Address to the Nation from Clement Atlee
3September, 1940
To the people of our isles, to the people of our dominions: we here in Bern have reached a decision. It is the heaviest burden that I will surely ever have to bear, but it is my duty to report it. We have agreed to the terms that Germany has proposed. In light of the recent Luftwaffe flyover of the island, we here felt as though we could not disregard the lives of our subjects back home due to our diplomatic safety here in Switzerland. Each member of the Cabinet present has signed this Bern Peace Treaty in order to save our country and to ensure our continued well-being. The Germans demands have all been met and we expect them to honour their agreement of peace between us.
Do not shrink in defeat. Do not cower in tears. Think of the valiant Royal Air Force pilots who braved saboteurs on the ground and German fighters in the air. Think of the courage of stalwart men like Captain Richardson on Gibraltar. Think of the men who fought with absolute gallantry at Dunkirk so that we can still say that we have an army at home. Think of the foreign nationals who took to the skies and manned our guns in defense of a land they more than likely had never set foot on. Think of them, and think of this: we still stand to see the dawn and this is not the end. Long live Britain. God save the King.
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