C) 1939 to 1945 - the Second World War

The British Army in Europe soon lost to the Germans, who quickly conquered most of continental Europe. After the evacuation of the British troops from Dunkirk in France back to England in 1940, Britain stood alone against Hitler. Germany tried to conquer Britain by first gaining air supremacy. However the Germans lost the Battle of Britain, the first battle to be fought solely in the air. Hitler then tried bombing Britain into submission, but failed that too. Further afield the British 8^th Army was on the retreat in North Africa, and Britain had lost to the Japanese in the Far East, with Singapore and Malaya falling the Japanese at the gates of India. At sea German U-Boats had sunk nearly 8 million tons of allied ships in 1942.

With the eventual American entry into the war, following Pearl Harbour, Britain gained vital reinforcements in men and supplies. The German and Japanese supply lines were at full stretch, and eventually a string of victories forced the enemy to retreat. Victory at Alamein led eventually to the Germans being driven from North Africa, and the invasion of Italy.

The planned invasion of France by the allies took place in June 1944, fighting their way out from the bridgehead beaches was a bloody affair, but eventually they did, and within a year World War II was over, and Europe lay in ruins.

d) 1945 to 2000 – modern Britain

Britain underwent enormous social change immediately after the end of World War II. The country was bankrupt. The wartime prime minister, Churchill was voted out and a new Labour government nationalised many industries, electricity, gas, water, health. Britain took a long time to recover from the cost of war.

After a last abortive fling at being a world power - the Anglo-French invasion of the Suez Canal in 1956 - Britain began to dismantle her Empire. It was this change that caused Dean Acheson, former US Secretary of State to remark "Britain has lost an Empire, but has not yet found a role”. Perhaps it was this loss of a world position that caused further changes within Britain. The Swinging Sixties brought the mini skirt and the Beetles. If Dean Acheson was worried about Britain's role, the British were not worrying; they were too busy enjoying themselves.

The Royal family became more newsworthy. The marriage of Price Charles to Diana brought some much needed glamour to the Royal family, which was stuck somewhere in the forties. The birth of two sons "the heir and the spare" was followed soon after by recriminations and divorce. Nevertheless the British monarchy remains, and remains newsworthy.

The 1980's were characterized by Mrs. Thatcher, the Iron Lady who started off so well, a strong leader full of good ideas. But, as with so many strong leaders, they came to think that she was more important than her electorate. Like the British kings and queens of old, she surrounded herself with sycophantic advisors and courtiers, and was allowed to push through a number of completely potty laws like Poll Tax,

that eventually brought about her fall from office. Democracy in action, in the past an absolute monarch could never have been democratically removed.

Britain was still in the late 1990's searching for that role - she has never been fully committed to Europe, but cannot afford to go it alone. The search for a comfortable marriage with the rest of Europe has been long, rough and unresolved. It will undoubted occupy our politicians for the next century.

However the British economy is in good shape. Constitutional changes are bound to continue - though they do not have a written constitution. The House of Lords will probably be replaced by a more democratic second chamber, the jury is out on whether they will have Prince Charles as their next king, they will probably join the European monetary system late, there will probably be more devolved power to the regions as well as the agreed changes for Scotland and Wales, the Irish question will remain unsolved.

Britain has had a glorious and interesting past. People should learn to appreciate their past and plan for an even better future. For overseas visitors Britain is a wonderful place to explore the past.

Date: 2016-01-14; view: 762