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Article: 1940: Myth and Reality.
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- May 12, 1990
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1990 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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BRITAIN'S near-defeat in the spring of 1940, and the frantic improvisation that prevented it from becoming Hitler's world triumph, is a thrilling bit of history, still to be explored. Its causes are well known; the using-up of imperial assets in the previous war against Germany, and the insouciance of both political parties in the interlude between those conflicts.
The interesting part is how the country shrugged off defeat and kept on fighting when reason said the fight was lost. Hoping to shed light on that, or maybe just hoping to catch the anniversary market, Clive Ponting has trailed through the cabinet papers of the time. Finding nothing of interest there, ...