War

Being born at the beginning of the Second World War I grew up with air raids, bombs dropping around where I lived, black outs to stop the electric lights showing outside the house, food rationing, and parents who tried to keep me safe, but were scared with what might happen to us as a family.

Of course, I was very young so can’t remember all that much about it, but I have discovered when I go to War Museums and hear an air raid siren, I have to run away from the sound.  I start to cry.  I would imagine other people who grew up in any war would have the same problem.

I am mentioning this so people who have never lived through a war can understand the effect sounds, and adult fear can have on children.  My brother was older than me by 5 years, but like many other children in London he had to be moved to a country area where he was away from the bombings.  It was a frightening time and I can feel for those children now experiencing what I went through as a small child.

That is the problem with war.  It is not the people who start the war that experience the bombing and the devastation of buildings and lives.  The people in charge who started the war seem to still have a good life.  Food is no problem for them, and they can sleep easily at night without fear. 

This is where I ask the reason why?  What gives these people the right to attack another country and city?  What are they trying to prove?  What will they gain?

Under International Law nations, or countries are given the title States.  This can be confusing when you live in a country that is divided by the same word, as is the case in America, and Australia, but as State classifies a Nation such as Poland, Spain, China, India, it is necessary for me to speak of each Nation as a State. 

I am not going to mentions names of States, but for a war to start, there is always a perpetrator a person or State that attacks.  They are not attacking for fun, they want something.  The problem is, one is never really sure what that person or State is trying to gain.  One can understand when a State at the beginning of a river builds a dam which stops the flow of the river down the stream to other countries.  If my country ran out of water due to that, I would attack the State that did that to me.  But if the State is only attacking my country because it wants my land for what it grows or is in the ground, then I would fight back.

The State that generally wins the war is the one with the most money.  But to take over another country you have to have an army.  Threatening and bombing a place doesn’t have the power that people taking over and living in the area does.  So, if the attacking State loses all its man power, it cannot take over the wanted area.

At the end of the First and Second World Wars, it was the man power of the United States and Russia that took back the areas Germany had over run.  The European numbers had dwindled and more manpower was needed.  They came in droves provided by America and from the Russian front.  As a combined force it was too much for the German forces and eventually the Germans had nowhere to go. 

At the end of the Second World War, I understand the German forces were quite happy at times to give in.  Like everyone they were tired of the fighting.  And that is the stupidity of war.  Where does it get the State that invaded?  In the long run, nowhere. 

Go back to the Romans that attacked and took over Spain, France and England.  The Romans eventually left those countries, and Spain, France and England adopted some of the Roman ideas, but ended up still being Spain, France and England.  It happened with the Vikings, with Korea, with Vietnam and with the European States when Germany twice invaded in the first half of the twentieth century.

During my lifetime, there has been a World War, many revolutions, wars of independence and Internal wars where other States have tried to help.  But has it benefited either side?  Several years later we can see it didn’t. 

This brings us to the big question.  Why did the original State attack in the first place?  Well, if it is to regain what was originally theirs, then that is logical and necessary, but if it is due to greed then it all boils down to a waste of time.  Why?  Because the invaded State, won’t take it laying down.  It will fight back, and if necessary, make it a guerilla war.  In the long run, no one wins. 

Hopefully, very soon, those States that attack others and think they can win, will realise it is a useless desire.  Wars kill people, ruin cities and terrify children, who then live with problems.  Let’s call it a truce and give wars away.  No one wins in the end.

Julie Finch-Scally ©