The claim
George Orwell wrote these words in his 1948 dystopian novel “1984”: “We must save energy for war, which is for peace. The electricity will be switched off now.”
Our conclusion
George Orwell did not write these words. The quote comes from the very free German translation of a film from 1956, which is also just a very free adaptation of the book '1984'.
A supposed quote from George Orwell is currently making the rounds on social media. Among other things, a former Austrian Vice Chancellor spread it on Facebook : “We have to save energy for war, which serves peace. The electricity will now be switched off.” It suits those who like to defend Putin’s position in the current Ukraine war or who have always spoken out against the sanctions against Russia. The problem: The words don't come from George Orwell's novel "1984".
But this film clip on Twitter proves it! No he does not. The scene shows Ministry of Truth officer Winston Smith lighting a cigarette and briefly reading the message secretly passed to him by his lover Julia. The telescreen in the background plays a message as the light goes out:
It is now 22:30 hours. Power must be conserved for our victory effort. All lights will be extinguished. Good night comrade, tomorrow your work for the party must be better than today. Remember, even in your sleep, big brother is watching you. Big brother is watching you.
Message in the 1956 feature film “1984” (English original)
It is now 10:30 p.m. We must save energy for the war that serves peace. The electricity will now be switched off. Good night, comrade. Tomorrow your work for the party must be better than today. Remember: even when you sleep, big brother is watching you. Big brother looks at you.
Message in the feature film “1984” from 1956 (German dubbing)
Also the quote “Power must be conserved for our victory effort. “All lights will be extinguished” is not found in the original text of George Orwell’s novel. This text was written for the film by Michael Anderson, which follows the plot of the book very loosely. So free that the author's widow, Sonia Orwell, was dissatisfied with the adaptation. She particularly protested against the changed ending and had the film taken out of circulation.
By the way, that's not the only fun fact about the end of this film adaptation. The Internet Movie Database writes: “The British version ends with the execution of a defiant Winston Smith and Julia by the authorities. The US version sticks more closely to Orwell's book and ends with Winston and Julia brainwashed into becoming loyal followers of Big Brother."
Conclusion
In “1984,” George Orwell dealt very critically with the dystopia of a surveillance state. Many popular words in the artificial language Newspeak, developed for the novel, have become part of our everyday lives, such as BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU. However, the currently shared quote does not come from the book. It is due to a very free German translation of a film that does not strictly adhere to the original novel. So finally a real quote from Orwell on the subject of war:
The quickest way to end a war is to lose it.
George Orwell in Second Thoughts on James Burnham (1946)
Sources:
George Orwell (1949): Nineteen Eighty-Four.
Secker & Warburg, London. 1984, Michael Anderson (director), N. Peter Rathvon (producer), Holiday Film Productions, 1956.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048918/ (film in the Internet Movie Database)
Not enough? Here you will find true and false quotes from politicians
If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:
📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.
Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!
* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!
Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

