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Blood,Toil,TearsandSweatFirstSpeechasPrimeMinisterMay13,1940toHouseofCommonsOnMay10,1940,WinstonChurchillbecamePrimeMinister.WhenhemethisCabinetonMay13hetoldthemthatIhavenothingtoofferbutblood,toil,tearsandsweat.HerepeatedthatphraselaterinthedaywhenheaskedtheHouseofCommonsforavoteofconfidenceinhisnewall-partygovernment.TheresponseofLabourwasheart-warming;theConservativereactionwasluke-warm.TheystillreallywantedNevilleChamberlain.Forthefirsttime,thepeoplehadhopebutChurchillcommentedtoGeneralIsmay:Poorpeople,poorpeople.Theytrustme,andIcangivethemnothingbutdisasterforquitealongtime.Ibegtomove,ThatthisHousewelcomestheformationofaGovernmentrepresentingtheunitedandinflexibleresolveofthenationtoprosecutethewarwithGermanytoavictoriousconclusion.OnFridayeveninglastIreceivedHisMajesty'scommissiontoformanewAdministration.ItastheevidentwishandwillofParliamentandthenationthatthisshouldbeconceivedonthebroadestpossiblebasisandthatitshouldincludeallparties,boththosewhosupportedthelateGovernmentandalsothepartiesoftheOpposition.Ihavecompletedthemostimportantpartofthistask.AWarCabinethasbeenformedoffiveMembers,representing,withtheOppositionLiberals,theunityofthenation.ThethreepartyLeadershaveagreedtoserve,eitherintheWarCabinetorinhighexecutiveoffice.ThethreeFightingServiceshavebeenfilled.Itwasnecessarythatthisshouldbedoneinonesingleday,onaccountoftheextremeurgencyandrigourofevents.Anumberofotherpositions,keypositions,werefilledyesterday,andIamsubmittingafurtherlisttoHisMajestyto-night.IhopetocompletetheappointmentoftheprincipalMinistersduringto-morrow.theappointmentoftheotherMinistersusuallytakesalittlelonger,butItrustthat,whenParliamentmeetsagain,thispartofmytaskwillbecompleted,andthattheadministrationwillbecompleteinallrespects.IconsidereditinthepublicinteresttosuggestthattheHouseshouldbesummonedtomeettoday.Mr.Speakeragreed,andtookthenecessarysteps,inaccordancewiththepowersconferreduponhimbytheResolutionoftheHouse.Attheendoftheproceedingstoday,theAdjournmentoftheHousewillbeproposeduntilTuesday,21stMay,with,ofcourse,provisionforearliermeeting,ifneedbe.ThebusinesstobeconsideredduringthatweekwillbenotifiedtoMembersattheearliestopportunity.InowinvitetheHouse,bytheMotionwhichstandsinmyname,torecorditsapprovalofthestepstakenandtodeclareitsconfidenceinthenewGovernment.ToformanAdministrationofthisscaleandcomplexityisaseriousundertakinginitself,butitmustberememberedthatweareinthepreliminarystageofoneofthegreatestbattlesinhistory,thatweareinactionatmanyotherpointsinNorwayandinHolland,thatwehavetobepreparedintheMediterranean,thattheairbattleiscontinuousandthatmanypreparations,suchashavebeenindicatedbymyhon.FriendbelowtheGangway,havetobemadehereathome.InthiscrisisIhopeImaybepardonedifIdonotaddresstheHouseatanylengthtoday.Ihopethatanyofmyfriendsandcolleagues,orformercolleagues,whoareaffectedbythepoliticalreconstruction,willmakeallowance,allallowance,foranylackofceremonywithwhichithasbeennecessarytoact.IwouldsaytotheHouse,asIsaidtothosewhohavejoinedthisgovernment:Ihavenothingtoofferbutblood,toil,tearsandsweat.Wehavebeforeusanordealofthemostgrievouskind.Wehavebeforeusmany,manylongmonthsofstruggleandofsuffering.Youask,whatisourpolicy?Icansay:Itistowagewar,bysea,landandair,withallourmightandwithallthestrengththatGodcangiveus;towagewaragainstamonstroustyranny,neversurpassedinthedark,lamentablecatalogueofhumancrime.Thatisourpolicy.Youask,whatisouraim?Icananswerinoneword:Itisvictory,victoryatallcosts,victoryinspiteofallterror,victory,howeverlongandhardtheroadmaybe;forwithoutvictory,thereisnosurvival.Letthatberealised;nosurvivalfortheBritishEmpire,nosurvivalforallthattheBritishEmpirehasstoodfor,nosurvivalfortheurgeandimpulseoftheages,thatmankindwillmoveforwardtowardsitsgoal.ButItakeupmytaskwithbuoyancyandhope.Ifeelsurethatourcausewillnotbesufferedtofailamongmen.AtthistimeIfeelentitledtoclaimtheaidofall,andIsay,comethen,letusgoforwardtogetherwithourunitedstrength.热血、辛劳、眼泪和汗水(1940.5.13)星期五晚上，我接受了英王陛下的委托，组织新政府。这次组阁，应包括所有的政党，既有支持上届政府的政党，也有上届政府的反对党，显而易见，这是议会和国家的希望与意愿。我已完成了此项任务中最重要的部分。战时内阁业已成立，由5位阁员组成，其中包括反对党的自由主义者，代表了举国一致的团结。三党领袖已经同意加入战时内阁，或者担任国家高级行政职务。三军指挥机构已加以充实。由于事态发展的极端紧迫感和严重性，仅仅用一天时间完成此项任务，是完全必要的。其他许多重要职位已在昨天任命。我将在今天晚上向英王陛下呈递补充名单，并希望于明日一天完成对政府主要大臣的任命。其他一些大臣的任命，虽然通常需要更多一点的时间，但是，我相信会议再次开会时，我的这项任务将告完成，而且本届政府在各方面都将是完整无缺的。我认为，向下院建议在今天开会是符合公众利益的。议长先生同意这个建议，并根据下院决议所授予他的权力，采取了必要的步骤。今天议程结束时，建议下院休会到5月21日星期二。当然，还要附加规定，如果需要的话，可以提前复会。下周会议所要考虑的议题，将尽早通知全体议员。现在，我请求下院，根据以我的名义提出的决议案，批准已采取的各项步骤，将它记录在案，并宣布对新政府的信任。组成一届具有这种规模和复杂性的政府，本身就是一项严肃的任务。但是大家一定要记住，我们正处在历史上一次最伟大的战争的初期阶段，我们正在挪威和荷兰的许多地方进行战斗，我们必须在地中海地区做好准备，空战仍在继续，众多的战备工作必须在国内完成。在这危急存亡之际，如果我今天没有向下院做长篇演说，我希望能够得到你们的宽恕。我还希望，因为这次政府改组而受到影响的任何朋友和同事，或者以前的同事，会对礼节上的不周之处予以充分谅解，这种礼节上的欠缺，到目前为止是在所难免的。正如我曾对参加本届政府的成员所说的那样，我要向下院说：“我没什么可以奉献，有的只是热血、辛劳、眼泪和汗水。”摆在我们面前的，是一场极为痛苦的严峻的考验。在我们面前，有许多许多漫长的斗争和苦难的岁月。你们问：我们的政策是什么？我要说，我们的政策就是用我们全部能力，用上帝所给予我们的全部力量，在海上、陆地和空中进行战争，同一个在人类黑暗悲惨的罪恶史上所从未有过的穷凶极恶的暴政进行战争。这就是我们的政策。你们问：我们的目标是什么？我可以用一个词来回答：胜利——不惜一切代价，去赢得胜利；无论多么可怕，也要赢得胜利，无论道路多么遥远和艰难，也要赢得胜利。因为没有胜利，就不能生存。大家必须认识到这一点：没有胜利，就没有英帝国的存在，就没有英帝国所代表的一切，就没有促使