The leadership of Neville Chamberlain proved insufficient during the war, and in May 1940, Winston S. Churchill was appointed Prime Minister of an all-party government.

In this speech, he presents himself as the new Prime Minister and tells the audience he has been appointed by the King with the camera support. He is proposing to create a government in which all parties are represented and a new administration to organize every preparatory given that, the air fight is constantly taking place and the wars in Norway and Holland require some matters to be manufactured in Britain.

“We are in the preliminary stage of one of the greatest battles in history (..) That we are in action at many points, in Norway and in Holland, that we have to be prepared in the Mediterranean. That the air battle is continuous, and that many preparations have to be made here at home.”

He encourages people to be ready and fight because only victory will make of them survivors. He also tells British citizens to defend the world and allow it to keep going towards its objective which is always improvement, not defeat and disaster.

“You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival. Let that be realised; no survival for the British Empire, no survival for all that the British Empire has stood for, no survival for the urge and impulse of the ages, that mankind will move forward towards its goal.”

Churchill proved to be an inspiring leader in the fight with Germany. When he met his Cabinet on May 13 he told them that “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” He repeated that phrase later in the day when he asked the House of Commons for a vote of confidence in his new all-party government. The response of Labour was heart-warming; the Conservative reaction was luke-warm. They still really wanted Neville Chamberlain. For the first time, the people had hope but Churchill commented to General Ismay: “Poor people, poor people. They trust me, and I can give them nothing but disaster for quite a long time.”

Churchill described in Into the Storm the achievement as his “walk with destiny” — a destiny for which he believed he had spent all his life in preparation. He was one of the great statesmen of world history. (cited in Churchill, 2005)