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Churchill on the Battle of France (7:40)

In May 1940, Winston Churchill speaks on national radio for the first time as prime minister and calls for a struggle to the last breath against Nazi conquest and oppression.

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Speeches & Audio (40)

  • Churchill on the Battle of France
    Churchill on the Battle of France

    Audio Clip (7:40)

    In May 1940, Winston Churchill speaks on national radio for the first time as prime minister and calls for a struggle to the last breath against Nazi conquest and oppression.

    Audio Clip (7:40)
  • Churchill Prepares for German Invasion of Britain
    Churchill Prepares for German Invasion of Britain

    Audio Clip (0:21)

    On the final day of the evacuation of Dunkirk, June 4, 1940, Prime Minister Winston Churchill speaks before the House of Commons, triumphant over the rescue of 338,226 Allied troops from advancing German forces. In the address he warns the nation to expect a German invasion and defiantly declares that Hitler's troops will meet an enemy prepared to "defend our island whatever the cost may be."

    Audio Clip (0:21)
  • Edward VIII Announces His Abdication
    Edward VIII Announces His Abdication

    Audio Clip (5:14)

    On December 11, 1936, Edward VIII, king of Great Britain and Ireland, broadcasts his decision to renounce his throne. Because he insisted on marrying the twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson, Edward had no choice but to abdicate.

    Audio Clip (5:14)
  • Chamberlain Secures Peace in Our Time
    Chamberlain Secures Peace in Our Time

    Audio Clip (1:07)

    Seeking to avoid war in Europe, leaders from Britain, France and Italy signed the Munich Pact on September 29, 1938, agreeing to Hitler's demands and ceding Czechoslovakia to Germany. Upon his return to England the following day, the architect of the appeasement policy, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, declares "peace in our time."

    Audio Clip (1:07)
  • Tony Blair on the Death of Princess Diana
    Tony Blair on the Death of Princess Diana

    Audio Clip (0:34)

    On August 31, 1997, Lady Diana Spencer, the former wife of Prince Charles, was killed with her companion Dodi Fayed in a car accident in Paris. In an emotional speech outside the 12th-century stone church he attends in his parliamentary district in Sedgefield, Prime Minister Tony Blair remembers Diana as "the people's princess."

    Audio Clip (0:34)
  • Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
    Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

    Audio Clip (0:23)

    Princess Elizabeth is formally crowned queen of the United Kingdom in a live broadcast of the royal coronation ceremony on June 2, 1953.

    Audio Clip (0:23)
  • Anthony Eden on the Battle of Britain
    Anthony Eden on the Battle of Britain

    Audio Clip (1:54)

    On July 29, 1940, just weeks into the Battle of Britain, British Secretary of State Robert Anthony Eden calls upon the resolve and fortitude of the people to defend against the attacks on the British mainland that will be a turning point in the war.

    Audio Clip (1:54)
  • Chamberlain Declares War on Germany
    Chamberlain Declares War on Germany

    Audio Clip (2:58)

    On September 3, 1939, in a radio broadcast to his nation, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announces that Germany's refusal to withdraw its troops from Poland after its September 1 invasion has pushed Great Britain to war.

    Audio Clip (2:58)
  • English Princesses Address British Children During World War II
    English Princesses Address British Children During World War II

    Audio Clip (0:42)

    In a radio address on October 13, 1940, the young Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret offer words of courage to British children who had been evacuated from Great Britain while their country was at war.

    Audio Clip (0:42)
  • Stanley Baldwin on the Impending World War
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    Audio Clip (1:48)

    Former British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin visited New York four months prior to the outbreak of World War II to discuss the international situation. He describes the British Empire's diminishing influence as a world power.

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  • Britain's Profumo Scandal
    Britain's Profumo Scandal

    Audio Clip (0:30)

    In 1963, a scandal gripped British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan's government when it was alleged that his secretary of war, John Profumo, engaged in an affair with 19-year-old Christine Keeler, who was also having an affair with an attache at the Soviet Embassy. A news report describes the outcome following the release of the official report on the scandal.

