Remembrance

This coming 30th April is the 64th anniversary of the final end of A. Hitler and the subsequent conclusion of the war in Europe sixty-four years ago. It's a time for remembrance for those who died during those hellish years of between 1939 to 1945. Hitler was a megalomaniac who invaded much of Europe and the USSR in order to provide his Germany with 'living space'. It is no big surprise really, since all the other major European powers wanted their own 'living space' as well. Even today, that big 800 pound gorilla superpower is ever busily pursuing its own 'living space', what with missile shields here & there. This strange hunger for such theoretically important assets is why we have so many wars in modern history. WW2 chalked up more than 100 million dead in all the theatres of conflict with the USSR and China taking the most casualties. The war started with Japan invading China and Germany invading Poland. The ground battles in the Far East mirrored those of the SovietGerman battles between Moscow & Berlin, with huge armies clashing with each other, inflicting tremendous casualties in the process. Germany could have avoided taking the Hitler route had the Allies adopted a forgiving stance back in 1918. But the Allies demanded and got their pound of flesh and Germany suffered so greatly that Hitler and his group eventually made it to the top of the German heap. The result was the birth of the German war machine and WW2. Japan was nurtured by the West and the 'adopted son' turned into a monster with no parallels in modern history. After US Commander Perry visited Japan in 1853, the nation was able to modernise and develop along Western lines. The Europeans helped Japan to build Western-style naval bases with all the accompanying metal works and industries. The result was that Japan obtained a modern navy on par with the West. With this modern navy Japan defeated Russia and set out to occupy northern China for its own 'living space'. And the rest is history. Around 20 April 1945, isolated Soviet units reached the outskirts of Berlin. Artillery shells hammered the centre of the city and Hitler, after a stormy meeting with his commanders and realising that the war was lost, told them to do what they wished. Just ten days later after he came to know that the city would not be able to hold out for much longer, he killed himself and the Berlin Defence Force under General Weidling surrendered on 7 May. The war in Europe was over but the slaughtering in Asia went on for a few more months before it too ended in August. More than 100 million died because of the short-sightedness of the Allied countries at the Paris peace conference in 1919, the behaviour of the European powers at the beginning of the 20th century, the gulf of difference in the way the white man dealt with the Asian countries in the 19th century. Japan finished off what the European powers started and the result was a mad and mindless killing spree in East Asia that took up more than half the total casualties in WW2.

Today the past lessons of history are largely being forgotten, and countries are again indulging in forming military pacts and plotting political and military camps, expanding their 'living space' and readying for the next one. The next and final one. The long awaited Armageddon. But for now, we hold remembrance for those who suffered so much during those times. All due to the behaviour of former world colonial powers. For those countries which suffered very cruelly in WW2, it's time to swear to never let history repeat itself and to make sure that any future invader would think not twice but twenty times before trying to resurrect past history. You need the ability to outlast your potential enemy no matter how superior he might appear to be. Remember, in war, the occupier is always totally merciless. History has always taught us that. Thus, there is no excuse for any ignorance. None at all. Keeping that remembrance of those times for always and always is very important.