Comments and discussion

When you analyse Winston Churchill’s “We Shall Fight on the Beaches” speech, you should also consider those statements that are particularly interesting or controversial.

Note, for example, Winston Churchill’s critical tone towards Belgium. Churchill criticises both Belgium’s neutrality in the war, and its surrender, suggesting that this approach greatly affected the course of the war, and condemning Belgium (ll. 55-61). Moreover, he suggests that the Belgians abandoned the British even though they intervened at the last minute when Belgium was invaded (ll. 68-74).

Note, however, that historians do not always share Churchill’s point of view on how the events unfolded and on their consequences. In turn, it is now considered that the Allied military lost communication mainly because the German forces were too overwhelming to coordinate and communicate efficiently, and not because ...