Le poids des mots
Une archive choisie de discours qui ont façonné la posture des États, le sort des alliances et l’ordre international.
Le discours est un instrument d’État. Monarques, présidents, révolutionnaires et secrétaires généraux ont usé de l’allocution solennelle pour déclarer la guerre et pour demander la paix, pour lier leurs alliés et pour les ébranler, pour revendiquer la légitimité et pour la refuser à d’autres. Voici une archive choisie de tels discours, d’Élisabeth Ire à Tilbury jusqu’à nos jours, retenus pour leur incidence sur la posture des États, la forme des alliances et l’ordre international.
Chacun est présenté d’après les sources : l’orateur, l’occasion et le texte tel qu’il a été prononcé ou fidèlement transcrit. Lorsqu’un discours n’a pas été prononcé en anglais ou en français, l’original est offert accompagné d’une traduction. Le Centre fournit le contexte, non le commentaire, et laisse les mots parler d’eux-mêmes.
30 septembre 1938
Peace for our time
Returning from the Munich Conference on 30 September 1938, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain told a crowd at Downing Street he believed the agreement meant 'peace for our time.' The phrase became emblematic of appeasement after war broke out within a year.
First of all, I have received an immense number of letters during all these anxious times, and so has my wife. Letters of support, and approval, and gratitude and I can't tell you what an encouragement that has been to me. I want to thank the British people for what they have done.
Next. And next I want to say that the settlement of the Czechoslovakian problem, which has now been achieved is, in my view, only the prelude to a larger settlement in which all Europe may find peace.
This morning I had another talk with the German Chancellor, Herr Hitler, and here is the paper which bears his name upon it as well as mine. Some of you, perhaps, have already heard what it contains but I would just like to read it to you,
"We, the German Fuhrer and Chancellor, and the British Prime Minister, have had a further meeting today and are agreed in recognizing that the question of Anglo-German relations is of the first importance for the two countries and for Europe.
"We regard the agreement signed last night and the Anglo-German naval agreement as symbolic of the desire of our two peoples never to go to war with one another again.
"We are resolved that the method of consultation shall be the method adopted to deal with any other questions that may concern our two countries and we are determined to continue our efforts to remove possible sources of difference and thus to contribute to assure the peace of Europe.
[Chamberlain later appeared together with the King and Queen on the Buckingham Palace balcony. Still later, he spoke from the window of 10 Downing Street the following:]
My good friends,
This is the second time in our history that there has come back from Germany to Downing Street peace with honor. I believe it is peace for our time.
We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. And now I recommend you to go home and sleep quietly in your beds.
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