Pearl Harbor Attack, December 7, 1941 a Day to Remember.

No moment in the history of the United States casts a longer shadow than Pearl Harbor. “Remembering” it has become a national imperative, a patriotic duty for the American people, and reminding us of that duty has become a ritual of media and political discourse—repeated so often and in so many ways that it’s become part of the routine of our communal life.

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There are other days in history that have had or will have a similar effect. The world has shown us in numerous ways that we cannot insulate or inoculate ourselves from horrific events. We should expect this level of surprise or worse going forward. Any other approach would be based on fantastical, magical thinking.

 

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

On 6 and 9 August 1945, the United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasakirespectively. The bombings killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people, most of whom were civilians

We remember what they did to us but not what we did to them.

 

Don't forget: Jan. 6 was worse than Dec. 7.

 

Let’s not forget September 11, either.

 

You guys were reading my mind. We also forget that Germany declared war on us and not the other way around. Where is the atonement for that major oversight?

 

I guess we started it going in 1937 by declaring war on Germany!

 

You mean… 1917?

 

Talking about me GB Hitler. 1939 (UK)

 

Don't forget: Jan. 6 was worse than Dec. 7.

From the standpoint of the continuing attack on our Democracy, it certainly was.

 

Talking about me GB Hitler. 1939 (UK)

I guess we can add Sept. 30, 1938 and the Munich agreement. Arguably, Mr. Chamberlain was less the hero, than the fool.

 

I guess we can add Sept. 30, 1938 and the Munich agreement. Arguably, Mr. Chamberlain was less the hero, than the fool.

Fortunately the right guy took over.

 

Fortunately the right guy took over.

Churchill was the perfect match for what England was about to face ...

 

Churchill was the perfect match for what England was about to face ...

I grew up 3ml from his ancestral home, Blenheim Palace. Woodstock.
Home of the original John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough. Given the title and estate for his victories in battle.
Must run in the family!

 

Fortunately the right guy took over.

Indeed, but 1940 and the B of B was certainly touch and go.

 

Indeed, but 1940 and the B of B was certainly touch and go.

But for the Spitfire & the Hurricane!

 

But for the Spitfire & the Hurricane!

And an off course German bomber accidentally dropping his bombs on London.

But for that one mistake, Great Brittan likely would have gone down to defeat.

 

But for that one mistake, Great Brittan likely would have gone down to defeat.

Now that part of History, I don't remember.
Mind elaborating?

 

But WAS it an "Accident"?

https://www.historynet.com/no-the-london-blitz-wasnt-started-by-accident/

 

Now that part of History, I don't remember.
Mind elaborating?

While there are people that discount it -- and it may not be the case, but the evidence is hard to interpret -- it is pretty widely believed that Germany was focused on airfields and industrial targets at the time of the first bombing of London on 24 August 1940. The accident explanation is that a German bomber that was meant to target industrial areas (I believe to the west of London) made a navigational error and released his bombs over London proper, killing several people and igniting fires. The British retaliated the next night and dropped bombs on Berlin. In response, Hitler diverted a major portion of the air raids from airfields and concentrated on London (and other cities, I think), which gave the airfields the respite they needed to regroup and make serious headway against the Luftwaffe.

The non-accident folks discount this because there is plenty of evidence that Germany had intended to bomb London at some point and had certainly bombed other cities within Europe without regard for civilian casualties. At the same time, the bombing of London on the 24th was very light, consistent with one bomber and perhaps a few others that were guiding on it (this was very common on both sides when conducting area bombing runs -- the lead bomber was responsible for navigation and the bombers in that flight flew formation on the lead and simply dropped their bombs when the lead aircraft dropped theirs). So the real question is whether the 24 Aug raid was intentional as a means of gauging the British reaction to city bombardment, or whether it was an accident that resulted in the Germans advancing the time table for their planned bombing of London by a few months. But I don't think there are many people that don't acknowledge that, had Germany continued to maintain its focus on the airfields, the RAF would have likely been rendered ineffective in as few as a few more weeks time.

I think the waters are probably pretty muddled with no really clear cut evidence either way. Most of the available evidence, such as the diaries of Joseph Goebbels, can plausibly be interpreted by either side of the debate, because both sides have to read between the lines to come to their "obvious" conclusions.