Tips From A Historical Speech: We Will Fight On the Beaches

Winston Churchill delivered one of the most powerful and unusual speeches of all time during WWII, at the threat of a Nazi invasion. On June 4th, 1940, he spoke before the House of Commons to warn them of this grim possibility. The speech needed to give courage to England, but also needed to be realistic. How did Churchill succeed so mightily in the face of a terrifying potential? How did he accomplish the core of this message in a little over two minutes?

“There Are Bitter Weeds in England”

Churchill begins with a quote from Napoleon, setting the tone with a bit of wry humor on top of the assurance that England has been in this position before. With the short length of the speech, this quote is tactfully used to remind listeners of the strength of England’s past experience.

Repetition

The strength of “We Will Fight On the Beaches” lies within Churchill’s cadence, tone, and repetition. He establishes in the beginning of the speech with: “if necessary for years, if necessary alone.” The most well-known crescendo of the speech leads each line with “we shall fight.” Repetition is a powerful tool in a speaker’s arsenal. What he firmly established in the listener’s memory are the same lines that we remember today, a little over 70 years later.

Building Volume

Churchill’s voice is memorably mumble-y, with a drawl that sounds like a man with rocks in his mouth, or who perhaps has enjoyed too many fine British ales. But this atypical tone doesn’t prevent the speech from building an extraordinary amount of power towards the end. He punctuates his speech with rising volume, promising a victory through great, stubborn effort.

“We Shall Never Surrender”

This moment in the speech is by far the loudest and most poignant. Instead of assuring England of an easy victory or that the Nazis would never try an invasion, Churchill lets listeners know that they will fight ruthlessly to defend their country: “we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be.

The Takeaway

A presentation doesn’t have to be lengthy to be history making, nor does the speaker need to articulate every word for them to have meaning. Much like “The Gettysburg Address” before it, “We Will Fight on the Beaches” is a fine example of a purposeful message edited down to its most concise. It is a realistic, unapologetic example of what delivery and purpose can achieve.

Question: Which historical speeches inspire you?  





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