Hitchens minor is on one:
Rewind the film a little. Imagine we had been hard realists instead of sentimental romantics. If we had found a way, as we so very nearly did, to divide Hitler and Mussolini, so avoiding a threat to our Mediterranean sea-routes and bases. Imagine that we had chosen splendid isolation instead of active intervention over the quarrels of Eastern and Central Europe.
Well, in the interests of counterfactualism, here are a few Peter Hitchens opinion features from the early to mid 1940s, from a Britain in splendid isolation.
The usual suspects are up in arms about the request of the Reich plenipotentiary for Atlantic Affairs for Britain to transfer its Jewish population for labour service in Europe. Many may feel that Herr Hitler’s animosity to the Jews has more than an element of the irrational to it. But it should also be pointed out that Jewish agitation is responsible for much of the hostility felt in the United States towards the reorganisation of continental Europe under German leadership. In Britain, Jews have unwisely decided to play a leading role in campaigning against our peace treaty with the Reich, and so share responsibility for this current crisis….
The call from the Reich Pleniponentiary for Atlantic Affairs for the formation of a volunteer British legion to defend Europe against communism has caused some controversy. It is entirely predictable that left wingers should rush to the defence of the evil Bolshevik regime in Russia, since they wish to impose a similar dictatorship on this country. Those of us who value our independence as a nation and the preservation of our Empire should pay them no heed. There are obviously great differences between the political systems of Britain and continental Europe. There have been obvious and well documented excesses under National Socialist rule, though these are often exaggerated by partisans of the red cause. But on the issue of opposition to communism we must be united, as must all free peoples. Germany stands in the front line in the struggle against the red tide, and has taken that struggle to the enemy. We owe Germany our support.
We sought an honourable peace with Germany to preserve British interests. So it is understandable that many have reacted with alarm to the call by the Reich Plenipotentiary for Atlantic affairs for us to co-operate with Japan, Germany’s ally, in the administration of our Far Eastern Empire. Yet we must face reality. The fact is that many of our industrial resources are now fully dedicated to the joint European struggle against communism. Over 100,000 of our troops are now fighting Stalin’s hordes. We simply cannot afford, under these circumstances, to maintain single handedly a vast, far flung Empire. Japanese support is timely. It should be welcomed.
(update: couldn’t resist this) Following the tragic loss of the British legion heroically defending freedom against communist barbarism at Stalingrad, the Reich Plenipotentiary for Atlantic Affairs has announced that future volunteers will no longer fight in national contingents but as detachments of a common European army, in the uniforms of the Waffen divisions of the Wehrmacht. I realise that this sits badly with those of us proud of Britain’s great military traditions, established in British uniforms under the Union flag. But the fact remains that our freedom as a nation depends on our victory in a common struggle. It makes sense for us to fight as part of a common army under unified command. We are engaged in a total war, and as Mr Goebbels recently said, a total war is a shorter war. The Reich Plenipotentiary has additionally assured us that British volunteers will still fight with their fellow countrymen, that their identity will be made clear on their uniforms, and that the families of volunteers will still be entitled to extra rations.
Many and complex bonds of culture, language and history bind Britain and the United States together. In an earlier time, Rudyard Kipling called upon Americans to take up the white man’s burden. But that was in another day. Under the influence of left wing demagogues, President Roosevelt has demonstrated nothing but reflexive hostility to Germany and Japan, our European and Asian partners. He opposes the very existence of British colonies. He has made common cause with the tyrant Stalin. In the pacific, Anglo-Japanese forces face increasingly aggressive attempts by the United States to encroach on our joint sphere of influence. Australia has already been lost. So we must not be surprised that the Reich Plenipotentiary for Atlantic Affairs has called for Britain to be incorporated into the Westwall system for common European defence. Sadly, we must face the facts. The United States is our enemy. We must not let ties of sentiment prevent us from defending ourselves against it in partnership with our German and Japanese allies.
And so on, ad idiotum.
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