Wednesday 30 March 2016

Britain needed many allies to win two World Wars

•  My response to a 'Brexit' poster suggesting Britain won the Second World War singled-handed

A 'Willy Wonka' poster promoting Brexit is doing the rounds suggesting that Britain won the two World Wars single-handed.

The 'meme' poster* states: 
‘So your [sic] telling me a country that won two world wars wouldn't survive on its own outside the EU’
Of course, Britain didn't win alone. We needed allies. 

And we almost didn't win. Without the support of our Empire (which was then our 'Single Market'), the assistance of the USA and the USSR and other Allies – including some of our African colonies; Australia, Canada and New Zealand - we wouldn't have won the Second World War.

It's also often forgotten that we couldn't have won the Battle of Britain in 1940 without the brave Polish pilots who formed the 303 Polish Fighter Squadron of the RAF - by far the most successful squadron of the battle.

And in addition to Poland, let’s not forget our other European Allies in the Second World War who fought with us against the Nazi regime - France, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Netherlands, Norway.

What's particularly scary is that we only just won that war in Europe... despite all the might of our Allies fighting together against one rogue regime that had been allowed to grow into a Fascist super state. That's a lesson to be learnt for today...

The European Union – starting out as the The European Coal and Steel Community in 1951 – was established in direct response to the war and for one reason alone: to achieve lasting peace on our continent.

A Union of European countries was not new. After all, we previously had the Roman Empire, with its first pan-European currency and enjoying free movement of people and goods across our continent.

During the Second World War, Britain’s war leader, Winston Churchill, conceived of the idea of joining Britain and France as a Union of one country.

In June 1940 Churchill announced the ‘Declaration of Union’ between Great Britain and France. With the full backing of his Cabinet, Churchill stated:
‘The two governments declare that France and Great Britain shall no longer be two nations, but one Franco-British Union… Every citizen of France will enjoy immediately citizenship of Great Britain; every British subject will become a citizen of France.’
• Proposed Anglo-French stamp
An Anglo-French stamp was even designed to commemorate the proposed Anglo-Franco union, but the Nazi invasion of France scuppered those plans. 

The proposals did demonstrate, however, that Churchill was in favour of political union between European countries.


Churchill also considered the idea of ‘free movement of people’ even before the Second World War was over.

After the first British victory of the Second World War at El Alamein, Churchill wrote to his foreign secretary, Anthony Eden, on 21 October 1942:
‘Hard as it is to say now.. I look forward to a United States of Europe, in which the barriers between the nations will be greatly minimised and unrestricted travel will be possible.’
Although UKIP and ‘Leave’ campaigners seem to have a nostalgic belief in Britain ‘going it alone’, that’s never been the case. Britain has always needed allies to be Great. 

That’s why I am voting for Britain to remain a part of the European Union, and not apart from it. That way, we can continue to work together with our allies across Europe to ensure the prosperity and safety of our continent.  


• Poster promoting Brexit
* In response to the Willy Wonker poster (pictured right), I produced my own Willy Wonker poster (pictured top): 

‘So you’re telling me Britain won the war.. without the USA, the USSR and over 20 other countries who fought with us? Britain is Greater with allies. Vote to Remain in the EU.




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Other articles by Jon Danzig:

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Readers comments are very welcome, including opinions that oppose mine. Comments need to be on-topic and personal attacks will not be allowed. To read more about the style of debating that I encourage on all my blogs, please read my article: 'Debate, don't hate'

• Join and share the discussions about this article on Facebook and Twitter:

→ Britain is Greater with allies – please share BRITAIN NEEDED MANY ALLIES TO WIN TWO WORLD WARS A 'Willy Wonka'...
Posted by Jon Danzig on Monday, 28 March 2016


• Excerpt from Jon Danzig's talk - 'Churchill's antidote to war' (4 minutes):



→ Which poster is correct? - please share BRITAIN NEEDED MANY ALLIES TO WIN TWO WORLD WARS My article is now published on my blog - please share: allies.eyesears.com
Posted by Jon Danzig on Wednesday, 30 March 2016

5 comments:

  1. I've just received a comment but from someone who posted anonymously. However, I now only accept comments from readers who post under their real names.

    The comment was quite funny though; a reader complaining that my article here 'slandered our forefathers' because Britain joined Nato on our own, we joined the UN Security Council on our own and we repelled the German WWII invasion on our own (with the help of a relative handful of foreign-born militia)'

    This is all of course laughable. After all, we also joined the EU on our own (and nobody forced us to join, it was voluntary).

    And to describe the USA, the USSR and over 20 other Allies as a 'handful of foreign-born militia' is somewhat delusional.

    So Mr or Ms Anonymous, whether you're serious or having a laugh, if you want to post a comment here, you will need to have the courage and courtesy to provide your verifiable name and details.

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  2. There's an orthography error in the Brexit poster. Just on that principle alone, your poster wins, apart from all the other reasons.

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  3. So you invite people to your page to debate the eu and then you don't allow the comments that don't match your views? Hmm.

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    1. That's an accusation without foundation. There are hundreds of comments on my blog here that don't agree with my point of view, and they have all been welcome. I have 'rules of engagement', that primarily follow good old fashioned British rules of debating, which don't allow personal attacks or abuse.

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  4. Oh god are you being paid by the yanks to write this crap? England can hold its own just like I can with my own penis! Speak to the guys who were actually on the front fighting the war. Perhaps they might just say we were winning but eventually others gave support and we all won as a team. Why do yanks have to always state they won the bloody war! I am 40 myself and believe its what is known as a team effort, no one is the clear winner as they all helped to end the war. Everyones a winner as they say! But Brexit or not I believe countries will remain loyal otherwise when China next strikes whos aid will the world look to? Let me guess the Brits! But thats my opinion. I respect yours so respect mine as well!

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