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If you're going to criticise some for historical innaccuracy...
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
...try to get the facts right yourself
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-10719739
"1940 was our finest hour," he said. "Millions of Britons stood up and gave their lives to defeat fascism.
"We were not a junior partner. We stood alone against the Nazis. How can a British prime minister who bangs on about British history get that so wrong?"
British World War Two deaths were approx 300,000 (or between 360 and 390 according to some other sources) military dead and just under 70,000 civilian (Merchant Navy included under military)
And we didn't stand alone - even ignoring contributions from the Free French, Free Polish, Free Czech and voluneteers from the US and Southern Ireland (and other places) . And even if you don't include India, Ceylon etc (and you should) you need to include independent countries such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-10719739
"1940 was our finest hour," he said. "Millions of Britons stood up and gave their lives to defeat fascism.
"We were not a junior partner. We stood alone against the Nazis. How can a British prime minister who bangs on about British history get that so wrong?"
British World War Two deaths were approx 300,000 (or between 360 and 390 according to some other sources) military dead and just under 70,000 civilian (Merchant Navy included under military)
And we didn't stand alone - even ignoring contributions from the Free French, Free Polish, Free Czech and voluneteers from the US and Southern Ireland (and other places) . And even if you don't include India, Ceylon etc (and you should) you need to include independent countries such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
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Certainly we were not the junior partner in 1940 (though I suspect that was a slip of the tongue as much as anything) but neither did we stand alone.
It's bad enough that the Yanks talk about how they won the war, but to neglect the fact that it was the empire/commonwealth plus other allies that helped us get through the whole six years is equally as arrogant.
It's also rather neglectful to forget the Japanese element of the war. Sure, for us, that didn't start until after the German aspects but perhaps we should ask the Koreans and Chinese about standing alone too?
In the states it's generally referred to as the Allied Victory not our victory.
Canada had troops in Normandy on D-Day. The Free French liberated Paris. The Soviets were largely alone on the Eastern Front. The USA was by far the mainstay in the Pacific War (even though the ANZACs supplied troops). Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Midway, Guadalcanal, were largely US efforts. In North Africa, the UK used a lot of Commonwealth troops, and troops from the then colonies such as India.
Cameron needs to study history, so much for being well educated lol.
Miliband saw an opportunity for a political punch that would make the headlines and he took it. The fact he not only implied our PM was dishonouring the memory of our veterans but also gave it a bit of political hyperbole to make a mountain out of a molehill is just his job.
Integrity? In our politics? That would be the day.
True, but he can't complain about people picking him up on it.