HISTORY

C.A. II – BOOK REVIEW

“THE WORLD’S GREATEST SPEECHES” - by Terry O’Brien

SUMMER SEMESTER
(JULY-NOVEMBER 2022)

SUBMITTED BY: SUBMITTED TO:

ISHITESHWARI (T473) OM PRAKASH MISHRA B.A.LL.B.
(HONS.) FACULTY OF HISTORY SEMESTER I
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Contents
INTRODUCTION 2
TRYST WITH DESTINY 2
ARE WOMEN PERSONS? 3
THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO FEAR IS FEAR ITSELF 4
I AM FROM NOW ON JUST THE FIRST SOLDIER OF THE REICH 5
TONIC FOR THE HINDU MIND 6
D-DAY PRAYER 7
GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH 8
PLEADINGS FOR THE DEPRESSED CLASSES 9
CRITICAL ANALYSIS 10
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INTRODUCTION
Through this assignment, I try to provide the context for most influential speeches and analyze 7 such great
speeches compiled by Mr. O Brien .
A caveat to the reader – the speeches compiled by Mr. O’Brien do not seem to follow a particular
chronological order, hence the same has not been attempted by me here.
Passionate, inspirational, and prophetic, this is a stirring compilation of some of the world’s greatest
speeches by renowned personalities who have shaped the narratives of their times, and indeed that of the
modern world. The World’s Greatest Speeches is a tribute to those who created a niche for themselves in
history by their words and wisdom. In an age where 140 characters is set as a word limit and SMS is the
norm, Terry O’Brien has tried to put in place great speeches over time, that still continue to make an impact
around the globe for their oratory skills. These remain for their outstanding contribution and for bringing a
change to the society.Nothing is more powerful than the power of words. Especially if the words come from
someone we admire or look up to. We hear and watch many leaders every day. Some we agree with, some
we don’t. But there are those who leave a great impact on the lives.

TRYST WITH DESTINY

Jawaharlal Nehru
Context:
The following speech delivered at New Delhi 14th August 1947 by Jawaharlal Nehru was made while
introducing the pledge to be taken by the members of the Constituent Assembly in New Delhi.

Analysis:
Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of an independent India, whom he helped to create. This
speech, known as the ‘Tryst of Destiny’, was delivered on the eve of 15 August 1947, the date India gained
independence from Britain. Throughout his speech, he drew much reference to the power of the Indian
people, and the responsibilities in which he and the elected legislature of India will have in representing the
people of India.
Even with his constant references to peace, equality and freedom for the newly born India, he also does not
fail to mention that much work needed to be done. Talking about the vast rates of poverty in India, he strikes
a more personal chord with the audience. Nehru continues to pull on people’s thoughts on a personal level
throughout the entire speech, and also instils in them a sense of optimism for the future of the new state of
India.
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Nehru uses his impeccable speaking ability, hence his power, to draw parallels between the struggles of the
Indian people and the bright future in which he envisions for the new nation. This manipulation and
influence in which Nehru demonstrates is a form of invisible yet strong power, and it is this that he
continued to demonstrate throughout his successful 17 years as Prime Minister of the new, powerful India.

ARE WOMEN PERSONS?

Susan B. Anthony
Context:
In the 1800s, women in the United States had few legal rights and did not have the right to vote. This speech
was given by Susan B. Anthony after her arrest for casting an illegal vote in the presential election of 1872.
She was tried and then fined $100, but she refused to pay. The speech was delivered in 1873.

Analysis:
The purpose of the speech was to fight for the suffrage for women. Ms. Anthony needed the support and
movement from the public for the next step in gaining equal rights. The desired purpose from the audience
was to have a voting right like the American male citizens.
The art of speech especially with regards to the use of rhetorical devices makes it persuasive and invokes the
curiosity of the audience. Among the most famous female leaders, Ms. Anthony is considered to be the most
influential speaker and known for using rhetorical appeals in her speeches.
Ms. Anthony quoted the preamble of the Federal Constitution, which states the rights, how Americans
should all stand together. She, then, quickly turns their words against them when she establishes the
separation that existed between men and women. In reference to the preamble, Ms. Anthony uses the phrase
“we the people” to stress how imperfect the union was since women failed to be considered as individuals
with full rights. She used words, primarily those that symbolise America, to state that it is a necessity for
females to be known as part of the “we” in the “we the people” to finally respect America’s claim of
freedom. Ms. Anthony then shrewdly used historical allusions which presented women as capable of
defending themselves and supported the claim that women are competent of voting.
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THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO FEAR IS FEAR ITSELF

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Context:
In his 1933 inaugural address given on 4 March, Roosevelt stated that he was prepared to recommend
measures that he knew could succeed only with strong public pressure in support of extraordinary federal
powers to deal with extraordinary needs. The speech is particularly memorable for its attack on the
psychology of the Great Depression. Roosevelt planned to expand the power of the federal government to
achieve his legislative objectives and thereby, ease the effects of the Great Depression. He aimed to declare
war on the Great Depression and needed all the executive latitude possible in order to wage the war. In
addition to his famous statement, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”, he also said, “I shall ask the
Congress for the remaining instrument to meet the crisis – broad executive power to wage a war against the
emergency, as great as the power that would be given to me if we were in fact invaded by a foreign foe.’

