Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat

The Second World War (WWII) lasted from 1939 to 1945 and was the single most deadly global conflict of the 20th century. The vast majority of the world’s countries were involved, fighting in two opposing alliances: the Axis Powers and the Allied Forces. Britain was one of the most powerful of the Allied nations and a major force in international politics leading up to the outbreak of WWII. Britain’s influence and interest in global politics stemmed not only from its position as a major power in Europe but also from the imperial strength of the British Empire.

Prior to the declaration of war in 1939, public sentiment and official policy in Britain were firmly opposed to war. This opposition was due in large part to the collective trauma and losses suffered during the First World War several decades earlier. Beyond the deaths in battle, soldiers who survived often returned home with what was referred to as “shell-shock,” and citizen morale had been worn down after years of German bombing. In addition, the economic strain of the Great Depression still lingered, and preoccupation with imperial concerns was on the rise. For example, the growing Indian Independence Movement was taking on a socialist orientation, threatening not only to overthrow British rule but also to undermine British efforts at colonization. This popular pacifism was reflected in Britain’s role as a founding member of the League of Nations—an early precursor to the United Nations—and in Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement toward Nazi Germany and its allies.

It was only with the German invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, when it became blatantly obvious that Nazi expansionism could not be curbed through diplomatic intervention, that Britain declared war. Even then, the British military did not fully mobilize in Europe or engage enemy forces outside of sporadic naval battles until after the Norway Debate in May 1940. This critical debate, in which the Commons discussed the Norwegian campaign and gave voice to the deep dissatisfaction with Britain’s conduct in the war thus far, culminated in Chamberlain’s resignation and Churchill’s ascension to power. With this transition, as Nazi forces invaded the Low Countries on their way to attack Allied France, WWII truly began in earnest for Britain.

Churchill’s “Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat” speech therefore marks a key turning point in Britain’s involvement in WWII, coming at the pivotal transition between the Phony War period, during which fighting was minimal, and the Battle of France.