Retrospect

Abstract

Historians are forced to seize upon particular events in order to divide their ‘periods’ from each other. Some of these events represent real turning-points in human affairs; but the majority are no more than convenient ‘markers’. The two events which have been chosen to signal the beginning and the end of this narrative are of the second kind. The seizure of Prague in March 1939 marked the formal demise of ‘Appeasement’; but Appeasement had been in poor and rapidly declining health for several months. The formation of Winston Churchill’s Government in May 1940 is also to a large extent an artificial ‘marker’. The shift of power from Chamberlain to Churchill had been gradual and continuous for eight months already; and Chamberlain remained an important member of the Government for nearly five months more, until he was almost on the edge of the grave. The incomers to the Government from other Parties did not give the new Administration a significantly more robust appearance than its predecessor; although they undeniably conferred political stability. The change of character in the war itself is more significant, although in a sense even this was a mere continuation of the ‘hotting-up’ process which had been developing for many weeks.

ἀμυνώ δ’, öσονπερ δυνατóς εἰμɩ, τῳ νóμῳ, τò θηρίώδες τούτο kαì μɩαɩɸóνον παύων, ô kαì γήν kαì πóλεi ς őλλυσ’ ἀεί.

‘So long as I am able, I resist by the law that beastly and murderous thing which destroys both the land and cities.’ Euripides, Orestes 523–5