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. Churchill proved to be an inspiring leader in the fight with Germany. On May 13, 1940he gave his first speech to the House of Commons, a speech which displays the oratorical skills which were so effective in keeping up public morale.

　　On Friday evening last I received from His Majesty the mission to form a new administration. It was the evident will of’ Parliament and the nation that this should be conceived on the broadest possible basis and that it should include all parties.

　　I have already completed the most important part of this task.

　　A war cabinet has been formed of five members, representing, with the Labour, Opposition, and Liberals, the unity of the nation. It was necessary that this should be done in one single day on account of the extreme urgency and rigor of events. Other key positions were filled yesterday. I am submitting a further list to the king tonight. I hope to complete the appointment of principal ministers during tomorrow.

　　The appointment of other ministers usually takes a little longer. I trust when Parliament meets again this part of my task will be completed and that the administration will be complete in all respects. I considered it in the public interest to suggest to the Speaker that the House should be summoned today. At the end of today’s proceedings, the adjournment of the House will be proposed until May 21 with provision for earlier meeting if need be. Business for that will be notified to MPs at the earliest opportunity.

　　I now invite the House by a resolution to record its approval of the steps taken and declare its confidence in the new government.

　　The resolution: "That this House welcomes the formation of a government representing the united and inflexible resolve of the nation to prosecute the war with Germany to a victorious conclusion."

　　To form an administration of this scale and complexity is a serious undertaking in itself. But we are in the preliminary phase of one of the greatest battles in history. We are in action at many other points-in Norway and in Holland-and we have to be prepared in the Mediterranean. The air battle is continuing, and many preparations have to be made here at home.

　　In this crisis I think I may be pardoned if I do not address the House at any length today, and I hope that any of my friends and colleagues or former colleagues who are affected by the political reconstruction will make all allowances for any lack of ceremony with which it has been necessary to act.

　　I say to the House as I said to ministers who have joined this government, I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many months of struggle and suffering.

　　You ask, what is our policy? I say it is to wage war by land, sea, and air. War with all our might and with all the strength God has given us, and to wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the dark and lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy.

　　You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word. It is victory. Victory at all costs - Victory in spite of all terrors - Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival.

　　Let that be realized. No survival for the British Empire, no survival for all that the British Empire has stood for, no survival for the urge, the impulse of the ages, that mankind shall move forward toward his goal.

　　I take up my task in buoyancy and hope. I feel sure that our cause will not be suffered to fail among men. I feel entitled at this juncture, at this time, to claim the aid of all and to say, "Come then, let us go forward together with our united strength."

　　溫斯頓?邱吉爾 1940年5月13日

　　星期五晚上，我接受了英王陛下的委托，組織新政府。這次組閣，應包括所有的政黨，既有支持上屆政府的政黨，也有上屆政府的反對黨，顯而易見，這是議會和國家的希望與意愿。我已完成了此項任務中最重要的部分。戰時內閣業已成立，由5位閣員組成，其中包括反對黨的自由主義者，代表了舉國一致的團結。三黨領袖已經同意加入戰時內閣，或者擔任國家高級行政職務。三軍指揮機構已加以充實。由于事態發展的極端緊迫感和嚴重性，僅僅用一天時間完成此項任務，是完全必要的。其他許多重要職位已在昨天任命。我將在今天晚上向英王陛下呈遞補充名單，并希望于明日一天完成對政府主要大臣的任命。其他一些大臣的任命，雖然通常需要更多一點的時間，但是，我相信會議再次開會時，我的這項任務將告完成，而且本屆政府在各方面都將是完整無缺的。

　　我認為，向下院建議在今天開會是符合公眾利益的。議長先生同意這個建議，并根據下院決議所授予他的權力，采取了必要的步驟。今天議程結束時，建議下院休會到5月21日星期二。當然，還要附加規定，如果需要的話，可以提前復會。下周會議所要考慮的議題，將盡早通知全體議員。現在，我請求下院，根據以我的名義提出的決議案，批推已采取的各項步驟，將它記錄在案，并宣布對新政府的信任。

　　組成一屆具有這種規模和復雜性的政府，本身就是一項嚴肅的任務。但是大家一定要記住，我們正處在歷史上一次最偉大的戰爭的初期階段，我們正在挪威和荷蘭的許多地方進行戰斗，我們必須在地中海地區做好準備，空戰仍在繼續，眾多的戰備工作必須在國內完成。在這危急存亡之際，如果我今天沒有向下院做長篇演說，我希望能夠得到你們的寬恕。我還希望，因為這次政府改組而受到影響的任何朋友和同事，或者以前的同事，會對禮節上的不周之處予以充分諒解，這種禮節上的欠缺，到目前為止是在所難免的。正如我曾對參加本屆政府的成員所說的那樣，我要向下院說：“我沒什么可以奉獻，有的只是熱血、辛勞、眼淚和汗水。”

　　擺在我們面前的，是一場極為痛苦的嚴峻的考驗。在我們面前，有許多許多漫長的斗爭和苦難的歲月。你們問：我們的政策是什么？我要說，我們的政策就是用我們全部能力，用上帝所給予我們的全部力量，在海上、陸地和空中進行戰爭，同一個在人類黑暗悲慘的罪惡史上所從未有過的窮兇極惡的暴政進行戰爭。這就是我們的政策。你們問：我們的目標是什么？我可以用一個詞來回答：勝利――不惜一切代價，去贏得勝利；無論多么可怕，也要贏得勝利，無論道路多么遙遠和艱難，也要贏得勝利。因為沒有勝利，就不能生存。大家必須認識到這一點：沒有勝利，就沒有英帝國的存在，就沒有英帝國所代表的一切，就沒有促使人類朝著自己目標奮勇前進這一世代相因的強烈欲望和動力。但是當我挑起這個擔子的時候，我是心情愉快、滿懷希望的。我深信，人們不會聽佳我們的事業遭受失敗。此時此刻，我覺得我有權利要求大家的支持，我要說：“來吧，讓我們同心協力，一道前進。”

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