    Audio Clip (0:30)
  • Sex Scandal Shakes the British Government
    Sex Scandal Shakes the British Government

    Audio Clip (0:38)

    A 1963 news report of the Profumo Affair describes a prime minister in crisis. Once Secretary of War John Profumo resigned over his affair with a 19-year-old who had ties to a Soviet spy, many called for the resignation of Prime Minister Harold Macmillan as well.

    Audio Clip (0:38)
  • Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech
    Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech

    Audio Clip (0:21)

    On March 5, 1946, Winston Churchill receives an honorary degree from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. In a speech delivered on the occasion, Churchill introduces the phrase "Iron Curtain" to describe the division of power between the Eastern Bloc and the West, and warns against Soviet designs for expansion.

    Audio Clip (0:21)
  • Princess Elizabeth's Wedding Ceremony
    Princess Elizabeth's Wedding Ceremony

    Audio Clip (6:08)

    The royal wedding ceremony of the 21-year-old heir to the British throne, Princess Elizabeth, and Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, is broadcast live from Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947.

    Audio Clip (6:08)
  • Prime Minister Nehru Speaks on Indian Independence Day
    Prime Minister Nehru Speaks on Indian Independence Day

    Audio Clip (0:34)

    Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru addresses his nation on the eve of August 15, 1947, the day India gained its independence after nearly 100 years of British rule. In his inspired speech, Nehru reminds his fellow countrymen of their "tryst with destiny."

    Audio Clip (0:34)
  • Gandhi Speaks to Press Upon Arrival in London
    Gandhi Speaks to Press Upon Arrival in London

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    After planting a tree in front of Kingsley Hall, Mohandas Gandhi gives a parting message about the fond memories he will have of East London, where he stayed during the 1931 Round Table Conference. As the sole representative of the Indian National Congress, Gandhi had been released from prison in order to attend the conference.

    Audio Clip (0:23)
  • Gandhi on His Religious Beliefs
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    While in England in 1931, Mohandas Gandhi, who had led India's successful struggle for independence from Britain, made a recording for the Columbia Gramophone Company of a reading of his article "On God."

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  • Prince Charles Becomes Prince of Wales
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    At Caernarfon Castle in Wales, Prince Charles was invested as the Prince of Wales. This title, given to him on July 1, 1969, made him the next heir to the British throne after his mother Queen Elizabeth II.

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  • Argentine Propaganda During the Falklands War
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    Audio Clip (2:16)

    An example and description of actual propaganda broadcast by Argentine forces, designed to influence British troops fighting during the Falkland Islands conflict.

    Audio Clip (2:16)
  • Churchill Calls for Britain to Meet Nazi Threat
    Churchill Calls for Britain to Meet Nazi Threat

    Audio Clip (4:52)

    In a speech delivered on November 16, 1934, Winston Churchill questions his country's policy of appeasing Hitler and raises concerns over the rising power of Nazi Germany.

    Audio Clip (4:52)
  • Britain's Edward Heath Relies on Female Voters
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    Audio Clip (0:30)

    In an address, Edward Heath, Conservative Party candidate for prime minister, predicts that the women's vote will push him over the edge in a win against Labour's James Harold Wilson in the upcoming June 1970 general election.

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  • Tony Blair on Meeting Sinn Fein Leader Gerry Adams
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    Audio Clip (0:16)

    On October 13, 1997, for the first time in a century of conflict, a British prime minister met with the leader of Sinn Fein, the unofficial political wing of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). When speaking to reporters afterward, Prime Minister Blair defends his cordial treatment of Adams.

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  • Tony Blair Campaigns
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    In a campaign speech for the 1997 General Election, the Labour Party's Tony Blair promises his country a "new vision." On May 1, British voters gave the Labour Party a landslide victory.

