquered the lower Yangtze region in 1948–49. He was made a Marshal of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in 1955.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Chen became mayor of Shanghai. He also served as vice premier from 1954 to 1972 and foreign minister from 1958 to 1972 and president of the China Foreign Affairs University from 1961 to 1969. As vice premier, he was present during the breakup of Sino-Soviet relations. In August 1960, Chen Yi attempted to ease tensions with the Soviets, declaring on one instance to the Soviet Ambassador to Beijing that Moscow should stop "severing the friendship between the two nations," and two weeks later to the Soviet deputy foreign minister that Moscow and Beijing should both try to save the alliance. During the Cultural Revolution, he was criticized in 1967, but never dismissed, so Zhou Enlai performed the duties of foreign minister in his place. He was a member of the 8th CPC Politburo from 1956 to 1967 and he was not admitted to the 9th Politburo (1969), though he was a member of the 9th CPC Central Committee.

After Marshal Lin Biao's death in 1971, he was restored to favor, although not to his former power. Mao Zedong attended Chen's funeral in 1972. This was Mao's last public appearance and his first appearance at anyone's funeral during the Cultural Revolution.

Bernard Law Montgomery
Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC, DL (/məntˈɡʌməri əv ˈæləmeɪn/; 17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976), nicknamed "Monty" and the "Spartan General", was a senior British Army officer who fought in both the First World War and the Second World War.

He saw action in the First World War as a junior officer of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. At Méteren, near the Belgian border at Bailleul, he was shot through the right lung by a sniper, during the First Battle of Ypres. He returned to the Western Front as a general staff officer and took part in the Battle of Arras in April/May 1917. He also took part in the Battle of Passchendaele in late 1917 before finishing the war as chief of staff of the 47th (2nd London) Division.

In the inter-war years he commanded the 17th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers and, later, the 1st Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment before becoming commander of 9th Infantry Brigade and then General Officer Commanding (GOC) 8th Infantry Division.

During the Second World War he commanded the British Eighth Army from August 1942 in the Western Desert until the final Allied victory in Tunisia in May 1943. This command included the Second Battle of El Alamein, a turning point in the Western Desert Campaign. He subsequently commanded the British Eighth Army during the Allied invasion of Sicily and the Allied invasion of Italy. He was in command of all Allied ground forces during Operation Overlord from the initial landings until after the Battle of Normandy. He then continued in command of the 21st Army Group for the rest of the campaign in North West Europe. As such he was the principal field commander for the failed airborne attempt to bridge the Rhine at Arnhem, and the Allied Rhine crossing. On 4 May 1945 he took the German surrender at Lüneburg Heath in Northern Germany.

After the war he became Commander-in-Chief of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) in Germany and then Chief of the Imperial General Staff (1946-8). He then served as Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO in Europe until his retirement in 1958.