We Shall Fight On The Beaches Speech Analysis

Delivered on June 4, 1940, Winston Churchill’s speech “We Shall Fight on the Beaches” is one of the most recognized speeches during World War II. Churchill, who at the time was the prime minister of the United Kingdom did not actually broadcast this speech to the citizens of the United Kingdom, rather to the House of Commons. In fact, it was not until 1949 that people were able to listen to his own voice delivering the speech after Churchill was persuaded to record it for the benefit of younger generations. The purpose of this speech was to update the House of Commons on the latest bit of war news, that being the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Forces by sea from Dunkirk. Towards the very end of the speech, Churchill takes the opportunity to spark confidence in his people by encouraging their need to fight and go on to the very end. Winston Churchill was a British politician and author who had an extensive background in the military field. Seeking as much military experience as possible after gaining his commission, Churchill was posted to Cuba and Northwest India. After a rough start to World War II, Churchill was appointed Prime Minister by the House of Commons to lead the United Kingdom in a national coalition. He proved to be a very skilled war leader when he kept his ground by not giving …show more content…
Wars are not won by evacuations.” (We Shall Fight on the Beaches par. 12) In other words, Churchill is saying that although it was astounding to see how many soldiers came back alive, the evacuation should not be taken as a victory. In fact, in the last paragraph of his speech, Churchill encourages his fellow citizens to persevere through the war. He is almost certain that Germany will attack Britain on its’ own soil, and if that be the case, he tells Britain to stay strong, and never