“Any person or state that fights against the Nazi force will have our aid. Any person or state that marches with Hitler is our enemy, ” Churchill – A double-sided poster containing the full text of Churchill’s speech delivered on June 22, 1941, on the eve of the Nazi invasion of Russia during “Operation Barbarossa.” This dramatic address marks the first time Churchill positioned Britain as a declared ally of the Soviet Union, announcing unprecedented solidarity between the United Kingdom and Russia in the war against Hitler and Nazi Germany. French. Extremely rare.
Speech excerpt:
“Hitler is a monster of evil, insatiable in his thirst for blood and plunder. Not content that all of Europe is under his thumb, threatened, or reduced to disgraceful submission, he now has to continue his butcher’s work among the vast multitudes of Russia and Asia. The terrible war machine that we and the rest of the civilized world were foolish, mad, or naive enough to allow the Nazi gangsters to build, year after year, almost from nothing, cannot remain idle for a moment, or it will rust or fall to pieces. It must constantly move, crushing human lives, destroying homes, and trampling on the rights of hundreds of millions of men. What’s more, this machine must be fed, not only with blood but also with oil. And so now, this murderous bully must unleash his mechanized armies onto new fields of slaughter, plunder, and destruction. No matter how poor the Russian peasants, workers, and soldiers may be, he must take their daily bread, steal their harvest, and seize the oil they use to power the tractors that plow their fields… It is no exaggeration to say that on this midsummer evening, the lives and happiness of another thousand million human beings are now threatened by Nazi bullying violence. This is enough to take our breath away. But soon, I will show you even more… how it deeply concerns the lives of Great Britain and the United States.”
Churchill continues:
“The Nazi regime has perfectly reproduced the worst features of communism. It has no motive and no principle other than animal appetite and racial domination. It surpasses all other forms of human evil in the efficiency of its cruelty and the ferocity of its aggression. No one has been a more consistent opponent of communism than I have over the past twenty-five years. I do not take back a single word I have said. But all this pales in comparison to the spectacle now before our eyes. The past, with all its crimes, follies, and tragedies, vanishes suddenly…
Our one resolve is to destroy Hitler. We have one single aim, one irreversible plan: we are determined to destroy Hitler and every last remnant of the Nazi regime. Nothing will distract us from this goal. We will never enter into negotiations with Hitler or any of his gang. We will fight him on land, at sea, and in the air… Any person or state that fights against the Nazi force will have our aid. Any person or state that marches with Hitler is our enemy. This applies not only to organized states but also to every representative of the vile race of Quislings who become tools and agents of the Nazi regime against their own citizens and homeland. These Quislings, like the Nazi leaders themselves, if not suppressed by their own people, which would make our work easier, will be brought before a competent tribunal by us the day after victory. This is our policy, this is our declaration…
If Hitler imagines that his attack on Soviet Russia will cause the slightest division or delay among the great democracies determined to bring about his downfall, he is gravely mistaken. On the contrary, we will redouble our efforts to save humanity from his tyranny. We will strengthen, not weaken, our resolve and resources… The danger facing Russia is therefore the same danger facing us, the same danger threatening the United States. Just as the goal every Russian soldier fights for—his homeland and home—is the concern of every free person, of free people everywhere in the world. All the free peoples in every part of the world. Let us learn the lessons that such harsh experiences have already taught us. So, let us redouble our efforts, and yet, let us strike with a united strength that gives us life and power.”
The reverse side of the poster features Churchill’s bold words highlighted in large print:
“If Hitler imagines that his attack on Soviet Russia will cause the slightest division among the great democracies, he is gravely mistaken.”
Winston Churchill’s speech on June 22, 1941, remains one of the most influential addresses of World War II. Delivered before the British House of Commons, Churchill, then Prime Minister, proclaimed the now-famous line: “The Soviet soldiers can rest assured that they are not fighting alone. We are with them!” This statement became a powerful symbol of an unexpected alliance forged on a shared objective: the destruction of Nazism. In his speech, Churchill emphasized the critical importance of the struggle against the Nazis and offered unreserved support to the Soviet Union, despite the stark ideological and political differences between the two nations. For Britain, which had been waging war against Germany since the conflict’s outset, this moment represented an opportunity to unite with the Soviet Union, which had only entered the war after the German invasion. Churchill expressed Britain’s commitment to stand alongside the Soviet Union not merely for military advantage but out of a profound moral duty and an unyielding resolve to defeat the Nazis. He also stressed that the ultimate fight was against “the evil of the Germans.” This speech was not just a declaration of alliance between the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union but also a powerful symbol of international unity in the fight for humanity’s future. Churchill’s ability to translate words into action solidified this alliance, which became a cornerstone of the international effort that ultimately led to the defeat of Nazi Germany.
Extremely rare. No bibliographic records of this poster have been found.
[1] leaf. Printed on both sides. 27×21 cm. Stains. Good condition.
