Winston Churchill's Wartime Speeches October 1, 1939: First Lord of the Admiralty Churchill broadcasts to the Nation on the first month anniversary of the beginning of the war concerning the invasion of Poland, "the assertion of the power of Russia", and the U-Boat menace. $ Purchase November 12, 1939: A broadcast to the Nation - An encouraging military, economic and political assessment of the first ten weeks of war. $ Purchase December 18, 1939: A broadcast to the Nation regarding the self-destruction of the German Pocket Battleship Graf Spee at Montevideo, Uruguay. $ Purchase January 1940: Churchill praises the successes of militarily inferior Finland against the greatly superior invading Soviet Forces. Beginning in February, the sucesses would be overturned as the Soviets made a concentrated effort and defeated Finland. $ Purchase January 20, 1940: A broadcast to the Nation concerning the general military and particular naval state of the war, with special emphasis on the smaller European nations, operations against U-Boats and a negative assesment of the Soviet Union. *Individual Sound Files From This Speech* [New! (2/6/99)] $ Purchase February 23, 1940: A speech at a luncheon held in the honor of the crews of the Exeter and Ajax at Guild Hall, London. *Individual Sound Files From This Speech* [New! (2/6/99)] $ Purchase March 30, 1940: A broadcast to the Nation updating the citizenry on the course of the war and providing a comparison of British and German military preparedness. $ Purchase May 13, 1940: Churchill makes his first speech as Prime Minister with this address to the House of Commons. As audio and film recordings of sessions of the Commons were forbidden, this speech, along with other House of Commons speeches on this page, were reenacted by Churchill years later to commit them to audio documentation. *Individual Sound Files From This Speech* [New! (2/6/99)] $ Purchase May 19, 1940: First broadcast to the Nation as Prime Minister; a consolation to the British people regarding the Military defeats of the Allies in France. *Individual Sound Files From This Speech* $ Purchase May 28, 1940: An address to the House of Commons regarding the capitulation of Belgium. $ Purchase June 4, 1940: The famous "Fight on the Beaches" speech delivered before the House of Commons regarding the demise of France and the low countries, the debacle at Dunkirk and the egress of the British Expeditionary Force from the European mainland, and the readiness and resolve of Britain to resist invasion. *Individual Sound Files From This Speech* [New! (2/6/99)] $ Purchase June 17, 1940: Broadcast to the Nation famous as the "Finest Hour" speech; further consolation and encouragement regarding Allied military reversals in France. *Individual Sound Files From This Speech* $ Purchase July 14, 1940: Bastille Day Broadcast to the Nation regarding British attacks upon French warships; empassioned encouragement to the British people and the World that Britain will "stand alone in the breach". *Individual Sound Files From This Speech* $ Purchase August 20, 1940: The famous "Never was so much owed by so many to so few" speech, delivered before the House of Commons, especially regarding air attacks upon Great Britain, Lend-Lease and the bleak situation on the European continent. $ Purchase 1940: An excerpt from a speech where Churchill describes the Lend-Lease bill as "the most unsordid act in the whole of recorded history". $ Purchase September 11, 1940: Broadcast to the Nation addressing the aerial bombing and naval preparations of the enemy during the early days of the Battle of Britain. $ Purchase October 21, 1940: An English language broadcast to the French people on shortwave radio inspiring resistance against the Germans, and exhorting them to solidarity with Britain and her allies. $ Purchase October 21, 1940: Excerpts from the French language version of the above broadcast. $ Purchase October 21, 1940: An excerpt from the above - "Vive Le France!". $ Purchase December 23, 1940: A broadcast to the Italian people on shortwave radio designed to speak reasonably to the issues between Italy and Britain, and to appropriately and empassionately single out Mussolini as being the sole cause of the State of War between them. $ Purchase February 9, 1941: Congratulatory Broadcast to the Nation reviewing the Battle of Britain from a military and political standpoint; Greece; North African and Mediterranean victories against Italians; Bulgaria and Southeast Europe; American political and economic support; Malta; probable invasion of Britain; F.D.R.'s letter to Churchill and response "Give us the tools..." $ Purchase April 27, 1941: Broadcast to the Nation on Home Morale; Greece; German broadcasts sowing dissension between Britain and Australia; Tobruk; North African defeats; the Battle of the Atlantic. $ Purchase June 16, 1941: Excerpt from a broadcast to the United States thanking them for their economic aid and movingly defining the conflict in moral terms cherished by Americans. $ Purchase June 22, 1941: Broadcast to the Nation informing them of the Government's reaction the German invasion of Russia. $ Purchase July 14, 1941: Speech delivered before a London County Council luncheon after a review of Hyde Park Civil Defence facilities, exhorting the confidence and courage of London to brave future air attack. *Individual Sound Files From This Speech* [New! (2/6/99)] $ Purchase July 29, 1941: Excerpt from an address to the House of Commons regarding positive and negative developments in the nation's war materials output. $ Purchase August 24, 1941: Broadast to the Nation regarding the Atlantic Charter Summit between Churchill and F.D.R.. $ Purchase September 9, 1941: Excerpts from an address to the