winston churchill

Hassan, Carl and Anton

RESUMEIn this assignment you can read a timeline that sums up the milestones in Winston Churchill’s life. In addition to this, there is a short text about Churchill´s exceptional funeral.

TimelineWinston Churchill is known as an action hero, historian, journalist, one of the greatest politicians because he had amazing rhetorical skills.

He was born into a wealthy family on November 30, 1874

in Blenheim palace, Oxfordshire England:

Churchill went to war very early and also escaped from prison camp in South Africa (The Boer War)

He became a national figure at a very early age

Before World War 1 in 1911 he became first lord of the admiralty

1915 he resigned his position in the government and went to France to fight on the front lines until his unit was dispended in 1916

- After World war 1:

He was out of favour with the British in a longer period

He retreated to his country estate, wrote, lectured

He was a maverick politician and not everyone got along with Churchill

It took the 1930’s when the Nazis Germany raised and people considered Winston Churchill a potential national leader

- World War 2 began to rise

The people of Britain knew that Churchill should be brought back in the government

He became the first lord of the admiralty the day Britain declared war on Germany September 3 1939

Less than a year later he became the Prime Minister

Churchill brought a great clarity of thinking about the reality that Hitler threatened Great Britain

He brought an ability to mobilise English language as a fighting force in his speeches, radio interviews, reports to the nation. He gave them hope!

In the summer of 1940 Hitler lunched what Churchill termed, “the battle of Britain”

At the time, it was the largest sustained aerial bombing campaign in Britain’s history. London alone, over 1000000 houses were destroyed

20000 civilians were killed

Churchill offered full support for the Soviet Union in June of 1941 when Nazi Germany attacked the USSR

He famously said: “If Hitler invaded hell, I would make a favourable reference to the devil in the house of comments.”

When he got the message about USA being attacked, he got full of joy, not because they got attacked, but because he knew that they were going to get involved in the war.

On May 7 1945 Germany surrender to the allies

300000 British soldiers and 60000 civilians died during the war

In July 1945 Churchill lost the prime ministership but remained inforce in the government

1951 he was again elected prime minister under the impression of the potential of expansion of the Soviet Union, and people thought that he was the right person to stand up against turnery.

1953 Churchill was awarded the Nobel prize in literature

He served as prime minister until 1955

Afterwards he continued to serve in the House of Commons until 1964

January 24, 1965 Churchill died – the state burial was one of the greatest meetings of political leaders of the 20th century

Funeral

It wasn't only the royal house which was present at Churchill’s funeral, but very many people of high social status and power came to Churchill's funeral from all around the world. The entire kingdom mourned jointly, and so did the rest of the Allied, even Russia. Despite of the conflicts between Russia and the AllieD (primarily the USA), they still got together to show gratitude for Churchill, this goes to show how exceptional this man was.

Winston Churchill & World War II(By Victor, Babur & Andreas)

Speech 1:

We shall fight on the beaches… speech (delivered 4 June, 1940)

1) What was the historical background of the speech?Before Churchill’s speech, Germany had conquered all the European countries which

shared British borders, and thus Winston wanted to assure his people that they would

never yield their country to Hitler’s Germany, no matter the cost.

2) Listen to the speech on the YouTube video taking notes as you go along.

3) Prepare a brief summary of the speech, stating where and when it was held.The speech was held right before the Germans began to attack England, at this time

Winston became minister of defense a month earlier. The speech is primarily about

motivation, he uses a lot of pathos throughout the speech with motivational quotes, e.g.

“We shall never surrender” (1:30ff).

4) Make a few comments on the form of the speech (appeal forms etc.)In his speech, Winston talks a lot about Britain’s bonds with France, saying that they will

fight for each other, this would definitely be Ethos, as it is a sort personal branding,

marking the British ad the French good friends. He definitely uses a lot of inspirational

quotes in his speech, appealing to pathos, which is often extremely inspirational, as it

rallies the feelings in people.

