A blinkered view of WWII

I recall that, when I was still living in Ireland, I received a call today from a volunteer working for one of my local TDs (members of parliament). It was 2007; the second Gulf war was in full flight, and Ireland (controversially) was allowing Shannon Airport to be used as a stopover for US military planes going to the Gulf. I took the opportunity, therefore, to ask the volunteer about the TD's stance on the use of Shannon for stopovers of US military flights to Iraq.

 

His response was that he did not know the TD's views on this issue but that, for his part, he supported the use of Shannon for this purpose. America was trying to bring peace to the Middle East and, furthermore, we owed them a debt for their intervention in the Second World War.

In contrast to that time, very few people are willing to put their head above the parapet now and assert that the invasion of Iraq was a good idea, so there is no need to pursue that "canard" any further. However, the second assertion by the caller is potentially a much more pernicious one and one that is still widely believed. Shortly before that call, a successful Irish busniessman being interviewed on Irish radio spoke of his high regard for America, asserting that they had "saved us in two world wars" (of course, the said busnessman had strong business interest in America, which my have subconsciously encouraged him to see things this way). More importantly, many commentators have cited Tony Blair's belief that Britain and Europe owed America a debt as motivating his unquestioning support for the United States after 9/11 and through the Gulf War. If that is  the case, then it is typical of the shallow-minded priggishness of the man that he can be swayed by such a gross over-simplification.

 

We owe America a debt for many reasons and the last thing I wish to do is to say anything that might seem like a debunking of their contribution to our culture and civilisation. Morevoer, nobody questions the fact that young American men showed extroardinary courage - and endured terrible suffering - on Omaha Beach, in the Ardennes, at Midway, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima and elsewhere.  However, when their contribution to World War Two is sentimentalised for the sake of questionable propaganda, this only serves to cheapen their real achievements and insult others whose contribution was as great or greater. Conseqently, here are a few facts that put America's real contribution into a wider perspective.

 

1. America did not intervene initially in World War Two of its own initiative. While Roosevelt was certainly sypathetic to the Allied cause - for the highest of motives - there was insufficient support nationally for a unilateral intervention. Ultimately, America was forced into the war - firstly by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour and subsequent declaration of war and secondly by Hitler's declaration of war on it (perhaps the worst mistake he ever made).

 

2. The Germans themselves acknowledge that they lost the war on the Eastern front in a campaign that cost over 20  million Russian lives, mostly civilian. Just to put this in perspective, the Russian casualties at the battle of Moscow - by no means the bloodiest battle of the campaign - were more than the total American and British losses for the entire war. 

 

3. America derived huge economic profit from the war, while virtually all the other protagonists finished worse off.

 

4. The American Civil War - in which the citizens of that country fought one another - remains by far the bloodiest conflict in American history, World War Two and Viet Nam not excepted.

 

I repeat that we still have reason to be grateful for America's intervention. Apart from their contribution of combat forces, their material aid to the Russians was crucial. Both then and after the war, while it could be argued that they acted out of self interest, it was enlightened self interest - which is more than can be said for the present administration. But to suspend criticism of their current policies on the basis of a simplistic and - quite frankly - dewy-eyed perception of their role in World War Two is just intellectual laziness.