World War II

Explore 51 quotes about World War II

Yesterday, December 7, 1941-a date which will live in infamy-the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Read this speech at UVA's Miller Center website

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Topic

Pearl Harbor World War II

Speaker

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1941 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Roosevelt, Franklin Delano. "Day of Infamy." US Congress meeting. 8 Dec. 1941, US Capitol Building, Washington, DC, USA.

I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.

Winston Churchill

More information about this quote

Topic

World War II

Speaker

Winston Churchill

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1940 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Churchill, Winston. "Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat." House of Commons meeting. 13 May 1940, The Palace of Westminster, London, England, UK. Address.

Current Citation

Churchill, Winston. "Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat." Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat: The Great Speeches, edited by David Cannadine. Penguin Classics, 2007.

You probably heard we ain't in the prisoner-takin' business; we in the killin' Nazi business and cousin, business is a-boomin'.

Inglourious Basterds

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Topic

World War II

Speaker

Lt. Aldo Raine

Actor

Brad Pitt

Source

Inglourious Basterds

Medium

Film

Genre

War (film) War

Language

English

Time

2009 2000s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Inglourious Basterds. Directed by Quentin Tarantino, A Band Apart/Studio Babelsberg/Visiona Romantica, 2009.

This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

Winston Churchill

On the Battle of Egypt in November of 1942.

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Topic

World War II

Speaker

Winston Churchill

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1942 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Churchill, Winston. Speech at the Mansion House. Lord Mayor's Luncheon. 10 Nov. 1942, Mansion House, London, England, UK.

Current Citation

Churchill, Winston. "The bright gleam of victory', 10 November 1942, Mansion House, London." Never Give In! The Best of Winston Churchill's Speeches. Hyperion, 2005.

Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.

Winston Churchill

On the Battle of Britian.

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Topic

World War II

Speaker

Winston Churchill

Source

The Few

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1940 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Churchill, Winston. "The Few." House of Commons meeting. 20 Aug. 1940, The Palace of Westminster, London, England, UK. Address.

Current Citation

Churchill, Winston. "The Battle of Britain: 'The Few'." Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat: The Great Speeches, edited by David Cannadine. Penguin Classics, 2007.

In war: resolution. In defeat: defiance. In victory: magnanimity. In peace: goodwill.

Winston Churchill

The Second World War

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Topic

Magnanimity in war World War II

Author

Winston Churchill

Source

The Second World War

Genre

Historical literature

Language

English

Time

20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Churchill, Winston. "Moral of the Work." The Second World War. Vol. 1, Houghton Mifflin Co., 1948.

We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.

Winston Churchill

More information about this quote

Topic

World War II No surrender

Speaker

Winston Churchill

Source

We Shall Fight on the Beaches

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1940 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Churchill, Winston. "We Shall Fight on the Beaches." House of Commons meeting. 4 June 1940, The Palace of Westminster, London, England, UK. Address.

Current Citation

Churchill, Winston. "Dunkirk: Wars Are Not Won by Evacuations." Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat: The Great Speeches, edited by David Cannadine. Penguin Classics, 2007.

Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth lasts for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.'

Winston Churchill

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Topic

World War II British empire

Speaker

Winston Churchill

Source

Their Finest Hour

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1940 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Churchill, Winston. "Their Finest Hour." House of Commons meeting. 18 June 1940, The Palace of Westminster, London, England, UK. Address.

Current Citation

Churchill, Winston. "Alone: Their Finest Hour." Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat: The Great Speeches, edited by David Cannadine. Penguin Classics, 2007.

France has lost a battle. But France has not lost the war.

Charles de Gaulle

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Topic

French Resistance World War II

Speaker

Charles de Gaulle

Source

To All French

Medium

Poster

Language

French

Time

1940 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

De Gaulle, Charles. A Tous Le Francais [To All Frenchmen]. 3 Aug. 1940.

This war did not bear the characteristics of the previous conflicts among the European nations to which we were accustomed. To an ever increasing degree it began to be generally realized that the reasons for this conflict were no longer to be sought in the usual interests even if plausible of the various nations, but that in reality it was one of those elementary struggles which shaking the foundations of the world but once in a thousand years, introduce a new millennium.

Adolf Hitler

Speech to the Reichstag, April 26, 1942

More information about this quote

Topic

World War II

Speaker

Adolf Hitler

Source

Speech to the Reichstag, April 26, 1942

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

German

Time

1942 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Hitler, Adolf. Speech to the Reichstag. 26 Apr. 1942, Kroll Opera House, Berlin, Germany.

Americans traditionally love to fight. All real Americans love the sting of battle.

