QuoteQuest“We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”
— Winston Churchill, 1940
Verification
VerifiedWording confirmed against a primary source.
Matches Hansard and the International Churchill Society text. The famous radio recording was made in 1949.
Source
- Title
- Speech to the House of Commons ("We Shall Fight on the Beaches")
- Type
- speech · Primary source
- Date
- 4 June 1940
- Location
- Closing passage
- Held by
- International Churchill Society
Context
Delivered after the evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk, as Britain faced possible invasion.
What it means
A declaration of defiance meant to steady the nation.
Cite this source
Churchill, Winston. (4 June 1940). Speech to the House of Commons ("We Shall Fight on the Beaches"). International Churchill Society. https://winstonchurchill.org/resources/speeches/1940-the-finest-hour/we-shall-fight-on-the-beaches/
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Provenance: Manually entered from the International Churchill Society transcript.