Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Attribution ·119 of 348
"History is written by the victors. — Winston Churchill"
They never said that.
What people say
"History is written by the victors. — Winston Churchill"
What was actually said
"History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it." Winston Churchill — Remark attributed to Churchill, dinner with Harry Hopkins, January 1941; the "victors" form predates him
Why it stuck
Churchill did make quips about being his own historian. But the pithy "History is written by the victors" predates him — variations appear in Hermann Göring's Nuremberg testimony (1946) and in French proverbial form from the 19th century.
Churchill's The Second World War (1948–53) is a case of him living up to his joke.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.