Sir Winston Churchill's Speech 'The Finest Hour'
The government incorporated every man who can have a weapon in defense of Great Britain. Therefore, there are twelve Canadian divisions well equipped to fight abroad, and they landed in France and safely withdrew to the security of the British Empire. The Prime Minister informed the Defense Forces to move the battles to the shore and the sea to save the citizen and protect the Island from the Nazis. In spite of this, all the Dominions beyond the seas replied to gather their divisions and set sail to Great Britain. Indeed, the answers came from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. In other words, Winston Churchill said that “Never mind. Win or lose, sink or swim, better die than submit to tyranny-and such a tyranny.”5
Sir Churchill tried again to point out to a historic battle, where after four years of war at Allies, the British had just experienced a disaster and disappointment. Accordingly, the Prime Minister suddenly was so glutted with a victory. To start with, Sir Churchill, the adventurer hoped to win the war where France perhaps would have a different government when General Weygand admitted his ballet was over. Thus, he said his known quote:
“Hitler …show more content…
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, including 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 perverted science.”6
The issue of the war for Winston Churchill was a matter of life or death when France battle was almost at the end. Hence, he was sure that gathering the Dominions armies would stand up the German ambition and achieve the victory.
There was an enormous effect of the Prime Minister’s speech “Their Finest Hour,”7 on the political and economic changes during and after the war. First, during the World War II, Sir Winston Churchill had a distinct technical speech. So far, many politics follow Churchill’s technique to convince the audience that made him a legend of his time. According to Cecil King, Newspaper owner who thought that Winston Churchill “was either ill or drunk” while reading his speech. First, the Prime Minister’s speech “The Finest Hour”8 characterizes by a sequence of ascendant events, where Churchill informed the House that the British “army and 120,000 French troops were indeed rescued by the British Navy from Dunkirk but only the loss of their cannon, vehicles and modern equipment.”9 Then, he changed his tone, mentioning that “Germans had a magnificent battle fleet in the proportion of 10 to 16, even though they were capable of fighting a general engagement every day and any day, whereas now they have only a couple of heavy ships worth speaking of.”10 Finally, he moved from the announcement of the defeats to talk about the victory of the Great Britain when he said: “I am happy to inform the House that our fighter strength is stronger at the present time relatively to the Germans, who have suffered terrible losses, than it has ever been.”11 This speech made of him an extraordinary man in his era.
The political changes that have emerged in Europe, where communism has expanded westward swallowing the European Eastern countries. Europe has been divided between communist and democratic where this matter did not stop at the European border, but it has spreaded around the world, especially in South America where several divided revolutions broke out between the defense of democracy and the liberal pro-communism. After the World War II, many wars have happened, but they were not as effective as the First and Second World War. The United States has involved in several wars beside its Allies in the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War. In the 1990s, many countries have involved in the Gulf War I, where they did not change the political system in Iraq. After September 11, 2001, the war against the terrorism became violent and started in Afghanistan then the second Gulf War. These wars resulted in the emergence of democratic countries, and they had the same Churchill strategy to achieve the victory where there was neither hesitation nor delay to take the appropriate decision at the right time.
