Good that came out of conflict

The commemoration of the outbreak of the First World War on August 4, 1914, is under way, reminding us of events leading up to it and of the dreadful carnage that followed. This is as it should be and we should remember those, both military and civilian, who suffered so much both in that war and in the Second World War that it led to, 25 years later.
By The Newsroom
Published 23rd Mar 2014, 07:23 BST

Inevitably, many will question whether anything good came out of the enormous sacrifices made by so many millions during and between the two world wars, and it is easy to say that it was all a dreadful waste and achieved nothing.

This, however, is to fail to recognise some major achievements which came about after 1945 and should be built on in the future.

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After the First World War the desire for revenge, the creation of artificial and unsustainable new countries,isolationism in the USA and the rise of totalitarian dictatorships in and around Europe made another war inevitable, and it duly arrived in 1939.

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When peace was restored in 1945, visionaries had the good sense to help the countries that had suffered to get back on their feet, and to set up the United Nations to try to avoid conflicts spreading in the future. Fortunately, all countries, including the USA, joined the UN and, although it has not yet been totally successful, it has been a force for good ever since, particularly through its offshoots such as UNICEF, UNHCR and its peacekeepers.

At least as impressive, other visionaries persuaded countries on the most troublesome continent - Europe - to pool some of their sovereignty to form a union of democracies that would make armed conflict between them unthinkable.

Despite perpetual squabbles, disagreements and tantrums (particularly from the UK that seems to believe the whole enterprise is an anti-UK conspiracy), more and more countries have joined and the EU has achieved nearly 70 years of peace between its members, without a single detractor between them!

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Sadly, the UK electorate is the least well-briefed of all the EU electorates about how the EU works and what their MEPs do, because the media don’t report the work of the EU Parliament.

If, however, the centenary commemorations could include and recognise what has been achieved by the international co-operation fostered by the UN and EU, maybe the voters at May’s EU Parliamentary elections will see the importance of all member states, including the UK, committing themselves to the continuing evolution of the Union and will vote for those who will wholeheartedly work for this.

That is the best way of honouring the memory of those who sacrificed so much.

Geoff S. Harris, Mercia Way, Warwick.

Related topics:UNICEFEuropeUSA