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Listen to speeches

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'We shall fight on the beaches', 4 June 1940

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'... We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender ...'

From 27 May to 4 June 1940, some 226,000 British and 110,000 French troops were rescued from the channel port of Dunkirk, by a fleet ranging from small civilian pleasure boats to Navy destroyers. Churchill spoke to the British nation on 4 June. His honesty about Dunkirk being a massive defeat for the Allies won his listeners' trust, but he also used his rhetoric to inspire the British people to come to terms with their predicament and fight on. Because these words are so famous, it's often overlooked what made them so effective. By telling the British people how heroic they were going to be, he gave them no choice but to play out their parts in the script he had written, or be shamed.

'War of the Unknown Warriors', 14 July 1940

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'... This is no war of chieftains or of princes, of dynasties or national ambition; it is a war of peoples and of causes. There are vast numbers, not only in this island but in every land, who will render faithful service in this war, but whose names will never be known, whose deeds will never be recorded. This is a War of the Unknown Warriors; but let all strive without failing in faith or in duty, and the dark curse of Hitler will be lifted from our age ...'

During May and June of 1940, the Germans overran France, Belgium, Holland and Luxemburg and, on 17 June, France sued for peace. The German Air Force was regrouped during June and early July, to open the first stage of the invasion of Britain by destroying the Royal Air Force. The Battle of Britain began on 10 July.

'This is your victory!' - 8 May 1945

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'This is your victory! It is the victory of the cause of freedom in every land. In all our long history we have never seen a greater day than this. Everyone, man or woman, has done their best. Everyone has tried. Neither the long years, nor the dangers, nor the fierce attacks of the enemy, have in any way weakened the unbending resolve of the British nation. God bless you all.'

The German forces in Europe surrendered to the Allies on 7 May 1945. During the celebrations that followed the announcement of the end of the war, Churchill appeared on the balcony of the Ministry of Health in Whitehall, to speak to the vast crowd. After the words 'This is your victory!', the crowd roared back, 'No - it is yours!'
The audio has been reproduced by courtesy of Curtis Brown on behalf of the Estate of Sir Winston Churchill.

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In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions '...

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Biography >> World War II

Occupation: Prime Minister of Great Britain

Born: November 30th, 1874 in Oxfordshire, England

Died: 24 January 1965 in London, England

Best known for: Standing up to the Germans in World War II

Biography:

Winston Churchill was one of the great world leaders of the 20th century. His leadership helpedBritain to stand strong against Hitler and the Germans, even when they were the last country left fighting. He is also famous for his inspiring speeches and quotes.

Childhood and Growing Up

Winston was born November 30th, 1874 in Oxfordshire, England. He was actually born in a room in a palace named Blenheim Palace. His parents were wealthy aristocrats. His father, Lord Randolph Churchill, was a politician who held many high offices in the British government.

Winston Churchill
from the Library of Congress

Joining the Military

Churchill attended the Royal Military College and joined the British cavalry upon graduation. He traveled to many places while with the military and worked as a newspaper correspondent, writing stories about battles and being in the military.

While in South Africa during the Second Boer War, Winston Churchill was captured and became a Prisoner of War. He managed to escape from prison and traveled 300 miles to be rescued. As a result, he became something of a hero in Britain for a while.

Rise to Power

In 1900 Churchill was elected to Parliament. Over the next 30 years he would hold a number of different offices in the government including a cabinet post in 1908. His career had many ups and downs during this time, but he also became famous for many of his writings.

Prime Minister

At the outbreak of World War II, Churchill became First Lord of the Admiralty in command of the Royal Navy. At the same time the current Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, wanted to appease Germany and Hitler. Churchill knew this would not work and warned the government that they needed to help fight Hitler or Hitler would soon take over all of Europe.

As Germany continued to advance, the country lost confidence in Chamberlain. Finally, Chamberlain resigned and Winston Churchill was chosen to be his successor as Prime Minister on May 10, 1940.

World War II

Soon after becoming Prime Minister, Germany invaded France and Britain was alone in Europe fighting Hitler. Churchill inspired the country to keep fighting despite the bad circumstances. He also helped to forge an alliance ofAllied Powers with the Soviet Union and the United States. Even though he did not like Joseph Stalin and the communists of the Soviet Union, he knew the Allies needed their help to fight Germany.

Tehran Conference
from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library
Churchill with President Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin

With the Allies help, and Winston's leadership, the British were able to hold off Hitler. After a long and brutal war they were able to defeat Hitler and the Germans.

Churchill waving to the crowd after the end of World War II
Churchill on VE Day
by a War Office official photographer

After the War

After the war, Churchill's party lost the election and he was no longer Prime Minister. He was still a major leader in the government, however. He was again elected Prime Minister in 1951. He served the country for many years and then retired. He died on January 24, 1965.

Churchill was concerned about the Soviet Union and the Red Army. He felt they were just as dangerous as Hitler now that the Germans were defeated. He was right as soon after World War II ended, the Cold War between the Western nations of NATO (such as Britain, France, USA) and communist Soviet Union began.

Famous Quotes

Winston Churchill was famous for his rousing speeches and quotes. Here are a few of his famous quotes:

In a speech criticizing the appeasement of Hitler, he said "You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor, and you will have war."

He also said of appeasement: "An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last."

In his first speech as Prime Minister he said "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat."

In a speech about fighting the Germans he said "We shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender."

When talking about the RAF during the Battle of Britain he said "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."

Fun Facts about Winston Churchill

He wrote a number of historical books and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953.

He was named an honorary citizen of the United States.

Churchill married Clementine Hozier in 1908. They had five children including four daughters and one son.

Winston did not do well in school as a child. He also had trouble getting into the Royal Military College. Although, once in, he finished near the top of his class.

He was not healthy during World War II. He had a heart attack in 1941 and pneumonia in 1943.

Works Cited

Biography >> World War II

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Biography >> World War II Occupation: Prime Minister of Great Britain Born: November 30th, 1874 in Oxfordshire, England Died: 24 January 1965 in London, England Best known for: Standing up to the Germans in World War II Biography: Winston Churchill was one of the great world leaders of the 20th century.

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KS2 History learning resources for adults, children, parents and teachers organised by topic.

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Brief biography of Winston Churchill in World War II