5) Find the” famous” words (for which this speech is remembered) somewhere in the speech and write them out, indicating where they are on youtube video. We have found a famous section in the speech. Winston said:

“We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, 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.” (1:30ff)

Winston Churchill & World War II(By Asger, Gustav, Anders & Jess)

Speech 2: Never was so much owed by so many to so few…(speech delivered on 20 August 1940)

The speech was given as the UK prepared for the German Invasion. In the speech, Churchill tried to inspire his countrymen by saying that even though the last several months had only been defeats for the Allies. The Allies situation was even better than before. He was right. The British won, and the first significant defeat was given to the Nazis. The speech found its basis in the moment where Churchill realized what was going on. “The Few” who was the British pilots had the whole country in their hands and sacrificed their life to save so many other people. The sentence formed the basis of his speech to the House of Commons on 20th August and was a way to express the gratitude to the brave pilots.Prepare a brief summary of the speech, stating where and when it was held.The speech was made by Winston Churchill and it was held on August 20th 1940. The name comes from a line in the speech. In the video Churchill starts with referring to the German preparations to The Great Air Battle. He then proceeds to talk about Herr Hitler, and how he brags about the damage he has inflicted and the vast number of Air Force members he has shot down. But if his force was forced to peter out, his reputation would be impugned. He then comes to the UK, and how the favour is in their hands. By air-fighting on the Island their Air Force shot achieve a ratio of 4-1. Churchill then ends the speech with thanking every home of the UK and the pilots. And ends with the quote: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” Make a few comments on the form of the speech (appeal forms etc.)In general he uses pathos by speaking to ALL of the UK, all of his countrymen. “The gratitude of every home in our Island, in our Empire, and indeed throughout the world, except in the abodes of the guilty, goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of the world war by their prowess and by their devotion.” A classic use of pathos with a metaphorical twist (turning the tide of the world war by their prowess and devotion). It affects all of the homes in the UK. “On the other hand, the conditions and course of the fighting have so far been favorable to us. I told the House two months ago that whereas in France our fighter aircraft were wont to inflict a loss of two or three to one upon the Germans, and in the fighting at Dunkirk, which was a kind of no-man's-land, a loss of about three or four to one, we expected that in an attack on this Island we should achieve a larger ratio. This has certainly come true. It must also be remembered that all the enemy machines and pilots which are shot down over our Island, or over the seas which surround it, are either destroyed or captured; whereas a considerable proportion of our machines, and also of our pilots, are saved, and soon again in many cases come into action. ”This quote shows what WC is capable of. He can bring UK together and give them hope. By the mentioning the ratio of the Air Force Churchill used logos. It gives creditability and makes the people of the UK think that it is possible for them to win in an air battle against the Nazis.

Find the ”famous” words (for which this speech is remembered) somewhere in the speech and write them out, indicating where they are on Youtube video. Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.Churchill used the famous words 4 days before. To be specific he said it on August 16th when he exited the Battle of Britain Bunker during a day of battle. Here it is said that he told Hastings Ismay, a general: “Don’t speak to me, I have never been so moved.” Then after a few minutes of silence, Churchill said:” Never in the history of mankind has so much been owed by so many to so few.” (he later changed it to: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”) Churchill was the first one to mention the Allies as the Few.

Speech 3: The End of the Beginning(by Kamillia, Josephine, Mathilde B & Zeinab)

The following speech, “The End of the Beginning”, which we will discuss, was held on the 10th of November 1942 at the Lord Mayor’s day luncheon at the mansion house in London. For the time being England and her allies were at war with Nazi Germany and Japan, which is also called the 2nd World War. Amongst other battles Britain was participating in at the time, one of the most defining battles and moments of the British victory, was The Second Battle of Alamein, which took place in Northern Egypt. The reasons for this, are that the battle was a turning point in the North African campaign and contributed to ending a long fight for the Western Desert. This battle was also the only battle won by Britain and the Commonwealth forces without direct help from The United States. Approximately 100.000 soldiers died during the battle, and for some time it didn’t look very well for the Allied Forces. But at last, they won, and that meant them getting control over the Mediterranean.

In this speech, Winston Churchill starts by reminding the Britons about their new experience, their victory. He mentions prisoning so many Germans and congratulates the British soldiers on the victory they brought in. Churchill points out that he has kept his promise “I have never promised anything but blood, tears, toil, and sweat.” (0:00-0:52 ff), and he also mentions three of the important characters in the history of British wars: Venizelos, who, under world war one, said, that he is sure Britain always wins the last battle, and General Alexander and Montgomery, who both contributed to a magnificent victory in The Second Battle of Alamein (0:56-2:03 ff). In his speech, Churchill comes with a remark that has become a very important saying: “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning” (2:06-2:16 ff). Winston states that Hitler’s Nazis will continue equally as brutal and continue war without mercy, he informs the Britons about Hitler’s Nazi’s movements, and makes it clear that Hitler’s Nazis will continue to stand strong. With all the victorious feelings reoccurring, he makes sure the listeners know that the war is far from over. He lastly talks about the effects of war, and how they are now affecting Germany greatly as well. Winston Churchill makes great use of the three rhetorical devices, logos, pathos and ethos throughout his speech. The following section will concern itself with some examples of when Churchill uses these devices, why he uses them - i.e., what affect they are meant to have on the listeners. Additionally, a few other literary devices, used with significant intend, will be pointed out.