Besides the political revolutions, there were different kinds of revolutions; there were the equality between men and women on a hand, and the black and white people on the other hand while the other revolution was the world communication. Although the United States has been a symbol of freedom, the American women have lived for several years as housewives where they had neither politic rights nor personal ones to share their husbands the leadership. American women subjected to the absolute authority of their husbands where there was rarely to find a woman could live free in a male society. This situation passed in several stages where the change knocks upon the society, and she got her rights. Black people have struggled to have the equality as the white people. They believed that nothing could stop them from looking for their freedom. They fought side by side with white people against the British in the eighteenth century to achieve the independence of the United States. After they involved in the Civil War, they could not make any change in the American society to have the equality as the white people. Moreover, they faced anger, antagonism, and aversion of the white people indeed. In the twentieth century, after the World War II, a new revolution has started to accomplish the equality among the American citizens, even though it was later than expected and has almost gone on for thirty years. The new revolution had a clever leader, Martin Luther King, who knew how to handle the equality issue as no one ever did. Martin Luther King was a well-educated person and had a distinguish ambition similar to the British Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill. This parity had been accomplished in the 1980s and after the assassination of Martin Luther King. Not far from the parity revolution, there was a communication one which passed from the colored TV, to the computer, to dish channels, then to the Internet. This revolution made the world a small town where everyone could access through the Internet, talk with his relatives, friends and finish his business wherever he was just in few seconds. Likewise, these revolutions counted on the perseverance to accomplish their aims like the changes that Sir Winston Churchill announced in his speech “Their Finest Hour.”12
Sir Churchill’s speech drew a political and economic map for the twenty-first century. This ascendant speech became the outline of any adventurous politician to convince the audience these days. For instance, either the previous Presidents of US or the present President Mr. Obama use this technique to achieve their victory in the presidential campaigns. There is the Iranian Nuclear file that has an important matter at Mr. Obama, represents the similarity between Churchill’s speeches and Mr. Obama’s ones. In February 2009, according to Michael Makovsky and Blaise Misztal, two journalists at The Washington Post, that Mr. Obama pledged “to use all elements of American power to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.”13 This decision could change after a few years, and it is not the final one. December 7, 2013, according to Michael D. Shear, a journalist at The New York Times, “President Obama said that he could envision a final diplomatic agreement with Iran that would let the country’s government enrich nuclear material for power production with enough restrictions to assure Israel and the rest of the world that it could not produce a nuclear weapon.”14 The diplomatic speech has changed 90º from prevention to acceptance of restrictions, and that is not all. Moreover, April 7, 2015, according to Steve Inskeep, a journalist at NPR, Mr. Obama “would argue that this deal is the right thing to do for the United States, for our allies in the region and for world peace regardless of the nature of the Iranian regime.”15 After six years of the first speech of Mr. Obama and negotiation with the Iranian, the President accepted to let the Iranian have Nuclear to peaceful uses. This diplomatic speech gave the Iranian what they are looking for, and at the same time the US achieved the best deal with 180º in a different direction without using Air Forces to bomb the nuclear facilities. Furthermore, this fact is, as a result of the Churchill’s speech technique which has benefited more helpful than the weapon in diplomatic negotiation.
The present days are similar to the past ones. In the end of the 1930s, Hitler appeared in Europe, where he tried to take revenge for the failure in the World War I, but he ruined the continent of Europe with lack of success in front of the Great Britain. Nowadays, there is a political revolution in the Middle East countries. They have tried to change the political system through isolating the politician and electing new presidents. While the people have tried to find their new political system, a terrorist group has appeared somehow as the Phoenix from the ashes. So far, this terrorist group is in control of large areas of Iraq and Syria. These terrorists have killed people, raped women and young girls and sold them as any product it can be sold. They are cruel people. Moreover, they slaughter the innocents like a chicken with a smile on their faces. The first their victim was an American citizen who was slaughtered. They have slaughtered people who are against their viewpoint, or belong to different religions where they called them unbelievers. They represent Hitler the twenty-first century where they have ruined the economies, sold what they could of the monuments and destroyed the rest. The United States with its Allies have bombed them and tried to stop them to support the citizen of those countries, but all the effort has not succeeded yet. Thus, Churchill knew how to cut the head of the snake before it uses its poison to kill him.
In contrast to the ignorance and mental retardation revolution, there is the technological revolution which represents the cell phones and their Internet as 4G. Now, everyone can own a cell phone with Internet connection, where there is no need to look for a phone booth or wait to go home, or office to use the computer and access. This new generation of technology helps students, workers, doctors, and engineers to be up to date through using the social media. The communication has changed since the World War II. In fact, what people have these days, it is the sequel of Sir Winston Churchill’s speech if it is not the explanation of “Their Finest Four.”16
Gathering people, and standing together, the political and economic changes and their map in the twenty-first century are the benefits of the outline of Winston Churchill’s speech “The Finest Hour.”24 As known that Sir Winston Churchill has gone a long time ago, but his cultural legacy still exists and has become the diplomatic base that transmit from generation to generation.
