June 1940 was one of the darkest moments in Britain’s long history. The Germans had overrun Western Europe, mighty France had just fallen, and the over-matched Allied forces had barely managed, only a fortnight earlier, to flee the Continent in the panicky and humiliating evacuation at Dunkirk. The Nazi juggernaut seemed unstoppable, and all in England knew that the full and fearsome wrath of Hitler’s war-machine was about to fall upon the British Isles. England was alone, and afraid.
It was seventy years ago today, at 3:49 on June 18th, that the great Winston Churchill gave his “Finest Hour” speech in the House of Commons — the third of three immortal speeches given by the newly appointed Prime Minister in those early, desperate days of the Second World War. His incomparable oratory and indomitable spirit united and rallied the nation, and gave the British people what proved, in the event, to be well-founded hope.
The speech was 36 minutes long; a shortened version was broadcast by the BBC.
Read the transcript here.
Listen to an audio excerpt here.