This Is Their Finest Hour
“Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, 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.’”
Winston Churchill
More than seventy years have passed since the battles have ended, but World War II continues to resonate in the world today. After Poland, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France fell one by one under Nazi control, the sole territory standing in between German political leader Adolf Hitler and his full control over Europe was Britain. At the time, the late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who had only been Prime Minister for six weeks, led his people into battle (International Business). In this paper, I will examine Winston Churchill’s This Was Their Finest Hour speech he gave in the House of Commons on June 18, 1940 as invasion threatened Britain. Historians have claimed this speech to be “one of the greatest speeches ever delivered in the English language” (International Business) as it aided to inspire Britain to its eventual victory. Winston Churchill excelled as a communicator which benefitted him greatly as a World leader, for how can one lead if one cannot communicate to, and with, the people? The politician was a master orator who, in recent years, has been a model for rhetoricians in regards to his “rhetorical ability to dismantle the traditional barriers between political parties and unite them in one cause during wartime, his ability to relieve fear and anxiety amongst people, and his ability to inspire and convince them to fight with resolution” (Hyde, 1). By exploring ideas and concepts from communication approaches, such as Aristotle’s “modes of proof” (pathos, logos, and ethos), the sociological perspective, and the psychological perspective, I will demonstrate how Winston Churchill’s rhetoric kept Britain’s courage alive during WWII. Throughout history, the world of rhetoric had been strongly influenced by
Winston Churchill
More than seventy years have passed since the battles have ended, but World War II continues to resonate in the world today. After Poland, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France fell one by one under Nazi control, the sole territory standing in between German political leader Adolf Hitler and his full control over Europe was Britain. At the time, the late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who had only been Prime Minister for six weeks, led his people into battle (International Business). In this paper, I will examine Winston Churchill’s This Was Their Finest Hour speech he gave in the House of Commons on June 18, 1940 as invasion threatened Britain. Historians have claimed this speech to be “one of the greatest speeches ever delivered in the English language” (International Business) as it aided to inspire Britain to its eventual victory. Winston Churchill excelled as a communicator which benefitted him greatly as a World leader, for how can one lead if one cannot communicate to, and with, the people? The politician was a master orator who, in recent years, has been a model for rhetoricians in regards to his “rhetorical ability to dismantle the traditional barriers between political parties and unite them in one cause during wartime, his ability to relieve fear and anxiety amongst people, and his ability to inspire and convince them to fight with resolution” (Hyde, 1). By exploring ideas and concepts from communication approaches, such as Aristotle’s “modes of proof” (pathos, logos, and ethos), the sociological perspective, and the psychological perspective, I will demonstrate how Winston Churchill’s rhetoric kept Britain’s courage alive during WWII. Throughout history, the world of rhetoric had been strongly influenced by
Cited: Engelhart, Katie. "Winston Churchill 's Finest Hours." Maclean 's 125.51/52 (2013): 1. Business Source Complete "Ethos, Pathos, and Logos." Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2013. Goodlad, Graham D. Oliver Cromwell. Tirril, Penrith: Humanities-Ebooks, 2007. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) Hyde, Ari. "Wartime Rhetoric 's Finest Hour: What We Can Learn From Winston Churchill 's Rhetoric In A Post-9/11 World." Conference Papers -- National Communication Association (2009): 1