Pathos- (00:44 f) “The bright gleam has caught the helmets of our soldiers, and warmed and

cheered all our hearts” Here he makes the British people feel as one united people by

emphasising on the hopeful and happy feeling they share in the wake of their victory

over the Germans. Additionally, he uses a metaphor: he doesn’t actually mean that a

gleam has caught the soldiers’ helmets, but that luck in war has returned to the British

people after the many defeats they have suffered. This makes his points stand out

more clearly in peoples’ minds, as they can picture the symbolic narrative.

- (02:30 f) “Henceforth they will have to face in many theatres of war that superiority in

the air which they have so often used without mercy against others, of which they

boasted all round the world, and which they intended to use as an instrument for

convincing all other peoples that all resistance to them was hopeless.”

In the preceding quote, Churchill is relying on the hate that the British people have for the Germans. He highlights how the Germans have used their weaponry all over Europe and used their manifested strength to invade other countries. He paints a picture of the Germans being immoral and as the cause of the war, which they of course were.

Ethos:- (03:00 f) “When I read of the coastal road crammed with fleeing German vehicles under

the blasting attacks of the Royal Air Force, I could not but remember those roads of

France and Flanders, crowded, not with fighting men, but with helpless refugees -

women and children - fleeing with their pitiful barrows and household goods, upon

whom such merciless havoc was wreaked. I have, I trust, a humane disposition, but I

must say I could not help feeling that what was happening, however grievous, was only

justice grimly reclaiming her rights.”

War is a tricky thing, and any action taken in war lies within a moral grey zone, because civils’ lives will always be at stake in war. Here Churchill addresses this fact, and that it’s horrible. But he also points out that it is justice. The Germans have caused the same havoc and death all around the world, so it was only a question of time, when the same would happen in their own country. This rationalizing is a way of defending their decision to continually go into war with not only the German soldiers but the entire German people and the people of Germany’s allies. It is really a way of defending why this decision is ethically correct.

- (01:22) “General Alexander, with his brilliant comrade and lieutenant, General

Montgomery, has gained a glorious and decisive victory in what I think should be called

the Battle of Egypt. Rommel's army has been defeated. It has been routed. It has been

very largely destroyed as a fighting force.”

Here he points out the competence of the prominent people who have participated in the war, and shows his thanks in front of the listeners. It is often important to see people who have participated in war as heroes, as many of the things they have done and participated in, under normal circumstances would be seen as horrible and extremely immoral. Additionally, he uses anaphor to emphasize his point “It has been routed. It has been very largely destroyed as a fighting force.” (01:51 f)

Logos:- (00:00 f) “We have not so far in this war taken as many German prisoners as they have

taken British, but these German prisoners will no doubt come in in droves at the end

just as they did last time.”

The fact is that Britain is behind regarding war prisoners, however he uses this fact to create optimism and hope by shedding light on the tables having turned, and that he has no doubt that Britain will continue being victorious. Additionally, to strengthen his argument, he refers to the First World War, where Britain’s luck also turned around at the end.

- (02:17 f) “Henceforth Hitler's Nazis will meet equally well armed, and perhaps better

armed troops.”

Even though, the speech is optimistic about the future outcome of the war, it is also realistic. He doesn’t want the audience to get the false impression that winning the war will be easy. It is going to be hard and many lives will be lost, they have to be ready to sacrifice to turn out on top. He makes sure to point this out, so people can’t blame him for giving them false expectations. It is extremely important at a time like this that the citizens trust the government, and that the government trusts the individuals in charge of the war operations.

Winston Churchill uses very thought-provoking and resonating expressions that have gone on to become very famous. One of these famous sentences is: “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning” (2:06-2:16 ff). It means, if you divide a process up into a beginning, a middle, and an end, and you consider each as an on-going process for itself, then there will be a "beginning of the beginning” and “an end of the beginning", as well as a "beginning of the end” and “an end of the end". He points out that each process will have to be lived through before the end of the war can be reached, and that they are far from at this point.Another famous sentence which includes a metaphor: “The bright gleam has caught the helmets of our soldiers, and warmed and cheered all our hearts” (0:45-0:54 ff). In which he points out that luck in war once again is with the British people.

