Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat

Winston Churchill gave his “Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat” speech on May 13, 1940, in his first address to the House of Commons after his appointment to the position of prime minister three days prior. This short speech communicates Churchill’s resolution to lead Britain in the fight against Nazi Germany and galvanizes the audience to support the newly formed coalition government and the war effort. Lack of support from parliament during the Norway Debate had just forced the resignation of former Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. It was therefore of vital importance that the new government be legitimized by the passing of this motion of confidence. This speech is among Churchill’s most iconic and influential speeches, and since 2016 the titular quote “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat” has been inscribed under a portrait of Churchill on the British five-pound note.

This guide uses the edition of the speech published by the International Churchill Society.

Churchill opens by outlining the motion that he is proposing to Parliament: that the House formally register their support for the new government under Churchill that has been formed to lead Britain to victory in the Second World War (WWII). Churchill observes that both Parliament and the nation alike want this new government to reflect all parties, including those that supported and objected to the previous government. He confirms that, accordingly, he has built a diverse governing body with representatives from all parties.

The speech then provides important information to the House of Commons. It covers key changes that Churchill has made to the government since becoming prime minister, offers Churchill’s justification that calling this meeting is “in the public interest” (Paragraph 4), and states the proposed date of the next meeting. In Churchill’s overview of the changes that have been made—including his appointment to the position of prime minister and the filling of various key positions and offices—he emphasizes The Importance of National Unity. The War Cabinet represents “the unity of the nation” (Paragraph 3), and “three party Leaders have agreed to serve” in high-ranking positions of a government formed at “the evident wish and will of Parliament and the nation” (Paragraph 3). These claims all imply that the new government’s legitimacy is absolute, as it represents the unanimous will of the British people themselves and the whole spectrum of political parties.

Churchill then formally invites the House to vote on the Motion of Confidence in his name, but instead of ceding the floor immediately to a vote, he instead launches into the second half of his speech. This section is essentially an argument in favor of the government, Churchill’s leadership, and the war effort. One of the foundations of Churchill’s argument is the urgency and Historical Significance of Current Events. The progress of the war in Europe was moving apace even as Churchill spoke, with the German invasion of the Low Countries having begun mere days earlier and the Battle of France now in its opening stages. As a historian, Churchill was able to put such events in historical context as they occurred and was well aware of the historical significance that WWII would likely have as “one of the greatest battles in history” (Paragraph 5). He takes care to establish the gravity of the current situation, the “extreme urgency and rigor of events” (Paragraph 3), and the consequent need for decisive and efficient action. Votes of no confidence are thereby discouraged through the narrative that Churchill constructs, which makes even valid objections seem like petty and dangerous impediments to vital work.

Aware of his relative unpopularity in Parliament, having spent much of the 1930s as a political outcast due to his then controversial opposition to appeasement, Churchill forestalls any potential criticisms against himself with a self-effacing humbleness. “I hope I may be pardoned,” he says, citing the “need for allowance, all allowance” for anything lacking in his conduct (Paragraph 5). He also works to establish himself as a sympathetic figure, a man wholly dedicated to duty and patriotism: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat” (Paragraph 5). This approach lessens Churchill’s perceived culpability for any errors he may make. Simultaneously, it encourages others to contribute similarly and to put aside personal interests and qualms that might set them in opposition to the new government or the war.

The final paragraph contains even more of Churchill’s characteristic rhetorical flourishes and focuses on persuading listeners of Churchill’s view on War as a Necessary Evil under the circumstances. He alludes to the hardships of war as “an ordeal of the most grievous kind” (Paragraph 6). This acknowledgement addresses the widespread antipathy to war following the collective trauma of the First World War, but the point is immediately offset by Churchill’s argument that such suffering is necessary because the alternative is so much worse. Churchill declares their foe “a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime” (Paragraph 6). Moreover, he promises that victory is the only means of survival for the British Empire and all it represents. The speech closes with a final call to arms and appeal to national unity: “come then, let us go forward together with our united strength” (Paragraph 6).

Following the “Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat” speech, the motion of confidence passed unanimously, demonstrating the support of the House of Commons for the new government under Churchill. It took several more months and a further handful of iconic speeches before Churchill truly gained the confidence of the House, but he nonetheless succeeded in doing as he promised: leading the nation through the turbulent years of WWII and to victory, thereby cementing his own place in history.