As England’s very existence was being threatened by attacks from the German Luftwaffe in World War II, what request did Winston Churchill make to his staff?
Subject: Writing - Churchill and Queen Elizabeth I
Event: Churchill’s Brevity Memo, 1940, and Elizabeth’s speech at Tilbury, 1588
The pen is mightier than the sword. -Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Brevity is the soul of wit. -William Shakespeare
In August 1940, England was fighting for its life. The Battle of Britain, pitting the UK’s Royal Airforce against the German Luftwaffe, was intensifying. In the midst of this chaos, Britain’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill made a plea to his staff to improve their internal communication. In short, he wanted them to write shorter.
In a memo released on this day in 1940, Churchill began by saying,
To do our work, we all have to read a mass of papers. Nearly all of them are far too long. This wastes time, while energy has to be spent in looking for the essential points.
In addition to asking for brevity over verbosity, Churchill also presented three concise guidelines for reducing long reports:
(i) The aim should be reports which set out the main points in a series of short, crisp paragraphs.
(ii) If a report relies on detailed analysis or some complicated factors, or on statistics, these should be set out in an appendix.
(iii) Often the occasion is best met by submitting not a full-dress report, but an aide-memoire consisting of headings only, which can be expanded orally if needed.
In essence, Churchill's challenge to his staff was to save time by spending more time thinking about their audience and, most importantly, thinking clearly about the core message they were trying to communicate. Good writers understand a key paradox of effective writing: less is more. It’s easy to dash off 500 words, but it’s much harder to craft a 100-word message that is clear, concise, and cogent.
In wrapping up his memo, which was roughly 250 words, Churchill provides a final justification:
Reports drawn up on the lines I propose may at first seem rough as compared with the flat surface of officialese jargon. But the saving in time will be great, while the discipline of setting out the real points concisely will prove an aid to clearer thinking. (1).
One British writer who echoed Churchill’s appeal for clear thinking through concise writing was George Orwell (1903-1950). Practicing what he was preaching, he said it clearly and concisely: “If people cannot write well, they cannot think well, and if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them.”
Exactly 352 years before Churchill’s memo, Britain faced another threat. This time it was from Spain and its supposedly invincible armada of 150 warships. Armed only with words, Queen Elizabeth I left her palace to travel to Tilbury in Essex, England to address her assembled troops. In a compact, concise speech of just 310 words, she shows the power of language to inspire
My loving people,
We have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safety, to take heed how we commit ourselves to armed multitudes, for fear of treachery; but I assure you I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people. Let tyrants fear, I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good-will of my subjects; and therefore I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust. I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field. I know already, for your forwardness you have deserved rewards and crowns; and We do assure you in the word of a prince, they shall be duly paid you. In the mean time, my lieutenant general shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over those enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people (2)
With her power over language and her fearless, confident tone, Elizabeth inspired her army in its eventual victory over the Spanish Armada. It was the definining moment of her reign. England’s victory not only ended Spain’s dominance as a naval power it also was the launching point for its own emergence as a world power.
Recall, Retrieve, Recite, Ruminate, Reflect, Reason: What were the external threats to England that Churchill and Queen Elizabeth faced, and how did they employ language as a part of their battle strategy?
Challenge - Make It Snappy: As Churchill and Queen Elizabeth demonstrate, good writing is concise, clear, and cogent. In the 21st century, it is even more important, considering the competition for attention. Whoever your audience is you can be sure that they probably must read thousands of words a day in emails, texts, Tweets, and social media. What principles for writing in the 21st century will help writers keep the attention of the modern reader? Do some research. Then, identify at least one key principle for keeping the message clear and sincere.
Sources:
1-Edwards, Jim. “This memo from Winston Churchill on 'Brevity' is all you need to improve your writing.” Businessinsider.com 26 May 2017.
2 - The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 6th Edition. Vol 1, New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1993. ISBN. 0393962873
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