1940, THE 'FINEST HOUR' SPEECH BY WINSTON CHURCHILL

Today, The Grandma has been reading about This was their finest hour speech delivered by Winston Churchill on a day like today in 1940.

 

This was their finest hour was a speech delivered by Winston Churchill to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom on 18 June 1940, just over a month after he took over as Prime Minister at the head of an all-party coalition government.

It was the third of three speeches which he gave during the period of the Battle of France, after the Blood, toil, tears and sweat speech of 13 May and the We shall fight on the beaches speech of 4 June.

This was their finest hour was made after France had sought an armistice on the evening of 16 June.

In his speech, Churchill justified the low level of support it had been possible to give to France since the Dunkirk evacuation, and reported the successful evacuation of most of the supporting forces. He resisted pressure to purge the coalition of appeasers, or otherwise indulge in recrimination.

He reported messages of support from the Dominions and justified confidence in victory, even if it was not yet clear how that victory could be achieved.

More information: Winston Churchill

Now this is not the end.
It is not even the beginning of the end.
But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

Winston Churchill