It is no wonder if the Prime Minister became a legend in his time where the creators and thinkers had decreased their presence. People, not just in Great Britain, but also around the world will remember his leadership through history, books, movies and especially in his speeches “Their Finest Hour”25 in the future and called him The Iron Man. Or perhaps, they will call him, the man who conquered Nazi and did not
invincible.
Sir Churchill tried again to point out to a historic battle, where after four years of war at Allies, the British had just experienced a disaster and disappointment. Accordingly, the Prime Minister suddenly was so glutted with a victory. To start with, Sir Churchill, the adventurer hoped to win the war where France perhaps would have a different government when General Weygand admitted his ballet was over. Thus, he said his known quote:
“Hitler …show more content…
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, including 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 perverted science.”6
The issue of the war for Winston Churchill was a matter of life or death when France battle was almost at the end. Hence, he was sure that gathering the Dominions armies would stand up the German ambition and achieve the victory.
There was an enormous effect of the Prime Minister’s speech “Their Finest Hour,”7 on the political and economic changes during and after the war. First, during the World War II, Sir Winston Churchill had a distinct technical speech. So far, many politics follow Churchill’s technique to convince the audience that made him a legend of his time. According to Cecil King, Newspaper owner who thought that Winston Churchill “was either ill or drunk” while reading his speech. First, the Prime Minister’s speech “The Finest Hour”8 characterizes by a sequence of ascendant events, where Churchill informed the House that the British “army and 120,000 French troops were indeed rescued by the British Navy from Dunkirk but only the loss of their cannon, vehicles and modern equipment.”9 Then, he changed his tone, mentioning that “Germans had a magnificent battle fleet in the proportion of 10 to 16, even though they were capable of fighting a general engagement every day and any day, whereas now they have only a couple of heavy ships worth speaking of.”10 Finally, he moved from the announcement of the defeats to talk about the victory of the Great Britain when he said: “I am happy to inform the House that our fighter strength is stronger at the present time relatively to the Germans, who have suffered terrible losses, than it has ever been.”11 This speech made of him an extraordinary man in his era.
The political changes that have emerged in Europe, where communism has expanded westward swallowing the European Eastern countries. Europe has been divided between communist and democratic where this matter did not stop at the European border, but it has spreaded around the world, especially in South America where several divided revolutions broke out between the defense of democracy and the liberal pro-communism. After the World War II, many wars have happened, but they were not as effective as the First and Second World War. The United States has involved in several wars beside its Allies in the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War. In the 1990s, many countries have involved in the Gulf War I, where they did not change the political system in Iraq. After September 11, 2001, the war against the terrorism became violent and started in Afghanistan then the second Gulf War. These wars resulted in the emergence of democratic countries, and they had the same Churchill strategy to achieve the victory where there was neither hesitation nor delay to take the appropriate decision at the right time.
Besides the political revolutions, there were different kinds of revolutions; there were the equality between men and women on a hand, and the black and white people on the other hand while the other revolution was the world communication. Although the United States has been a symbol of freedom, the American women have lived for several years as housewives where they had neither politic rights nor personal ones to share their husbands the leadership. American women subjected to the absolute authority of their husbands where there was rarely to find a woman could live free in a male society. This situation passed in several stages where the change knocks upon the society, and she got her rights. Black people have struggled to have the equality as the white people. They believed that nothing could stop them from looking for their freedom. They fought side by side with white people against the British in the eighteenth century to achieve the independence of the United States. After they involved in the Civil War, they could not make any change in the American society to have the equality as the white people. Moreover, they faced anger, antagonism, and aversion of the white people indeed. In the twentieth century, after the World War II, a new revolution has started to accomplish the equality among the American citizens, even though it was later than expected and has almost gone on for thirty years. The new revolution had a clever leader, Martin Luther King, who knew how to handle the equality issue as no one ever did. Martin Luther King was a well-educated person and had a distinguish ambition similar to the British Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill. This parity had been accomplished in the 1980s and after the assassination of Martin Luther King. Not far from the parity revolution, there was a communication one which passed from the colored TV, to the computer, to dish channels, then to the Internet. This revolution made the world a small town where everyone could access through the Internet, talk with his relatives, friends and finish his business wherever he was just in few seconds. Likewise, these revolutions counted on the perseverance to accomplish their aims like the changes that Sir Winston Churchill announced in his speech “Their Finest Hour.”12
