Winston Churchill’s finest hour as a leader came in the dark days of 1940-42. His belligerence and oratory stood out in the world at war. Politics aside, it’s a great speech for a few simple reasons-
- It matches the mood- Britain was scared, the future looked grim, the mood was sombre, we were alone.
- It starts where the audience was and build to a defiant but hopeful end.
- It repeats the key message over and over and over again (we shall fight, fight, fight, and never surrender; and even if we’re defeated we shall go on….).
- It is short.
- The message matches the messenger (Pugnacious, defiant, resilient).
Churchill was never so important before or after 1942.