Analysis:
The intended audience of the speech was the citizens and inhabitants of The United States during the
1930's. Roosevelt was introverted and during his campaign said very little about his plans if elected
president. After taking the oath of office, Roosevelt delivered the first of one of his many memorable
speeches as president. Within the opening minutes of his 1,883 word-long, 20-minute address, he uttered a
line that, for many Americans, would encapsulate FDR’s twelve years in the oval office: “Let me assert my
firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which
paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
Through the use of these rhetorical devices, Roosevelt had been able to gain the trust of his people of his
nation. The use of the repetition of the word neighbour makes the people of one big nation feel connected, as
a whole. During this time period of the Great Depression, Franklin Roosevelt spoke not only of a neighbour,
but as a neighbour. He made his citizens believe that they could only rise up from the depression if they
acted as one. As he spoke as a neighbour he showed his humility that he is not better than his citizens. Using
the climactic word order, he brought emphasize on his vision that will start a new and better beginning for
his country and his people. Franklin Roosevelt’s use of his balanced sentence made point that happiness is
equal to not money, but his country’s achievement and their effort. Each rhetorical device used in this
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speech helped Franklin Roosevelt gain his people trust and emphasis the fact that they are a whole, and they
will act as a whole.

I AM FROM NOW ON JUST THE FIRST SOLDIER OF THE REICH

Adolf Hitler
Context:
“ If our will is so strong that no hardship and suffering can subdue it, then our will and German might shall
prevail.”
This is an address by Adolf Hitler, Chancellor of the Reich, before the Reichstag, 1 September 1939.

Analysis:
.The “mediator of change” is a well-known phrase used to portray his intended audience. They were the
ones that had to be influenced by Hitler in order to make them act for the safety of their country from
foreign powers who wanted to strip Germany off everything. He appealed to the Parliament of Germany so
as to receive support for the war – stated that Poland had fired the first shot.
Hitler was effective in persuading the German populace because he saw the rhetorical situation that was
present and made a rhetorical discourse out of it – that was advantageous to him. He succeeded in
convincing his audience – the Reichstag and the German populace – through his rhetoric. He presented the
right stimulus to the right audience, this contributed to the success of Hitler as a political leader and a
dictator.
In the German language, Hitler drew on a kind of rhetorical power which is in a way peculiar to German –
allies highly abstract concepts with political, physical violence in a most unusual way. He was a genius at
that. Hitler’s calculated body language along with the use of cleverly crafted linguistics made him an
exceptionally influential orator.
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TONIC FOR THE HINDU MIND

Swami Vivekananda
Context:
Vivekananda’s words are great music, phrases in style of Beethoven, stirring rhythms like the march of
Handel’s choruses.”
Indeed, Swami Vivekananda did not belong to a sect, he belonged to India
This speech was delivered in Chicago, 11 September 1893. Swami Vivekananda’s speech at the Parliament
of Religions in Chicago is of immense historical significance.

Analysis:
Swami Vivekananda’s short speech spoke volumes on hope and a united brotherhood. His premise was to be
appreciative of the purpose the convention of religions sought to serve.
Swami Vivekananda pointed how sectarianism, bigotry and fascism have possessed the earth and how they
have filled the earth with violence, drenched it with human blood and sent whole nations to despair.
According to him, had it not been for the aforementioned demons, human society would be far more
advanced.
His message of hope was that with the inception of the Convention of Religions would be the death knell of
fascism, of all persecutions with the sword or the pen, and of uncharitable feelings between persons.

D-DAY PRAYER
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Context:
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This is the prayer originally entitled ‘Let Our Heart Be Stout’ written by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as
Allied troops were invading German-occupied Europe during WW-II. The prayer was read to the nation on
the evening of the D-Day, 6 June 1944, while American, British and Canadian troops were fighting to
establish five beachheads on the coast of Normandy in France. The previous night, 5 June the President had
also been on the radio to announce that Allied troops had entered Rome. The spectacular news that Rome
had been liberated was quickly superseded by news of the gigantic D-Day invasion which began at 6.30 AM
on 6th June. By midnight, about 57,000 American and 75,000 British and Canadian soldiers had made it
ashore, amid losses that included 2,500 killed and 8,500 wounded.
Analysis:
The date and timing of the Normandy invasion had been top secret. During a national radio broadcast on
June 5 about the Allied liberation of Rome, President Roosevelt made no mention of the Normandy
operation, already underway at that time.
When he spoke to the country on June 6, the President felt the need to explain his earlier silence. Shortly
before he went on the air, he added several handwritten lines to the opening of his speech that addressed that
point. They read: "Last night, when I spoke to you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops
of the United States and our allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to
pass with success thus far."
Americans hung on every word. They needed to rededicate and redouble their efforts, much as Lincoln had
reminded them at Gettysburg in the middle of another dark period. Now, almost an equal time has passed
since D-Day, and it seems strangely difficult for leaders to clearly define values, way of life, causes for
going to war to defend the ideals. It is unfathomable today that a president would embrace God the way
Roosevelt did on that night.

GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH

Patrick Henry
Context:
Patrick Henry was an American attorney, planter and politician who became known as an orator during the
movement for independence in Virginia. This speech was delivered on 23rd March 1775.

Analysis:
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“Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death” is the informal title of a speech delivered by Patrick Henry to the
Second Virginia Convention on March 23, 1775. Taking place in a church, it deploys imagery of both
religion and revolution to urge the convention before him to vote for a resolution that was to gather troops
for the upcoming Revolutionary War. The speech was attended by both George Washington and Thomas
Jefferson, who both later became U.S. Presidents, and is largely considered the decisive event in the vote.
Henry begins his speech by stating his respect for his opponents in the debate (who had just spoken),
defining them as highly patriotic and competent. Nevertheless, he states, people are entitled to their own
perspectives on a subject and should be able to express them freely. He then compares the question of
whether to assemble troops to a choice between freedom and slavery, arguing that he cannot keep his
feelings bottled up inside, lest he later be guilty of treason against the Union and God.
Henry says that it is natural for men to want to maintain hope, even if illusory, about the fate of the nation.
However, he condemns the current case, where false hope has blinded men from seeing that their liberty is
being threatened. He prioritizes knowing the “whole truth,” even if painful, over ignorance, because
knowledge leads to tools with which to improve one’s conditions. He says that his own experience allows
him to make these philosophical claims, comparing experience to a lamp that illuminates a future path. He
warns the colonist leaders to steer away from accepting any treaties or petitions with the British government
since in the past, they have proved themselves only deceitful. He also points to evidence that the British are
preparing for war despite their appearance of reason and kindness.
Henry’s speech is a highly rhetorical one, employing a degree of intentional redundancy to drive home the
images he wants. Its political effect is well-known to have galvanized colonist leaders into action, having
convinced them that their fate was contingent on their immediate action.

PLEADINGS FOR THE DEPRESSED CLASSES

B.R. Ambedkar
Context:
The speech was delivered by Ambedkar during the First Round Table Conference (Minorities Sub-
Committee). This speech was delivered at London 31st December 1930.

Analysis:
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In his speech, Ambedkar argues that the depressed classes were a minority like the Muslims, Sikhs,
Christians, etc., and should get the same privileges and safeguards as did the other minorities. This session,
which had been boycotted by the Congress, ended without any agreement. A second session was held in
September in which Gandhi also participated as the sole representative of Congress.
In this session, Ambedkar crossed swords with Gandhiji on the question of depressed classes being
recognised as a minority, which also ended in a failure. As agreed, Ramsay Macdonald, announced the
famous Communal Award in which the depressed classes were declared as a minority.
Gandhi went on a fast unto death, which resulted in the Poona Pact. Instead of separate electorates for the
depressed classes, reservations seats in various legislations was agreed upon. Ambedkar signed the Pact on
behalf of the depressed classes and Madan Mohan Malaviya on behalf of the upper castes. Some writers feel
that it was a defeat for Gandhiji as unwittingly he acknowledged that Ambedkar represented the depressed
classes and not him.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The book in itself is a review of most influential excerpts delivered time to time , it explains us in brief how
these famous speeches lifted hearts in dark times, gave hope in despair, refined the characters of
men ,inspired brave feats, gave courage to the weary honored the dead, and changed the course of history.
Such compilation gives a way forward to upcoming generation as there is a lack of awareness among us
pertaining to how influential our greatest leaders were , what kind of impact these speeches have laid to
peoples back then. In ancient time specially during struggle movements these speeches invokes a snese of
patriotism , makes them passionate about there purpose. By presenting all these highly motivating speeches
at a place Mr. O’Brien has given extreme honour to not just leaders but the words said by them, the power of
words is immense it breaks the society and makes the society if said at right place and on right time. ‘Tryst
with destiny’ by Nehru, ‘Pleading for the depressed class’ by Ambedkar, ‘Tonic for hindu mind’ by
Vivekananda are not mere speeches but revolutions, the traces of which can still be seen. The Power of
Speech Speech is a powerful tool, if used correctly. Speech can do many things, but there are two main
things that speech is the best at. It can create and embellish as it pleases. Well-spoken words can also twist
the truth and manipulate.But on the its very essence is makes you memorable, creates history and prints your
image for upcoming generations. It is easy to remove word but not the impact that it creates.