Second World War Winston Churchill Famous Quotes

Historic Speeches in the Sound Archive of the Imperial War Museum

Nov 7, 2009

Some of the most famous historic speeches of Winston Churchill during the Second World War are held in the Sound Archive of the Imperial War Museum in London.

The historical archive of the Imperial War Museum in London contains a wealth of oral history resources among which the war speeches of Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain during the Second World War. He delivered some inspirational speeches of which famous quotes are still widely known today.

Who could forget his invocation to the British people's "Finest Hour", his inspirational "We Shall Never Surrender" and his motivational "Keep Right On to the End of the Road"? Winston Churchill quotes and historic words are part of the history and experience of World War Two.

Winston Churchill Historic Speeches and Quotes

The British Prime Minister's war speeches are held in the form of recordings in the Sound Archive of the Imperial War Museum (IWM) in London. The IWM Collections offer a Records Search facility online by keyword and collection name. Some of the Second World War Churchill's quotes contained in the Prime Minister's historic speeches are:

"We shall go on to the end... we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the field and in the streets; we shall never surrender" (14 June 1940).
"This was their finest hour" (18 June 1940).
"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owned by so many to so few" (20 August 1940).
"We stand upon the watchtowers of history" (9 January 1941)
“Hitler may spread his course far and wide... But it is here, in this island fortress, that he will have to reckon in the end... Out of the depths of sorrow and sacrifice will be born again the glory of mankind” (Speech of 12 June 1941).
"If the storm is to renew itself, London will be ready, London will not flinch, London can take it again" (14 July 1941). Message to Hitler: "You do your worst and we will do our best".
"Do not let us speak of darker days. These are great days" (29 October 1941).
"I have never given any assurances of a speedy or easy or cheap victory" (7 November 1941)
"We did not make this war, we did not seek it. We did all we could to avoid it. We went so far at times in trying to avoid it as to be almost destroyed by it. ... Hitler and his Nazi gang have sown the wind; let them reap the whirlwind" (Speech to the Canadian Parliament, 30-1 December 1941).
"Keep right on to the end of the road" (Speech from Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 12 October 1942).
"I have never promised anything but blood, tears, toil and sweat" (Speech at El Alamein, 10 November 1942).
"Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" (Winston Churchill on post-war plans for the world, 30 June 1943).
"Price of greatness is responsibility"; "We are on the stage of history" (Harvard University, 6 September 1943).
"This is our victory" (Winston Churchill famous quote addressing the crowds in Whitehall, 8 May 1945).

IWM Sound Archive Orders

To order any of these Winston Churchill speeches (sound files) or other historic recordings, the researcher may complete and return the Sound Order form available at the Imperial War Museum website. The IWM accepts UK, Europe and International orders. Use of material for educational purposes is free. The Sound Archive also holds eyewitness testimonies from the Second World War, British and German radio propaganda broadcasts and daily proceedings of the Nuremberg War Crimes trials.