House of Commons reporting on the results of the Atlantic Charter Summit. $ Purchase November 29, 1941: An address before the faculty and students of Harrow School describing what Britain has recently gone through and what it looms before it. Renowned for its "Never give in!" passage and his rewriting of a verse added to Harrow's school song in Churchill's honor. $ Purchase November 10, 1941: Churchill promises that "should the United States become involved in war with Japan, the British declaration will follow within the hour". $ Purchase December 8, 1941: Broadcast to the Nation regarding Japanese attacks on British and American possessions; Solidarity and alliance with the U.S. in war against Japan. $ Purchase December, 1941: Churchill pays his respects to "the officers and men of the Prince of Wales", the British Battleship that, along with the Battlecruiser Repulse, were the first capital ships sunk by air attack while operating in the high seas when they were attacked by Japanese bombers and torpedo planes on December 10th, 1941, three days after the Pearl Harbor attack. $ Purchase December 24, 1941: A segment from a broadcast from the White House Christmas Tree, which he ceremonially placed a pendant upon. $ Purchase December 26, 1941: Shortwave broadcast of a speech delivered before a joint session of the United States Congress. $ Purchase December 30, 1941: Shortwave broadcast of a speech delivered before the Canadian Parliament. $ Purchase February 15, 1942: Broadcast to the Nation - Review of the six months since the Atlantic Charter Summit; encouragement regarding the current military position; Japan's Asian and Pacific victories; America and China as allies in "The United Nations"; reassurance of Australia and New Zealand; Singapore and Malay Peninsula defeats; call to united resistance. $ Purchase May 10, 1942: Broadast to the Nation - Two year anniversary retrospective of Churchill's office; sureness of victory; Hitler's mistakes; German propaganda about Britain's bombing campaign; reversal of air superiority; threatened gassing of Germany if gas used upon Russians; Arctic Atlantic; European invasion; Madagascar; Malta; Coral Sea; Allied war against Japan. $ Purchase November 10, 1942: A speech delivered at the Lord Mayor's Day luncheon at Mansion House, London, basking in the glory of recent British victories in North Africa. Renown for its "End of the Beginning" quotation and for its wartime-recorded use of his phrase "blood, tears, toil and sweat". *Individual Sound Files From This Speech* [New! (2/6/99)] $ Purchase November 29, 1942: Broadast to the Nation regarding El Alamein; North African and Mediterranean victories; Tunisia; Italy; Eastern Front; fall of Vichy France; Asia and the Pacific; prediction Asian war will outlast European conflict. $ Purchase March 21, 1943: Broadcast to the Nation - Thanks for get-well wishes during personal illness; post-war planning for Britain, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. $ Purchase May 19, 1943: Shortwave broadcast of speech delivered before a joint session of the United States Congress. $ Purchase June 30, 1943: Excerpts from a speech delivered in Guild Hall, London, upon receiving the Freedom of the City of London, concerning the growing prospects of peace due to the contributions of Britain's Commonwealth, Empire, Allies and Monarchy; the Allies policy of unconditional surrender . Famous for its "Reaping the Whirlwind" quote. *Individual Sound Files From This Speech* [New! (2/6/99)] $ Purchase August 31, 1943: Excerpts of a broadcast from Quebec to Canada and the World concerning his meeting there with American President Roosevelt and Canadian Prime Minister MacKenzie King. $ Purchase September 6, 1943: A broadast from Harvard upon his receiving an honorary degree from the University, where his speech praises the organization of American colleges to help serve in the war effort, extols the virtues of the fraternal association of Britain and America, and prophecises the international use of the English language. $ Purchase March 26, 1944: Broadast to the Nation - Review of last year's events since his last Broadcast to the Nation; Italy, her territories and the fall of Mussolini; success in the Atlantic and in the Air; Russia; Japan; India; future British general elections and post-war domestic planning; just criticism of eminent shirkers and complainers. $ Purchase November 9, 1944: A speech delivered at the Lord Mayor's Day luncheon at Mansion House, London, recounting the many victories of Britain and the Allies in liberating the formerly occupied countries, defeating the U-Boat menace, and the occupation of German territory. $ Purchase November 23, 1944: A Thanksgiving Day address delivered at the Royal Albert Hall, applauding the achievements of the United States in meeting the challenges of the Second World War and predicting the future fraternal association of Britain and America. $ Purchase May 8, 1945: A broadcast to the Nation officially announcing the surrender of Germany and the declaration of Victory in Europe (V.E.) Day. $ Purchase May 8, 1945: Churchill takes to the Ministry of Health balcony to address a jovial crowd celebrating V. E. Day. *Individual Sound Files From This Speech* [New! (2/6/99)] $ Purchase May 8, 1945: The BBC's Richard Dimbleby covers the above Ministry of Health balcony speech, followed by the singing of "Land of Hope and Glory" (better known to Americans as the instrumental "Pomp and Circumstance"). *Individual Sound Files From This Speech* [New! (2/6/99)] $ Purchase May 13, 1945: His final Broadcast to the Nation as Prime Minister during World War II, providing a personal review of his term of office as he prepares to take his leave of it. $ Purchase