Speech 4: Churchill’s VE-Day speech(By Vanilla, Kamilla, Celina & Mathilde L)

End of the War in Europe

The speech, The German State Has Surrendered, was held by Winston Churchill on May 8th 1945.

The historical background for the speech is that World War Two has come to an end as a result of

the German’s surrender. This particular day is called the VE-day - Victory in Europe Day. The

speech was held in the radio.

The armed forces of Germany surrendered unconditionally on May 7th. Officially, the disputes in

Europe ended one minute past midnight on May 8th 1945. Churchill opened his speech by

announcing the surrender of Germany.

Winston Churchill mentions the people who had the most influence on the surrender by name and

he briefs the formal circumstances.

General Alfred Jodl signed the act of the surrender of all German land, sea and air forces. This was

assigned to the Allied Expeditionary Force and to the Soviet High Command. General Jodl was the

representative of the German High Command and the designated head of the German State.

The agreement was confirmed at Berlin. Churchill explains that the Germans still are

fighting against the Russian troops even after they have surrendered. That means that they were

leaning against the laws of war. Churchill underlines that he will attack the Germans with the

Allied troops if they show any sign of hostility against England now that they have surrendered,

and he claims that no matter what the Germans are going to do in the next couple of hours, it shall

not prevent the English people from “celebrating to-day and to-morrow (Wednesday) as Victory in

Europe days”.

Russia has been an influencing factor in the battle of winning WW2 and the British

people owes them special thanks according to Churchill.

Churchill explains how the war began and how the war is now finally at an end.

The primary audience are the English people, who listen to the radio waiting for the

news. The secondary audience must be the rest of the world - mostly the countries that have been

involved in WW2.

Churchill pauses between his sentences to give his words time to soak in and also to make sure

that everyone understands.

In the first part of the speech there is a lot of fact-based information, which gives the listeners a

general idea of what has happened, but all these facts may appear confusing because of the many

proper names and occurrences.

There is a part in the speech, where Churchill says: “To-day, perhaps, we shall think

mostly of ourselves. To-morrow we shall pay a particular tribute to our Russian comrades…” (4:00

ff) This shows, that Churchill finds himself in the here and now, but also looks forward.

The speech is characterized by a lot of gratitude. Throughout the speech Churchill seems to be

thankful for the co-operation between the allied nations. He points out that there is time for

celebrating but there is still work to be done.

The speech ends by the words “Advance, Britannia! Long live the cause of freedom!

God save the King!”

“Advance, Britannia! Long live the cause of freedom” allude to the fact that the British people now

have to look forward and always give priority to their country. They must fight for their country

and for its freedom.

“God save the King!” is a reference to the national anthem, that vary according to the gender of

the reigning monarch. The phrase has been used since the 1600s and is therefore well known

among the British people, which gives the speech a feeling of recognisability and reliability.

The speech is centred round a fellow-feeling by using the personal pronouns “we” and “our”. By

creating this fellow-feeling he uses the appeal form pathos.

He doesn’t particularly use the appeal forms pathos, ethos and logos, but nevertheless the

listeners understand his message because of its clarity.

The speech is comparable to the news after a big occasion as the purpose is to get Churchill’s

message across.

Churchill & World War IIBy Emilia, Nabila & Uffe.

Speech 5 - The Iron Curtain Speech (delivered March 1946)

1)     What was the historical background of the speech?

The iron curtain speech was held in 1946 which was during the Cold War. This speech is one of

Winston Churchill’s most famous speeches. Winston Churchill was the British prime minister

during most of World War 2. He was very famous for his inspiring speeches and the way he would

stick to his plan and never give up. Churchill managed to lead his country from the brink of defeat

to victory. Many people remember Churchill for his great leadership abilities. The reason why

Winston Churchill made this speech was to announce the beginning of the Cold War. In spite of that

Churchill also used the speech as a platform to convey his hope to his people, which meant that the

US and GB could work together.

3) Prepare a brief summary of the speech, stating where and when it was held.

