When it comes to major figures of the 20th century, the imposing shadow of Sir Winston Churchill looms large. The indomitable Churchill was a force of nature for Great Britain during World War II, inspiring the British when all seemed lost. Even at the bleakest moments during the eight months of the Blitz, the Prime Minister’s insistence that the nation never give in galvanised Britain, and the British people defied Hitler with a combination of blood, toil, tears and sweat, not to mention the famous “stiff upper lip” that has become so synonymous with the United Kingdom. The Second World War was an impossible situation for many, but Britain survived in part due to the continuous effort and remarkable words of its prime minister.
Unsurprisingly for such an influential British Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill wasn’t short of an inspirational quote or two. Some saw Churchill as an optimist, others a pessimist, but he was a passionate realist at all times, an impressive characteristic, considering the time in which he led the nation. Churchill was an inspiring wartime leader, and his refusal to accept even the slightest loss of enthusiasm made a big difference during the war. The best Winston Churchill quotes have thus transcended the time in which they were said, becoming phrases in modern lexicon and beyond.
An intensely divisive character, Sir Winston Churchill will nevertheless go down in history as one of the most influential and iconic prime ministers that the United Kingdom has ever had. Much of his legend rests on the power of his inspirational quotes, often biting, sometimes tense but always with an acerbic wit that could only come from the man himself. Here are some of the most powerful Winston Churchill quotes, showcasing the power of the man and his appeal to everyone from the average voter to military high-ups and beyond.
Inspirational Quotes
No matter the circumstances, being a leader is often about inspiring the people of the nation to commit to the national cause. For Sir Winston Churchill, this meant drumming up enthusiasm in his people for fighting a world war against a most pernicious evil. The wartime leader of the United Kingdom marshalled the nation through the fight against Hitler and fascism through a combination of indomitable character and inspirational words, speaking directly to the heart of the average voter and making a patriot out of one and all. Sir Winston Churchill was a captivating speaker who knew the power of an inspirational word or two, and these are some of his most powerful quotes.
1.“This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” –Winston Churchill, Never Give In! Winston Churchill's Greatest Speeches
2."Danger gathers upon our path. We cannot afford—we have no right—to look back. We must look forward." –Winston Churchill, Never Give In! Winston Churchill's Greatest Speeches
3.“I will say that he must indeed have a blind soul who cannot see that some great purpose and design is being worked out here below of which we have the honour to be the faithful servants.” –Winston Churchill, Never Give In! Winston Churchill's Greatest Speeches
4.“I felt as if I were walking with destiny, and that all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour and for this trial... I thought I knew a good deal about it all, and I was sure I should not fail.” –Winston Churchill, The Second World War: Milestones to Disaster
5.“Centuries ago words were written to be a call and a spur to the faithful servants of Truth and Justice: ‘Arm yourselves, and be ye men of valour, and be in readiness for the conflict; for it is better for us to perish in battle than to look upon the outrage of our nation and our altar.’” –Winston Churchill, Never Give In! Winston Churchill's Greatest Speeches
6.“If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. 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.’” –Winston Churchill, Never Give In! Winston Churchill's Greatest Speeches
7.“A year ago our position looked forlorn, and well nigh desperate, to all eyes but our own. Today we may say aloud before an awe-struck world, ‘We are still masters of our fate. We still are captain of our souls.’” –Winston Churchill, Never Give In! Winston Churchill's Greatest Speeches
8.“Wave after wave, dark with storm, crested with foam, surged towards the harbour in which we still sheltered. Should we drive out into the teeth of the gale, or should we bide contented where we were? Yet beyond the breakers was a great hope.” –Winston Churchill, The World Crisis, Vol. 1
9.“This is only the beginning of the reckoning. This is only the first sip, the first foretaste of a bitter cup which will be proffered to us year by year unless, by a supreme recovery of moral health and martial vigour, we arise again and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time.” –Winston Churchill, Never Give In! Winston Churchill's Greatest Speeches
10.“We shall go on to the end… 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.” –Winston Churchill, Never Give In! Winston Churchill's Greatest Speeches
11.“I would say to the House, as I said to those who have joined this Government: ‘I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.’” –Winston Churchill, Never Give In! Winston Churchill's Greatest Speeches
12.“Without victory, there is no survival.” –Winston Churchill, 100 Quotes by Winston Churchill
##Quotes about War and Leadership
Being a wartime leader is just about the most difficult position that any potential prime minister could find themselves in. Sir Winston Churchill was the leader of the United Kingdom at a time when it was at war with Hitler and the forces of fascism, and it took the might of a great military leader to shepherd the beleaguered British through the hell of World War II. The man voted Greatest Briton by the BBC not only shepherded the nation through the war, he managed to do so with unflagging enthusiasm and the all-knowing credibility of a sage. The greatest lesson that Sir Winston Churchill can teach modern generations is the power of leadership, and many of these quotes showcase exactly what the Nobel laureate was so capable of.
