“The Great War”… “The War to End All Wars” as the politicians and warmongers put it had ended, it had been won and the evil enemy defeated, so they have presumptuously stated, everyone believed that this now would usher in at very long last…”Peace for Mankind”.
All could now live in the freedom and peace they sincerely hoped for that the 10, 000, 000 had died for, agony and tears still remained for those left behind to suffer at the loss of their loved ones, who had sacrificed their young lives to bring about this lasting peace, and the hopes of millions in this “New Age”, the twentieth century.
But the lasting effects at the end of “The Great War” with all its horror, death and destruction had left the nations of the earth at a complete loss, the war had transformed borders and completely changed the map of Europe, its foundations had been shaken to the absolute core.
The “Treaty of Versailles” was implemented in 1919, with strict limitations put on Germany regarding its army and armaments, and Woodrow Wilson the American President offered his 14 point plan, every effort was made to punish Germany for starting this conflagration of unbelievable proportions and causing so much destruction to neighbouring countries, whatever the pleadings, reasons, excuses, rights or wrongs of bringing such devastation to mankind…all agreed that Germany was responsible, and had to pay…!!!
The “League of Nations” was set up, with the universal hope that this unified body of the many nations that joined, supported, and signed the charter declared their own full backing, and could and would maintain a peaceful world and halt any further conflicts that arose.
For the nations of the earth had learned nothing at all from the terrible conflict of World War One, that had blighted mankind. The very roots of these old aggressions, selfish desires, and bitter resentments festered continually as the nations had vied for power, and would continue to do so for years to come, far beyond the Battlefields of “The Great War”.
The manipulation of the people worldwide had prevailed since 1914, like they were being led by unseen forces that controlled them, that ruled their lives an innermost feelings, desires, and greed, such was the complete breakdown of humankind.
The peace of the early 1900’s was lost forever.
The years following the First World War were filled with confusion, chaos, instability, civil unrest, anarchy and total disenchantment of the world situation. In Europe the countries that had fought in the “Great War” were in utter chaos, all the powers of authority were breaking down, they were filled with disruption, disorder, disputes, strikes, demonstrations, fighting, killing, fear, and hatred, all were prevalent on an unimaginable scale.
The dreaded “Spanish Flu” came with a vengeance killing nearly 80, 000, 000 people worldwide. The 1929 Wall Street collapse threw the world into chaos and despair. It came suddenly destroying the hopes of millions, thousands became bankrupt within hours, their fortunes lost, lives were ruined, futures destroyed, many committed suicide as their hopes and dreams of this “New Age” were lost forever. Banks closed and countries across the world were ruined and devastated. It became a time not of joy for the millions that ushered in this 20th century with enthusiasm and hopes, but complete and utter despair and hopelessness.
The nations of the earth were gripped by fear, a fear to which they would become slaves to, a fear in case another war should come and take their country, their land, and their young men again.
Such was this terrible foreboding that they began a continual build up of armaments, more so by the nations that had taken part in the “First War”.
This could only be presumed that the world had now become unsafe to live in, and that for the preservation and protection of their own country they planned to grow in military might.
During “The Great War” it had taken weeks and months to break the stalemate of trench warfare, the soldiers who had “gone over the top” were massacred in their hundreds of thousands for a few yards of ground.
Now with the strategy of aerial warfare and the lessons learnt, it became a predominant factor and a priority for many nations to progress in the field of aviation, as war cabinet officials, politicians, leaders, officials from the army, navy, and especially the air forces of many countries now searched for aircraft designers to build them more sophisticated means of controlling the air.
They all unanimously agreed that fighter aircraft and heavy-bombers would certainly take the lead role in and if there was a future conflict. They knew only too well that no battles fought on land or on the seas could possibly be won without the struggle to gain superiority in the skies. It would give a conclusive advantage over the enemy, to who ever it may be, if they could gain air supremacy first.
They also realized that it could be accomplished without great losses of infantry troops, in a far shorter time and with far more destructive power. This it was hoped would give a swift and ultimate victory over their enemies. To control this absolute power once gained in the air, the conclusion was that by continual bombing of enemy cities and industrial targets, it would eventually break the nations will and spirit to carry on fighting.
There would be no bounds or limits to the utter destructive force that that these “New Age” bombers could deliver to the desired targets, the future use of the aeroplane in aerial bombing raids would bring unimaginable devastation to whole cities, indiscriminately killing thousands upon thousands at a time in a violent orgy of aerial destruction.
Great and fantastic designs of fighter aircraft and heavy-bombers soon began to evolve, and roll off the factory production lines. Newly designed bombs of every conceivable size and cannons delivering tremendous firing power were fitted to these aircraft, all capable of delivering an unbelievable destructive force in the use aerial combat and destroying the enemy.
Men would rise from the depths, full of anger, frustration, bitterness, hatred, and grow in strength for dominance, for self-rule, for power, once again bringing the world to the edge of the abyss.
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