"We all feel relief that war has not come this time. Every one of us has been passing through days of anxiety; we cannot, however, feel that peace has been established, but that we have nothing but an armistice in a state of war. We have been unable to go in for care-free rejoicing. We have felt that we are in the midst of a tragedy. We have felt humiliation. This has not been a victory for reason and humanity. It has been a victory for brute force. At every stage of the proceedings there have been time limits laid down by the owner and ruler of armed force. The terms have not been terms negotiated; they have been terms laid down as ultimata. We have seen to-day a gallant, civilised and democratic people betrayed and handed over to a ruthless despotism. We have seen something more. We have seen the cause of democracy, which is, in our view, the cause of civilisation and humanity, receive a terrible defeat."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Prime Ministers of the United KingdomPoliticians from EnglandAcademics from EnglandLawyers from EnglandDemocratic socialists
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Speech in the House of Commons against the Munich Agreement (3 October 1938)
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Clement_Attlee
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Clement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee KG OM CH FRS PC (3 January 1883 – 8 October 1967) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951. Coming from an upper middle class background, Attlee was converted to socialism through working in the East End of London and became MP for Limehouse in 1922 (later Walthamstow West from 1950–55). He served as Deputy Prime Minister in Winston Churchill's war cabinet during World War II. He was elected Labour Party leader in 1935 and won a lan
137 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Clement Attlee →
Related Quotes
"… the Peace Treaties must be scrapped … I stand for no more war and no more secret diplomacy."
"You may produce a case here and there of abuse of the dole: you may produce an occasional man who marches with the un…"
"[N]othing short of a world state will be really effective in preventing war. As long as you rely for security on a nu…"
"I think that the whole of the movement towards dictatorships in Europe has reached its highest point and that there i…"
"We have absolutely abandoned any idea of nationalist loyalty. We are deliberately putting a world order before our lo…"
"We are told in the White Paper that there is danger against which we have to guard ourselves. We do not think you can…"
"The nationalist and imperialist delusions that run through all this document are far more wild than any idealist drea…"
"Mr. Chamberlain's Budget was the natural expression of the character of the present Government. There was hardly any …"
"The Government has now resolved to enter upon an arms race, and the people will have to pay for their mistake in beli…"
"May I recall here a thing that is not always remembered, that just as India owes her unity and freedom from external …"