"A YEAR AT WAR"

New Zealand Listener, Volume 3, Issue 62, 30 August 1940, Page 16

"A YEAR AT WAR"

NBS Review of Anniversaries

HIS war, as Mr. Churchill reminded us the other day, is a continuation of the last war, with 1918-1939 figuring as an armistice. Still, there are definite dates for the beginning of this war-or should we say resumption? It will be a year ago in a few days since the war began-the invasion of Poland by Germany on September 1, and the declaration of war by Britain and France on September 3. There will be a lot to think about in these anniversaries. The world has been plunged into one of the most profound of its tragedies, has witnessed the making of history at incredible speed, and is confronted with tremendous issues. How are these events and issues sorted out in your mind? Could you set out clearly the main events that led up to the war? What does "Munich" mean in war chronology? When did Germany make that pact with Russia which so staggered the world? And could you make a list of the main happenings in the war itself? What is the significance of these names-Athenia, Altmark, Warsaw, Oslo, Montevideo, Meuse, Dunkirk? How long was it between the beginning of the German offensive in the west and the occupation of Paris? When did Mr. Churchill become Prime Minister?

It is to remind listeners of what has happened in the past year, and to give them an idea of the sequence and perspective of events, that the NBS is broadcasting, on Monday, September 2, the eve of the British Empire’s war. anniversary, a cameo summary of the war. This will be from 2YA and will be rebroadcast by the main National stations, It will begin at 7.45 with a fifteenminute prologue covering events leading up to the war-Hitler’s rise, his policy of aggression, the brink of war in September, 1938, and the conference at Munich, Mr. Chamberlain’s "Peace with Honour" speech, the seizure of CzechoSlovakia in March of last year, and so on up to the invasion of Poland. Then, from eight to nine, there will be a summary of the war, told by reference to main events in various parts of the world, and illustrated, as far as possible, from speeches by the protagonists. These will give listeners, so to speak, a bird’s eye view (or perhaps we ought to say a flying man’s view) of the war as it has moved from act to act, from surprise to surprise, from decision to decision. Highlights in the vast drama will be recalled, such as the Battle of the River Plate, the evacuation from Dunkirk, and Mr. Churchill’s clarion calls to the peoples of the Empire.