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DM090820
Today marks the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe.
This war was total, and far more destructive than its predecessor, much effort was expended in avoiding it, which we later learned just made it inevitable. It claimed the lives of over 70,000,000 people and shaped the geopolitical climate of the Cold War which followed, the exigencies of which shaped the world in which we now live.
We saw for the first time the wholesale and wanton destruction of the civilian population, and the industrialisation of murder.
This war answered serious doubts on whether liberal democracy was outmoded, we face many of the same questions today.
This war finished off the Britain that was, the Empire and all that Pax Britannica meant, it lead to a decline which the UK spent the majority of the 20th Century struggling to ignore, it caused vast social change in the UK and our allies. In the US it saw a new optimism, and a vision of a new place in the world – that was struck down by their involvement in Vietnam.
We learned that, however convenient, evil must be confronted as soon as possible, because we shall be forced to confront it again, only without the convenience of time and venue.
We did not win the war, but we did prevent it from being lost, it’s often said that the war was won with British intelligence, American equipment, and Russian blood. Credit should also be given to the resistance groups within occupied Europe, although they were largely organised by the SOE, took great risks to ensure the success of our operation on the continent.
Advance Britannia.
This war was total, and far more destructive than its predecessor, much effort was expended in avoiding it, which we later learned just made it inevitable. It claimed the lives of over 70,000,000 people and shaped the geopolitical climate of the Cold War which followed, the exigencies of which shaped the world in which we now live.
We saw for the first time the wholesale and wanton destruction of the civilian population, and the industrialisation of murder.
This war answered serious doubts on whether liberal democracy was outmoded, we face many of the same questions today.
This war finished off the Britain that was, the Empire and all that Pax Britannica meant, it lead to a decline which the UK spent the majority of the 20th Century struggling to ignore, it caused vast social change in the UK and our allies. In the US it saw a new optimism, and a vision of a new place in the world – that was struck down by their involvement in Vietnam.
We learned that, however convenient, evil must be confronted as soon as possible, because we shall be forced to confront it again, only without the convenience of time and venue.
We did not win the war, but we did prevent it from being lost, it’s often said that the war was won with British intelligence, American equipment, and Russian blood. Credit should also be given to the resistance groups within occupied Europe, although they were largely organised by the SOE, took great risks to ensure the success of our operation on the continent.
Advance Britannia.
but happy VE day! Some of my neighbours were having a bbq party earlier ( I'm assuming with people in their household ) and played horrible dance tunes. Even nails on a chalk board would please my ears more than EDM ( well maybe I'm exaggerating nails on a chalk board is the worst sound of all )