WWII and Iraq | Erroll Hulse

The conflict in Iraq is different from any former war in the world.

The first difference is that a supreme dictator may be able to control weapons of mass destruction and thereby terrorise other nations.

A second difference is this war will eventually be won by technology. The conflict in Iraq is like star wars. Missiles are accurately fired from hundreds of miles distance. When we watch the news we feel like taking cover!

The following historical overview is designed to make us draw back from the folly of appeasement.

1931-1939

The casualties of the First World War were of such mammoth proportions that it is not surprising that immense revulsion to war prevailed after 1914-1918. In the First World War approximately 1,700,000 Russians were killed, 1,357,800 French, 908,370 British Empire combatants, and 126,000 Americans.

The revulsion and desire to avoid war at any cost played into the hands of Adolf Hitler. His strategy was to divide those who could hinder him and exploit those divisions to his advantage. (This is a strategy not lost on Saddam Hussein.)

Italy had the misfortune of a fascist dictator, Mussolini. In 1935 Italy occupied Ethiopia, a weak African country with only spears to defend itself. On the other side of the world, Japan was in the business of taking advantage of weak neighbours. With no nation to oppose it Japan seized Manchuria, Korea and parts of China.

The League of Nations, similar to the United Nations of our day, was divided and ineffective. There was much debate but little action. The League eventually expired. Britain and France could together have made a strong alliance. But, as at the present time, the self- interest of each caused them to be at odds with each other and therefore ineffective. Hitler capitalised on this and marched into the French Rhineland. As the French leader Pierre Laval had failed to give moral support to Britain, so at that crucial point Britain failed to support France in their loss.

A further factor that played into Hitler's hands was the opportunity to practise his war machine by supporting Franco in the Spanish civil war. Unceasingly Hitler portrayed himself as the dynamic leader of a master race. This form of idolatry provokes the wrath of God and is certain to end in judgement. Toward the end of the war there was an incident which illustrates my point. The son of an evangelical pastor described to me how he ran for his life out of a German city which was being bombed and completely burned out. The young man was hurled through the air by a mighty explosion. As he lay on the ground, terrified, and hoping desperately that he would survive, he remembered his father's prediction that Germany would pay dearly for its idolatry and for its wickedness. At that point he was converted. After the war he progressed to become an outstanding missionary in Mexico.

We return to the pre-war story. On March 11 1938, on the pretext of keeping order, German troops marched into Austria. The allies were divided and did not interfere. So great was the desire for peace at all costs that Czechoslovakia was the next offering to be sacrificed on the altar of appeasement. Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain was party to this shameful episode. He returned from a conference at Munich waving a wretched piece of paper that Hitler had signed, promising peace on condition that he could take over Czechoslovakia. In the background Winston Churchill continued to be a voice crying in the wilderness, warning Britain that the Nazi war machine was growing more formidable by the day.

On April 9 1939, Mussolini seized Albania. That was easy prey. On May 9 1939 Germany and Italy united.

The Soviet Union had territorial ambitions of its own in a non-aggression pact with Germany. This meant that three great nations with the power to withstand Hitler were nullified, the Soviet Union, Britain and France. The latter two did not enjoy unity in a time of paramount need. The short-sighted policy of non-action to block Hitler resulted ultimately in enormous losses.

As we look back we should note well that the political compromise with Hitler in the 1930s resulted in comprehensive damage for Britain, France and Russia that took 50 years to repair.

War begins

Hitler reneged on his promises of non-aggression. In September 1939 Poland was invaded and was no match for Hitler's war machine. Chamberlain having been made to look foolish, resigned. Churchill, whose warnings for so long had gone unheeded, became Prime Minister. In Britain's darkest hours he proved to be not only a saviour, but also a foremost leader in the ultimate march to victory.

Very soon Germany and England were locked in the Battle of Britain. In the meantime on land nothing could stand before the German war machine. Much of Europe was overrun by the Nazis. This of course included France.

Two events changed the war and changed world history. The first was the surprise attack on December 7 1941, by the Japanese of the American fleet anchored in Pearl Harbour. This brought the USA into the war. American resources of skill, determination, manpower and equipment ensured ultimate victory over Japan and Germany.

The second event was the ill-advised invasion of the USSR by Hitler's armies on June 22 1941. This led gradually to increasing military expertise and determined resistance by the Russians. The battle for Stalingrad was one of the greatest battles of history. This resulted in disaster for the German army which was surrounded in midwinter. Like Napoleon before him Hitler had not reckoned on the vast territorial expanse of Russia combined with the bitterness of winter.

Brilliant generals, heroic armies and superior weaponry eventually secured the final defeat of Hitler. He committed suicide in an underground cavern in Berlin in April 1945. In this land battle from the West, 2,585,000 Americans, 1,073,000 British (including British Common-wealth) and 415,000 French (joining when France was liberated), and other allies providing 67,000 soldiers, were involved.

Reflections

It is beyond human understanding that one man possessed by Satan can cause such mayhem and ruin so many lives. Think of the millions who died because of one child of Satan. Hitler had no regard for humanity. He was the instigator of the Jewish Holocaust in which six million Jews perished. Hitler had no compunction in bombing cities which led to revenge when the allies utterly destroyed German cities. Hitler also had no compassion for his own soldiers. After defeat in the battle of Stalingrad, when there was opportunity to airlift his freezing soldiers to freedom, he refused and left them there to die.

Saddam Hussein is a modern counterpart of Hitler. Like Hitler he has murdered all who dare to oppose him. It is believed that he has destroyed 400,000 of his own people with chemical weapons. Like Hitler he has made it his ambition to annihilate the Jews. He has employed Scud missiles in an effort to do so. When Saddam constructed nuclear capacity, the Israelis, without permission or agreement from anyone, wisely destroyed that base. To allow Saddam to continue his career is wrong. To remove him, as we see, is enormously difficult. That there are those willing to take the risks to remove Saddam should fill us with gratitude.

Humility and repentance

Today Britain is a postmodern, secular, permissive and immoral society which is exceedingly repugnant to God, and which can only incur his wrath. When those of other religions come to Britain we have to explain to them the difference between nominal Christianity and biblical Christianity in which believers care about holiness.

We must be very careful not to confuse righteous aims to remove a tyrant with the idea that we are better than other people. In fact we are worse because so many have known the truths of the Bible and rejected them. We must humble ourselves and repent. Every person must face this fact, 'It is appointed to man once to die and after that the Judgment'. Faith in Christ and turning from our godless ways is the only way to be ready for that certain end that comes to every one of us.