Sir Churchill’s speech drew a political and economic map for the twenty-first century. This ascendant speech became the outline of any adventurous politician to convince the audience these days. For instance, either the previous Presidents of US or the present President Mr. Obama use this technique to achieve their victory in the presidential campaigns. There is the Iranian Nuclear file that has an important matter at Mr. Obama, represents the similarity between Churchill’s speeches and Mr. Obama’s ones. In February 2009, according to Michael Makovsky and Blaise Misztal, two journalists at The Washington Post, that Mr. Obama pledged “to use all elements of American power to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.”13 This decision could change after a few years, and it is not the final one. December 7, 2013, according to Michael D. Shear, a journalist at The New York Times, “President Obama said that he could envision a final diplomatic agreement with Iran that would let the country’s government enrich nuclear material for power production with enough restrictions to assure Israel and the rest of the world that it could not produce a nuclear weapon.”14 The diplomatic speech has changed 90º from prevention to acceptance of restrictions, and that is not all. Moreover, April 7, 2015, according to Steve Inskeep, a journalist at NPR, Mr. Obama “would argue that this deal is the right thing to do for the United States, for our allies in the region and for world peace regardless of the nature of the Iranian regime.”15 After six years of the first speech of Mr. Obama and negotiation with the Iranian, the President accepted to let the Iranian have Nuclear to peaceful uses. This diplomatic speech gave the Iranian what they are looking for, and at the same time the US achieved the best deal with 180º in a different direction without using Air Forces to bomb the nuclear facilities. Furthermore, this fact is, as a result of the Churchill’s speech technique which has benefited more helpful than the weapon in diplomatic negotiation.
The present days are similar to the past ones. In the end of the 1930s, Hitler appeared in Europe, where he tried to take revenge for the failure in the World War I, but he ruined the continent of Europe with lack of success in front of the Great Britain. Nowadays, there is a political revolution in the Middle East countries. They have tried to change the political system through isolating the politician and electing new presidents. While the people have tried to find their new political system, a terrorist group has appeared somehow as the Phoenix from the ashes. So far, this terrorist group is in control of large areas of Iraq and Syria. These terrorists have killed people, raped women and young girls and sold them as any product it can be sold. They are cruel people. Moreover, they slaughter the innocents like a chicken with a smile on their faces. The first their victim was an American citizen who was slaughtered. They have slaughtered people who are against their viewpoint, or belong to different religions where they called them unbelievers. They represent Hitler the twenty-first century where they have ruined the economies, sold what they could of the monuments and destroyed the rest. The United States with its Allies have bombed them and tried to stop them to support the citizen of those countries, but all the effort has not succeeded yet. Thus, Churchill knew how to cut the head of the snake before it uses its poison to kill him.
In contrast to the ignorance and mental retardation revolution, there is the technological revolution which represents the cell phones and their Internet as 4G. Now, everyone can own a cell phone with Internet connection, where there is no need to look for a phone booth or wait to go home, or office to use the computer and access. This new generation of technology helps students, workers, doctors, and engineers to be up to date through using the social media. The communication has changed since the World War II. In fact, what people have these days, it is the sequel of Sir Winston Churchill’s speech if it is not the explanation of “Their Finest Four.”16
Gathering people, and standing together, the political and economic changes and their map in the twenty-first century are the benefits of the outline of Winston Churchill’s speech “The Finest Hour.”24 As known that Sir Winston Churchill has gone a long time ago, but his cultural legacy still exists and has become the diplomatic base that transmit from generation to generation.
It is no wonder if the Prime Minister became a legend in his time where the creators and thinkers had decreased their presence. People, not just in Great Britain, but also around the world will remember his leadership through history, books, movies and especially in his speeches “Their Finest Hour”25 in the future and called him The Iron Man. Or perhaps, they will call him, the man who conquered Nazi and did not
invincible.