U.S. 8th Air Force B-17 Bombing Raid on the Focke Wulf factory in Germany, 9 October 1943.

On the eve of the First World War, the crisis of the colonial system that had been growing since the end of the 19th century led to Berlin’s understanding that the fate of overseas territories would be decided within Europe. Apart from that, the opportunity to expand the European territory of the German Empire by force of arms had also appeared. In spite of all its amassed power and allies, Germany suffered a crushing defeat.

For the entire time leading up to this new global conflict, the German nation lived with the thought of revenge. The National Socialist German Workers’ party came to power in 1933 and made this idea a key of their political program. They revived the nationalist sense of Germany’s superiority to other nations and of the need to expand its “living space”.

By attempting to court the leadership of the Third Reich in the hope of gaining various advantages, which included playing political opponents against each other, the global community placed humanity at the brink of a new war. On the 1st of September 1939, these games turned into something worse; generally accepted as the beginning of the Second World War. On that day, Poland was invaded.

A6M2 fighters on the Japanese aircraft carrier Shōkaku, before the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Refuting Heraclitus of Ephesus’ aphorism, that “No man ever steps in the same river twice…”, nations again set out on the sinister path of global war. It drew 80% of the Earth’s population from 62 states into carnage.

For six years, millions of people fought each other, seeing it not only as the right thing to do, but also as a necessity of life. The final act of the slaughter was demonstrated in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.

From that moment, it became clear to many, that the political leadership of some states would stop at nothing in trying to achieve their goals, while claiming their actions to be for the sake of its people.

On this day, it is worth remembering that the reality of modern times leads us closer and closer to the potential brink of another global conflict. The idea of achieving a world-wide government led by a single person, a dangerous ideal already tested by the events 76 years ago, is arising again in the minds of some politicians. If we are not careful, all mankind may have to pay the price for the ideas of a mere few who have learnt nothing from our past…

The War Thunder Team