Some thoughts on commemorating VE Day

I find myself stuck between two extremes. Is commemorating VE Day a nationalist impulse, hand in hand with a right wing anti-Europe stance? Is not marking it an unpatriotic slur towards those involved?

I’m interested in history particularly the Second World War and whilst I understand the horrors and that my country did some ghastly things I don’t find it difficult to mark the end of the war and appreciate what my ancestors achieved and what they went thorough. On the other hand the jingoistic flavour of much of what is said about the war isn’t my cup of tea at all and seems quite at odds with the marking of the sacrifice of that generation. When I’m reflecting on the war I’m thinking not just of this country but innocent people all over the world and on both sides of the conflict who were killed, injured or went through horrific experiences.

Something that confuses me and possibly annoys me a bit is the various ways in which some try and lessen Britain’s role in the war. I try to take a balanced view of history. I know that the British were not the only people to suffer, I’m aware that some countries lost many more lives. However I am not prepared to discount the 450 thousand Brits that died and think “fuck ‘em” because Russia and the USA, two much bigger nations, provided more people and gear. They certainly did but more Brits died in the war than Americans and at a time when Britain was struggling to feed its population and take on the Nazis British sailors were risking their lives in awful conditions to supply weapons and food to Russia. I know that when we say we “stood alone” in 1940 we must also include people from all over the British Empire as well as various combatants who’d escaped Nazi occupation and volunteers from neutral countries but the fact is that in summer 1940 Britain was the only country opposing the Nazis militarily. Britain was the only country fighting the axis from day one to the end of the war and had declared war on Germany despite not being attacked itself (Russia and USA were both brought into the war by attacks on their own soil.) Had Britain surrendered in 1940, which to many seemed the most logical thing to do, how would the rest of the war gone? Think of the men and gear that would have been freed up from fighting the British in Africa and the Mediterranean and defending Germany from RAF air attack which presumably would have been sent to take part in the war against Russia. How would the USA have attacked Nazi occupied Europe without Britain as a base? It wasn’t just 1940 of course and Britain provided vital manpower and equipment throughout the war, for example building 131,549 aircraft, more than Germany and Japan and behind only the two massive nations Russia (158,220) and the USA (303,665.) The British didn’t take a back seat because American and Russia had joined in, its servicemen kept fighting and dying and it’s civilians continued suffering bombing and rationing.

Some of what was done by the allies could be argued to have been of dubious moral justification but it’s worth remembering that these actions were taken in an attempt to end the war as soon as possible and had the enemy surrendered the war would have stopped immediately, where as many of the evils perpetuated by the axis were about the extermination of whole peoples and would have been persecuted in peacetime. What is more, the allies didn’t ask for the war.

I wouldn’t criticise someone for choosing to mark the occasion, particularly given the current situation when things are quite dark and any chance for a bit of hopefulness is naturally embraced. It’s a striking coincidence that this 75th anniversary coincides with the current crisis which I think in some ways does have echoes of 1940. What’s more this will likely be the last major anniversary witnessed by survivors of the conflict. If someone doesn’t want to that’s up to them and fully justified. Let’s not use our 21st century perspective to lessen the sacrifices of the generation that lived through the Second World War, either by dismissing their achievements or glorifying war to fit our own political wishes.