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  • Hong Kong Turnover Ceremony
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  • Chris Patten on the Transfer of Hong Kong to China
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    The last British governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, gives a speech to its people while handing back Hong Kong to Chinese authorities on July 1, 1997.

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  • Prince Charles at Hong Kong Turnover Ceremony
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    Audio Clip (5:06)

    On July 1, 1997, Prince Charles delivers a speech marking the end of 156 years of British rule as Hong Kong is returned to China.

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  • Britain Recognizes People's Republic of China
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    Audio Clip (0:22)

    On January 6, 1950, the British government under Prime Minister Clement Attlee followed the USSR and several other nations in recognizing the new communist government of China. A news report provides details.

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  • Queen Elizabeth II Broadcasts Christmas Message
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    Audio Clip (1:42)

    On December 25, 1963, Queen Elizabeth II delivers her annual Christmas greeting to her subjects in Great Britain and around the world.

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  • Queen Elizabeth II Opens the St. Lawrence Seaway
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    Audio Clip (3:31)

    On June 26, 1959, the Saint Lawrence Seaway, which provides access from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, was officially opened in a ceremony presided over by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Queen Elizabeth II. In her opening ceremony speech, Queen Elizabeth praises the great engineering accomplishment.

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  • British Reaction to Suez Canal Crisis
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    Audio Clip (1:10)

    In an address to the U.N. Security Council on October 31, 1956, Great Britain's Sir Pierson Dixon discusses French and English military operations in response to Egypt's nationalization of the Suez Canal.

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  • George Bernard Shaw on Pacifism
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    Born in Dublin, George Bernard Shaw moved to London as a young adult and became one of the country's greatest playwrights. Shaw's socialist politics often informed his literary works. In a radio broadcast, Shaw makes a case for being kind to friends and enemies alike.

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  • King George VI's Empire Day Address
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    In an address delivered on Empire Day, May 24, 1940, King George VI describes Adolf Hitler's intention to conquer not only the British empire but also the world.

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  • Winston Churchill Rallies British Citizens
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    In one of his greatest speeches, delivered first before the House of Commons on June 18, 1940, and then broadcast to the nation, Winston Churchill inspires his countrymen to soldier on after the fall of France, assuring them that if Great Britain upholds its duty to fight, "men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.' "

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  • Reagan Addresses British Parliament
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    On June 8, 1982, in the first speech by an American president to a meeting of both houses of the British Parliament, President Ronald Reagan presents his hope for a future that would "leave Marxism-Leninism on the ash heap of history."

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  • Bernadette Devlin Convicted for Role in Northern Ireland Riot
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    In August 1969, Bernadette Devlin was arrested during the Battle of the Bogside, a riot that protested the British occupation of Northern Ireland. Convicted in 1970, she spent four months in prison while still an MP. In an interview following her conviction, Devlin strongly defends her position.

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  • Britain's Prince Edward VIII on the Great Depression
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    During the Great Depression, Edward, the eldest son of King George V, organized work programs for Britain's many unemployed. In a speech to his nation, Prince Edward appeals to its citizens to help one another through the hard times.

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    In his annual 1947 St. Patrick's Day radio address to the United States broadcast from Dublin, Prime Minister of Ireland Eamon de Valera reminds the world of Ireland's plight and asks for support in the effort to reunite the country.

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  • British Reaction to U.S. Nuclear Tests
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  • De Valera Observes Anniversary of Easter Rising
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    Born in New York City in 1882, Eamon de Valera emigrated to Ireland as a child and participated in the Easter Rising against British rule, which began in Dublin on Easter Sunday, April 24, 1916. De Valera was sentenced to death for his participation in the rebellion but escaped execution because of his American birth. In a speech delivered on the anniversary, De Valera recounts the events of the protest.

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  • Prime Minister Attlee Addresses U.N. on Atomic Energy
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    On June 19, 1946, British Prime Minister Clement Attlee appears before the United Nations General Assembly to urge support for the Baruch Plan, which would place atomic energy under international control.

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