On June 4, 1940, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill gave a rousing speech in the House of Commons which became known as “We Shall Fight Them on the Beaches.” Delivered during the Battle of France, the speech inspired Britons and the Allies alike in its courageous tone. Churchill told his audience that Germany might invade the United Kingdom, yet he exhorted them not to give up: “We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, 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…” In this seminar, we will read this speech and analyze its message and legacy, with the goal of understanding Churchill’s masterful leadership and rhetoric.
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