Topic

The overall topic of the speech “Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat” by Winston Churchill is warfare and the role of the Government during wartime.

The topic is closely related to the circumstances, because at that time the British Empire was at war with Nazi Germany in the Second World W…

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Warfare and the role of the government

The first part of the speech is related to the administrative issues related to warfare and government – Churchill’s appointment as British Prime Minister and the formation of the new war cabinet: “A war cabinet has been formed of five members, representing, with the Labour, Opposition, and Liberals, the unity of the nation.” (ll. 5-7)

Furthermore, the speaker gives some details about the ongoing war: “We are in action at many other points-in Norway an…

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Argumentation

Speakers can choose to convey their arguments directly (direct argumentation) or indirectly (hidden argumentation) by using facts, examples, case stories, etc. Winston Churchill’s “Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat” is a model of direct argumentation in a very concise manner.

In the first part of the speech, Churchill is very explicit about how he formed his cabinet and the urgency of the situation: “A war cabinet has been formed (…) It was necessary that this should be done in one single day on account of the extreme urgency and r…