Their Finest Hour

Prompted by the imminent fall of France to Nazi Germany, “Their Finest Hour” addressed Britain at a time when its own invasion seemed likely. However, without downplaying the seriousness of the threat, Churchill recasts the situation as an opportunity for Britain to prove its national character. Rather than despair, he advocates courage and perseverance, culminating in the line that would give the speech its title: “Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, ‘This was their finest hour’” (Paragraph 21).

Much of the speech concerns tangible reasons for the British to have pride and confidence in their country’s ability to withstand Nazi Germany. Churchill considers each branch of the British military in turn, laying out their strengths and praising their effectiveness. He compares Britain’s air force to Germany’s, saying that even amid severe disadvantages during the Battle of France, the fighter pilots in the “no-man’s-land of Dunkirk” outperformed the German pilots (Paragraph 11). He likewise compares BEF soldiers to their German counterparts: “[T]hey have suffered severely, but they have fought well” (Paragraph 1). Churchill further reminds listeners that they “shouldn’t forget that we have Navy” (Paragraph 7).