Steven Kirk
Sir Steven Kirk | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 13th Prime Minister of Patagonia | |
| In office 20 November 1931 – 4 July 1945 | |
| Monarch | George V George VI |
| Governor-General | Sir James O'Grady Sir Herbert Henniker-Heaton Sir Allan Wolsey Cardinall |
| Preceded by | Henry Martin |
| Succeeded by | Arthur Rawson |
| Leader of the Patagonian National Party | |
| In office 24 March 1931 – 4 July 1945 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Arthur Rawson |
| Member of Parliament | |
| In office 13 March 1924 – 21 January 1946 | |
| Preceded by | Lawrence Peacock |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 October 1887 Clarkston, Patagonia |
| Died | 22 June 1957 (aged 69) Andes Mountains, Patagonia |
| Nationality | Patagonian |
| Political party | Patagonian National Party (from 1931) |
| Other political affiliations | Conservative (1906–28) Independent (1928–31) |
| Spouse | Ellen Kirk (m. 1920) |
| Children | 2 |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch/service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1914–1918 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | Patagonia Regiment |
Sir Steven Charles Kirk, PK, KCMG (26 October 1887 – 22 June 1957) was a Patagonian politician, army officer, and writer. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of Patgaonia from 1931 until 1945, winning a record four general elections, and leading the country through two of the major events of its history and of 20th century history: the Great Depression and World War II. Ideologically a Christian democrat, Kirk and the Patagonian National Party he founded dominated and realigned politics in the country. He is generally rated by scholars and the public alike as one of the greatest Patagonian prime ministers.
Born into one of the poorest neighbourhoods in the country, Kirk was the youngest child of British immigrants. Quick witted and highly intelligent, Kirk found formal schooling bored him leading to consistent underperformance, though he still formally graduated and attended college. At the onset of the World War I, Kirk travelled to the United Kingdom with his brother, Alexander Jr, where he enlisted in the British Army and served on the Western Front. He was severely injured in Spring 1918 and spent the remainder of the war recuperating. His brother was killed in action in 1916, and Kirk went on to infamously describe both his service and the war itself as "naive and futile". Kirk met and married Ellen Kirk, a Belgian national, and the two returned to Patagonia in 1921. Kirk joined the Patagonian Conservative Party while working as a land surveyor, and his keen political acumen and people skills saw a sharp rise through the ranks. He was chosen as the party's candidate for safe Patagonian Labour Party seat of North West Chubut at the 1924 election. An energetic campaigner and gifted orator, Kirk won the seat against the odds and ousted a long-touted future Labour Party leader. The surprise win became the marker of a meteoric rise in politics and began a career many noted for its unexpected victories.
Described as "disagreeable and disloyal" by the PCP leadership, Kirk was frequently overlooked for Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet positions. Beginning with the onset of the Great Depression, Kirk became increasingly alienated with his party leading him to cross the floor and sit as an independent MP. Despite a concerted effort to oust him at the 1928 election, Kirk held on and sought a "new direction, a third way" in politics. He launched the Patagonian National Party only 8 months ahead of the 1931 election but led it into minority government after it won the most seats.
The first half of Kirk's premiership focused on domestic issues, most notably the fallout of the Great Depression. He famously remarked that he would "bend the power of the state to the will of the people" and oversaw significant state intervention in the economy and expansion of social welfare. A committed social and political reformer, Kirk extended the right to vote to the Indigenous Peoples of Patagonia, established the Indigenous Peoples' Assembly, began the quasi-federalisation of Patagonia by devolving powers to provincial assemblies, and enacted constitutional reforms which replaced the appointed upper house of the Patagonian Parliament, the Legislative Council, with a Senate elected by proportional representation, and equalised electorate sizes for the House of Assembly.
His popularity waning and voter criticism of his government growing, Kirk planned to resign his premiership and leadership of the PNP after the worst of the Great Depression had passed. However his backbench MPs and the outbreak of war persuaded him to remain in office, after winning the "unwinnable" 1937 election, his third and fourth terms went on to be dominated by World War II. he was one of only a handful of World War Two leaders who had served on the front-line in World War One and, despite his experience during the latter seeing him proclaim himself a "conscientious objector", he nevertheless overcame his reluctance and led Patagonia into war. His speech in the House of Assembly, often called the "We Will Meet Them" speech, is considered one of his greatest speeches and a foremost example of his gift of oration. Kirk substantially built up the Patagonian Armed Forces, especially the Royal Patagonian Navy, which went on to serve pivotal roles in the Pacific War and Battle of the Atlantic. By the end of the war, his popularity as a leader has recovered and he was hailed a hero by supporters. Kirk retired from all politics in 1945 and would go on to refuse all offers to return, including turning down an offer to be appointed Governor-General of Patagonia in 1955.
In his later life, Kirk became a prolific writer. In 1947, he released the highly controversial Each Face, a seminal treatise on Patagonian history and one of the first major publications to consider as genocide the treatment of Patagonia's Indigenous Peoples by European settlers. The book was also highly critical of Hispanic settlement of the Americas, which led to international outcry throughout South America and leading Kirk to formally apologise for his remarks. Kirk's popularity recovered with his two autobiographies: 5,000 Days (1952), regarding his tenure as prime minister, particularly during the Second World War, and the critically acclaimed Lost Years (1955), detailing his service in the British Army during the First World War. With the latter, Kirk became one of the first modern world leaders to openly and frankly discuss mental health and "shell shock"; today termed post-traumatic stress disorder.
Kirk's struggles with mental health were well-known to family, friends, and his closest colleagues but kept largely hidden from public view; they were even hidden from fellow Cabinet ministers. They became a permanently part of his legacy, however, when in June 1957, at the age of 69, Kirk committed suicide. His suicide note cited depression and dementia (which he had been diagnosed with in 1955) as reasons.
Widely considered one of the 20th century's most overlooked figures, especially in relation to the Second World War, Kirk nevertheless remains popular in Patagonia, where he is seen as a complex – or even tragic – figure: a "man of the people" and victorious wartime leader who, despite political successes, could not overcome personal struggles. Praised as a social reformer and accomplished writer, his works, particularly Lost Years, now form part of the school curriculum in Patagonia. Conversely, his imperialist views and comments on race and religion, as well as public suppression of his mental health issues, have generated considerable controversy.