The political speech ”The Iron Curtain” by Winston Churchill was held at Westminster College in

Fulton, Missouri, on March 5th, 1946 (about a year after World War 2). The British Leader Winston

Churchill at podium speaks of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) and the creation of

the Eastern Bloc. He places certain facts about the present position in Europe. The Opposition

Leader states that Soviet Russia does not desire war but the indefinite expansion of their power and

doctrines. He continues his speech by insisting on the permanent prevention of war and the

establishment of conditions of freedom and democracy. Even now in England’s darkest hour, he

will not lose faith. Winston states that a new war is inevitable and imminent, but he believes, while

“we” have “our” own fortunes in “our” hands, “we” hold the power to save the future. He ends his

speech by declaring that a good understanding on all points with Russia under the general authority

of the United Nations Organization should be made.

4)     Make a few comments on the form of the speech (appeal forms etc.)

Note! The video is not the entire speech, but rather an edited version containing several of the key

passages.

The speech is eloquently written, with convincing language and dramatic sentences. Churchill uses

long sentences with formal language (1:52-2:20 ff).

Churchill gains ethos by being a former prime minister, and even though he was only considered as

the right one to lead Britain to victory in World War 2 and not the right one to lead the country in

peace, he was and still is a respected source and persona in Britain, as well as many other countries.

Overall, there is a pervasive use of personal pronouns, we, our, they, you and especially I (4:39-

5:00 ff). Which all contributes to the construction of unity. By using all these personal pronouns to

establish pathos, Churchill draws himself closer to his audience. The intention here is to enforce

their mutual feelings for their countries, and with that argue for a closer relationship between the

United States and Great Britain.

Due to the fact that this is a video, it is essential to talk about his body language and his choice of

clothing seeing that this can affect one's power and influence. Churchill wears formal clothing, for

instance a suit is often connected with power and high status. Furthermore, Churchill often put his

hand to his heart which is a subliminal message of sincerity that some language experts consider

contrived.

Overall Churchill's speeches were a great inspiration to the embattled British.

5)     Find the ”famous” words (for which this speech is remembered) somewhere in the

speech and write them out, indicating where they are on youtube video.

(0.25-0.35 ff) “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended

across the continent”

The iron curtain was the boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of world

war two (1945) until the end of the cold war (1991). The black line is the Iron Curtain which divide

Europe in to separate areas; Warsaw pact (Union of peace and socialism) countries who appear

shaded red and the NATO members who appear shaded blue and at last the militarily neutral

countries in shaded grey. The black dot represents Berlin.

The term iron curtain is a metaphor for strict separation which originally referred to fireproof

curtains in the theatres, but became a cold war symbol when Churchill used it in his speech in 1946.

Link to the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMt7zCaVOWU , Sidst besøgt d. 6/03/17

Link to the full speech:

http://www.historyguide.org/europe/churchill.html , Sidst besøgt d. 6/03/17

Churchill & World War II

Speech 6 - The United-States-of-Europe Speech(by Max, William & Christian)

1) What was the historical background of the speech?Winston Churchill delivers this speech shortly after the end of the Second World War, it is a speech in which he speaks of the aftermath of the war, and what must be done next.

2) Prepare a brief summary of the speech, stating where and when it was held.Winston Churchill delivered this speech at the University of Zurich on September 19, 1946. He called on European countries, including Germany, to form a regional organization for security and cooperation on the continent. He tells us that the only way to move forwards, after these to great wars, is to come together, and create a united Europe.

3) Make a few comments on the form of the speech (appeal forms etc.)Churchill uses a lot of pathos in his speech. He continuously speaks of Europe, and it’s beauty, as seen in (0:50-1:38) when he opens his speech with “I wish to speak about the tragedy of Europe, this noble continent, the home of all the great parent races of the Western world, the foundation of Christian faith and ethics, the origin of most of the culture, arts, philosophy and science both of ancient and modern times.”. This appeals to the citizens of Europe. He doesn’t use ethos and logos as much, however here is a segment in which he speaks of the goals he strives to achieve. (15:34-16:11) “I now sum up the propositions which are before you. Our constant aim must be to build and fortify the United Nations Organisation. Under and within that world concept we must re-create the European family in a regional structure called, it may be, the United States of Europe, and the first practical step will be to form a Council of Europe.” This primarily leans on logos, because he speaks of the goals Europe must achieve.

4) Find the ”famous” words (for which this speech is remembered) somewhere in the speech and write them out, indicating where they are on youtube video.We found that the following short phrases had an impact on the speech.“We must build a kind of United States of Europe.””Therefore I say to you "Let Europe arise!"