Original artwork, not a still
House of Commons, 18 June 1940
Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duty,and so bear ourselves that if the British Commonwealth and its Empire lasts for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.'
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
This is the sentence that turned a defensive speech about a lost ally into a promise to history. Churchill asks the House to behave now as if later generations were already looking back. It has been quoted ever since to rally people through a long, grim stretch, and 'finest hour' became the standard shorthand for a country or team at its best under pressure.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for House of Commons, 18 June 1940Show the scene
Churchill spoke these words to the House of Commons on 18 June 1940, at about 3:49 pm, ending a 36-minute statement on the war situation. It was the third of his speeches during the Battle of France, delivered after France had sought an armistice and weeks after Dunkirk. He warned that Hitler must break Britain or lose the war, and that failure meant a new Dark Age. These closing sentences were set out in his typescript in blank verse. The speech is known as 'Their Finest Hour'.
Sources (2)
- Hansard: War Situation, House of Commons, 18 June 1940Churchill's closing paragraph of the statementReference checked
- Wikipedia: This was their finest hourIntroduction and Preparation and deliveryReference checked
Context reviewed