13.“The nation... had the lion heart. I had the luck to be called upon to give the roar.” –Winston Churchill, Never Give In! Winston Churchill's Greatest Speeches
14.“This is no war of chieftains or of princes, of dynasties or national ambition; it is a war of peoples and of causes… This is a War of the Unknown Warriors; but let all strive without failing in faith or in duty; and the dark curse of Hitler will be lifted from our age.” –Winston Churchill, Never Give In! Winston Churchill's Greatest Speeches
15.“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” –Winston Churchill, Never Give In! Winston Churchill's Greatest Speeches
16.“Great battles, won or lost, change the entire course of events, create new standards of values, new moods, new atmospheres, in armies and in nations, to which all must conform.” –Winston Churchill, Marlborough: His Life and Times
17.“We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire. Neither the sudden shock of battle, nor the long-drawn trials of vigilance and exertion will wear us down. Give us the tools, and we will finish the job.” –Winston Churchill, Never Give In! Winston Churchill's Greatest Speeches
18.“You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime.” –Winston Churchill, Never Give In! Winston Churchill's Greatest Speeches
19.“There are many people in England, and perhaps elsewhere, who seem to be unable to contemplate military operations for clear political objectives, unless they can cajole themselves into the belief that their enemy are utterly and hopelessly vile.” –Winston Churchill, The River War
20.“Eaten bread is soon forgotten. Dangers which are warded off by effective precautions and foresight are never even remembered.” –Winston Churchill, The World Crisis, Vol. 1
21.“We must all turn our backs upon the horrors of the past. We must look to the future. We cannot afford to drag forward across the years that are to come the hatreds and revenges which have sprung up from the injuries of the past.” –Winston Churchill, Never Give In! Winston Churchill's Greatest Speeches
##Quotes on Democracy and Politics
Sir Winston Churchill was not only a brilliant military mind but also a talented political leader who won multiple elections at different stages of his career. Throughout that career, he voiced many bold (and often controversial) opinions on political matters, waxing lyrical in his inimitable style on democracy and leadership as he did. Sir Winston Churchill was never short of a quote or three when it came to the way he believed a government should function, and many of his soundbites have become part of the furniture in UK politics. Read on for his most famous remarks about different ideologies.
22.“I was brought up in my father’s house to believe in democracy. ‘Trust the people.’ That was his message. I used to see him cheered at meetings and in the streets by crowds of workingmen way back in those aristocratic Victorian days.” –Winston Churchill, Never Give In! Winston Churchill's Greatest Speeches
23.“I have been in full harmony all my life with the tides which have flowed on both sides of the Atlantic against privilege and monopoly, and I have steered confidently towards the Gettysburg ideal of government of the people, by the people, for the people.” –Winston Churchill, Never Give In! Winston Churchill's Greatest Speeches
24.“I owe my advancement entirely to the House of Commons, whose servant I am. In my country as in yours public men are proud to be the servants of the State and would be ashamed to be its masters.” –Winston Churchill, Never Give In! Winston Churchill's Greatest Speeches
##Funny Winston Churchill Quotes
Churchill proved himself different from other politicians with his ability to excel in both serious and casual environments. His humorous remarks demonstrate thoughtfulness and depth, as well as his immense wit. Sir Winston Churchill had as sharp a tongue as has ever been seen in the Houses of Parliament, and he wasn't afraid to unleash that acerbic wit on his fellow politicians, the British people and even himself from time to time. One of the things that made Sir Winston Churchill so quotable was his way with words, and these funny quotes are the tip of a quite hilarious iceberg.
25.“It is better to be making the news than taking it; to be an actor rather than a critic.” –Winston Churchill, The Story of the Malakand Field Force
26.“I pass with relief from the tossing sea of Cause and Theory to the firm ground of Result and Fact.” –Winston Churchill, The Story of the Malakand Field Force
27.“We have not journeyed across the centuries, across the oceans, across the mountains, across the prairies, because we are made of sugar candy.” –Winston Churchill, Never Give In! Winston Churchill's Greatest Speeches
28.“Nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at without result.” –Winston Churchill, The Story of the Malakand Field Force
29.“I am prepared to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.” —Winston Churchill, 100 Quotes by Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Churchill will forever be remembered as one of the most influential characters of the tumultuous 20th century. The wartime British Prime Minister faced the might of the enemy head-on with his people behind him, negotiating the intense complexities of domestic and international politics during a most vicious world war with the wit and character that he became famous for. The best Winston Churchill quotes remind us the price of greatness, the importance of facing miseries head-on, to never give up and, when all else fails, to appreciate the power of a tremendous whack. There will never be another like Sir Winston Churchill.
