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Margaret ThatcherThe Iron Lady
Date of Birth: 13.10.1925
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
Biography of Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, also known as the Iron Lady, served as the Prime Minister of Britain for longer than any other politician in the 20th century. She was the first and, so far, the only woman to hold this position. Although Thatcher was not particularly feminine, she earned the nickname Iron Lady for her strong and determined leadership style.
Early Life and Career
Margaret Hilda Roberts was born on October 13, 1925, in Grantham, Lincolnshire. Her father owned two grocery stores and was an active local politician. Thatcher initially studied chemistry but later shifted her focus to law and politics. In 1959, she was elected as a Member of Parliament for Finchley.
In 1970, Edward Heath appointed Thatcher as the Secretary of State for Education and Science. During this period, she started attending the Institute of Economic Affairs, where she embraced the ideas of Ralph Harris and Arthur Seldon and became an opponent of the welfare state and Keynesian economic system.
Political Career
On January 19, 1976, Thatcher delivered a highly critical speech against the Soviet Union, accusing it of seeking global domination. Soon after, the Soviet newspaper "Red Star" gave her the nickname Iron Lady, which she gladly accepted. In 1979, Thatcher won a convincing victory in the internal elections of the Conservative Party, becoming the leader of the opposition and the first woman to lead a major British political party. Later that year, she became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after winning the general elections.
During her tenure, Thatcher implemented various political and economic projects to address the country's issues, such as high unemployment rates. Her political philosophy was based on reducing state control, creating flexible labor markets, privatizing state-owned companies, and weakening the power of trade unions. Initially, Thatcher enjoyed popularity but gradually lost support due to financial instability and persistent unemployment.
Later Years
In 1981, Thatcher's handling of the hunger strikes in Northern Ireland worsened the already unstable situation, and the Irish Republican Army even attempted to assassinate her. However, the Falklands War in 1982 boosted Thatcher's popularity and helped her win the 1983 elections. She was re-elected for a third term in 1987.
During this period, Thatcher implemented unpopular measures, such as introducing a new tax system, and faced disagreements within her Cabinet, particularly concerning European integration. These factors contributed to her eventual resignation as Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party in November 1990, following a leadership challenge from Michael Heseltine.
After leaving the House of Commons in 1992, Thatcher published two memoirs, "The Downing Street Years" and "The Path to Power." She also served as a geopolitical consultant for the tobacco company Philip Morris. Thatcher continued to deliver speeches and comment on political events. She called on NATO to intervene in Sarajevo to prevent ethnic cleansing, advocated for the independence of Croatia and Slovenia, and criticized Western governments for not recognizing the secessionist republics during the Yugoslav Wars.
In 1998, Thatcher publicly appealed for the release of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, citing his assistance to Britain during the Falklands War. She even visited Pinochet while he was under house arrest. In 2002, Thatcher suffered several strokes, which led to a recommendation to limit her public activities. She passed away in 2013 at the age of 87.
Thatcher's death evoked mixed reactions. While some resorted to vulgar insults, others openly praised her as the greatest British peacetime Prime Minister.
