The Churchill Series – Aug. 29, 2006

(One of a series of weekday posts on the life of Winston S. Churchill.)

On June 18, 1940 Britain, the Empire and Commonwealth were left to fight on alone as France agreed to armistice terms with Hitler. Churchill went to the Commons that day and delivered what’s become know as “The Finest Hour” speech. It ended:

[T]he Battle of France is over. I expect the Battle of Britain is about to begin. …

The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turmed on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war.

If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free, and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands; but if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States and all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new dark age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of a perverted science.

Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duty and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years men will still say, “This was their finest hour.”

But the nation and world did not hear that speech because at the time the proceedings of the House were neither broadcast live nor voice recorded.

But the members hearing it recognized immediately it was one of the greatest speeches ever delivered in the Commons. On all sides they urged Churchill to deliver the speech a second time on the radio. He agreed to do that.

About four hours later the BBC interrupted normal broadcasting for the Prime Minister’s speech. It's recordings of that delivery of the “Finest Hour” speech we hear and are still stirred by, even the many of us sho've heard and reheard the words for decades.

Tomorrow I’ll post on all but forgotten remarks Churchill delivered directly to the nation and world the day before his Finest Hour speech. I’ll also discuss a few events besides the fall of France that were pressing on Churchill that 17th day of June,1940.
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Martin Gilbert, Churchill: A Life. (pgs. 662-664)