Repeating History?

I wonder sometimes at the irony of history. Yesterday marked the 75th anniversary of the Nazi invasion of Poland. It began with the bombardment of key installations in Gdansk (Danzig as it was then known) by the pre-dreadnought battleship KS Schleswig-Holstein, actually berthed in Gdansk on the grounds of 'protecting' the German 'minority' living there. Her 12 inch main armament did enormous damage, and her secondary 5.9 inch guns did even more, while in a co-ordinated thrust the army overran border posts and stormed into Pomerania and Poland's western provinces.

My local newspaper yesterday published photographic representations of the front page headlines of several newspapers published that day, and ran editorials pointing out how the propaganda of the period had mislead everyone. Thus, the irony. Reading some of the opening statements beneath those headlines (my abilities with the Sütterlin-style script make it a challenge!), one could be reading the pronouncements currently being made by Mr Putin concerning the 'obligation and need to protect Russian minorities' in former vassal states of the USSR. One could be excused for thinking they were written by the same speech writer.

History has a nasty habit of repeating itself, though not necessarily in the same places, or with the same outcomes. There is almost a feeling of 'here we go again' as western governments desperately try to ignore the rearmament that has been going on in Russia since Putin first came to power, and the naked aggression he has shown in 'reclaiming' parts of the so recently freed countries. Georgia was a trial run, the Crimea showed him just how toothless we have become. Now he's after the eastern half of Ukraine - with almost all the industrial development and the oil, gas and minerals. His air force makes an almost daily habit of entering Finnish airspace, and there are indications he's got his eyes on 're-absorbing' the Baltic States.

All of it using the same excuse used by Hitler in 1939 - to 'protect' the interests of his 'people' living as a minority in a 'hostile' country. The fact that his 'people' are being stirred up by his own agents to provoke a response, and that many of the 'leaders' of their 'popular resistance' movements are officers from the Russian Army is, of course, never mentioned.

That forces me to wonder; if the Ukraine/Crimea is to be Putins 'Südetenland', what will be our 'Poland' trigger to respond? What will be the likely outcome? Mr Putin has already openly warned that he will not back down, and that he will use his nuclear arsenal. Have we the guts to call his bluff? Or will the 'better Red than Dead' mindset hold sway and lead us into a spineless surrender?

Not a pleasant thought at this time of tension ...

Hiroshima 69 years on ...

Today marks the 69th anniversary of the dropping of the first Atomic Bomb, the 5,000kg (roughly 11,000lbs) 'Little Boy' bomb. It contained about 64kg (140lbs) of Uranium and detonated about 600 metres (1800 feet) above the centre of the city. Estimates vary, but about 80,000 people died in the initial flash, and a further 20,000 of radiation and injuries in the ensuing three years. Since then about 1,900 people have died of ailments that may be related to the effects of radiation. Today, Hiroshima is a thriving city, completely rebuilt on the original site (the city dates back to the 14th Century) and is deemed to be free of radiation.

At the time the bomb was dropped, the city had a population of about 420,000 people and almost all of them suffered some form of injury or exposure to radiation. Post war studies showed, however, that the majority recovered fairly rapidly with treatment. The rebuilt city is now home to around 1.3 million people, with the total for the metropolitan area being around 2.2 million. There are a number of monuments to the bombing, among them the iconic Commercial Museum building shell near the city centre. This is the building seen in so many post bomb photos - the only standing structure in a sea of debris.

The contamination of the area was fairly low, largely because, being an 'airburst' most of the contaminants were carried into the stratosphere by the thermal column and mushroom cloud. Only about 2kg of the Uranium actually 'reacted' in fission, the rest being 'vapourised' in the process. It is a little mentioned fact that many of the survivors lived to great age, despite their experience and exposure. That said, theirs is an experience no one should have to undergo again.

As we mark this anniversary, let us pray for peace in the world.