The other day, some of us were wondering why the UK keeps getting meddled with Bin Laden, Taliban, Saddam, Hezbollah and other terrorists when they have never directly caused any harm to them. (It is to be noted that the London Underground bombings of 2005 were probably the first acts of terrorism in the UK – and they followed UK’s participation in the War against Terror!).
Clearly, it is the World War II – the mistakes and the triumphs during those days that fuel the current policies of the UK. The US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told the US Marines in California after 9/11 that there were direct parallels between America’s relative diplomatic isolation over the projected war against Iraq and Churchill’s lonely stand against the appeasement of Germany in the 1930s. The consequences of ignoring Hitler were very gruesome for Britain when it remained the only country in Europe to survive Hitler’s forces. The possibility re-occurrence of events of the 40’s is probably the reason why the UK insists on supporting the US against the terrorists even if it is not directly related to the issue!
Had the Nazis won the II World War, I would have been in Berlin rather than in London – as English would probably have been abolished in India long before I was born, irrespective of whether or not we (Indians) had overthrown imperialist government immediately after the War. Interestingly, Britain which had colonies across the world at the time of the War would itself have become a colony of Nazi Germany had the outcome of the War been different! That also probably explains why the public sentiment in Britain went against maintaining colonies in the post-War period. Clearly, at the expense of maintaining colonies outside Britain – the Queen would have lost her own country, had Hitler succeeded.
Clearly, it is the World War II – the mistakes and the triumphs during those days that fuel the current policies of the UK. The US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told the US Marines in California after 9/11 that there were direct parallels between America’s relative diplomatic isolation over the projected war against Iraq and Churchill’s lonely stand against the appeasement of Germany in the 1930s. The consequences of ignoring Hitler were very gruesome for Britain when it remained the only country in Europe to survive Hitler’s forces. The possibility re-occurrence of events of the 40’s is probably the reason why the UK insists on supporting the US against the terrorists even if it is not directly related to the issue!
Had the Nazis won the II World War, I would have been in Berlin rather than in London – as English would probably have been abolished in India long before I was born, irrespective of whether or not we (Indians) had overthrown imperialist government immediately after the War. Interestingly, Britain which had colonies across the world at the time of the War would itself have become a colony of Nazi Germany had the outcome of the War been different! That also probably explains why the public sentiment in Britain went against maintaining colonies in the post-War period. Clearly, at the expense of maintaining colonies outside Britain – the Queen would have lost her own country, had Hitler succeeded.
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