Patton

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Topic

American character Americans War World War II

Speaker

General George S. Patton

Actor

George C. Scott

Source

Patton

Medium

Film

Genre

Biography (film) War (film) Biography War

Language

English

Time

1969 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Patton. Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. 20th Century Fox, 1969.

We have not journeyed all this way across the centuries, across the oceans, across the mountains, across the prairies, because we are made of sugar candy.

Winston Churchill

Speech to the Canadian Parliament, December 30, 1941

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Topic

The British people World War II

Speaker

Winston Churchill

Source

Speech to the Canadian Parliament, December 30, 1941

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1941 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Churchill, Winston. "Some Chicken! Some Neck!" Joint session of Canadian Parliament. 30 Dec. 1941, Ottawa, Canada. Address.

Current Citation

Churchill, Winston. "Some chicken! Some neck!', 30 December 1941, Parliament, Ottawa." Never Give In!: Winston Churchill's Speeches. A&C Black, 2013.

Sixteen hours ago an American airplane dropped one bomb on Hiroshima... The force from which the sun draws its power has been loosed against those who brought war to the Far East.

Harry Truman

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Topic

Nuclear weapons World War II

Speaker

Harry Truman

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1945 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Truman, Harry S. First announcement of the atomic bomb. 6 Aug. 1945, The White House, Washington, DC, USA.

The enemy has begun to employ a new and most cruel bomb, the power of which to do damage is indeed incalculable, taking the toll of many innocent lives. Should we continue to fight, it would not only result in an ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation, but also it would lead to the total extinction of human civilization. Such being the case, how are we to save the millions of our subjects, or to atone ourselves before the hallowed spirits of our imperial ancestors?... It is according to the dictate of time and fate that we have resolved to pave the way for a grand peace for all the generations to come by enduring the unavoidable and suffering what is insufferable.

Emperor Hirohito

More information about this quote

Topic

Nuclear weapons World War II

Speaker

Emperor Hirohito

Medium

Radio broadcast Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

Japanese

Time

1945 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Emperor Hirohito. The Jewel Voice. 15 Aug. 1945, Imperial Palace, Tokyo, Japan. Broadcast.

Along the vital Pacific Coast over 112,000 potential enemies, of Japanese extraction, are at large today. There are indications that these are organized and ready for concerted action at a favorable opportunity. The very fact that no sabotage has taken place to date is a disturbing and confirming indication that such action will be taken

John DeWitt

More information about this quote

Topic

World War II

Author

John DeWitt

Language

English

Time

1942 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

DeWitt, John L. Final Report on the Japanese Evacuation from the West Coast. c. 1942.

Your boys are not going to be sent into any foreign wars.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

More information about this quote

Topic

World War II

Speaker

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Statement Type

Promises and vows

Language

English

Time

1940 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 2

Citation

Roosevelt, Franklin Delano. Campaign address. 30 Oct. 1940, Boston, MA, USA.

We must be the great arsenal of democracy.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Read this speech at UVA's Miller Center website

More information about this quote

Topic

World War II

Speaker

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1940 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Roosevelt, Franklin Delano. "The Arsenal of Democracy." Fireside Chat. 29 Dec. 1940, Diplomatic Reception Room, White House, Washington, DC, USA. Radio broadcast.

What is our policy?... To wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime.

Winston Churchill

More information about this quote

Topic

World War II

Speaker

Winston Churchill

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1940 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Churchill, Winston. "Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat." House of Commons meeting. 13 May 1940, The Palace of Westminster, London, England, UK. Address.

Current Citation

Churchill, Winston. "Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat." Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat: The Great Speeches, edited by David Cannadine. Penguin Classics, 2007.

The United States is the last country in the world that Japan should fight.

Letters from Iwo Jima

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Topic

World War II

Speaker

General Kuribayashi

Actor

Ken Watanabe

Source

Letters from Iwo Jima

Medium

Film

Genre

War (film) War

Language

Japanese

Time

2006 2000s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Letters from Iwo Jima. Directed by Clint Eastwood, DreamWorks Pictures/Malpaso Productions/Amblin Entertainment/Warner Bros., 2006.

The war situation has developed not necessarily to Japan's advantage.

Emperor Hirohito

Part of Emperor Hirohito's broadcast announcing Japan's surrender after the atom bomb had destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

More information about this quote

Topic

The atom bomb Nuclear weapons World War II

Speaker

Emperor Hirohito

Medium

Speech

Statement Type

Understatement

Language

Japanese

Time

1945 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Emperor Hirohito. The Jewel Voice. 15 Aug. 1945, Imperial Palace, Tokyo, Japan. Broadcast.