The memory of the Second World War hangs over Europe, an inescapable and irresistible point of reference. Historical parallels are usually misleading and dangerous.
Antony BeevorRead
The great European dream was to diminish militant nationalism. We would all be happy Europeans together. But we are going to see the old monster of militant nationalism being awoken when people realise how little control their politicians have.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Militant nationalism is resurfacing due to a perceived lack of political control, challenging the idea of a united Europe.
Antony Beevor highlights the tension between the ideal of a harmonious, united Europe and the resurgence of militant nationalism, which often emerges when citizens feel disconnected from their political leaders. This quote reflects a growing concern that the ambitions of European unity may be threatened by the revived sentiments of nationalism, especially as populations become increasingly aware of their leaders' limitations in governance and control.
Themes
NationalismEuropePoliticsUnityControl
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about European cohesion, one might refer to this quote to emphasize the risks of rising nationalism.
More from Antony Beevor
All quotes →I think one of the great disasters (in military history) is the way that the Second World War has become the defining reference point for every crisis and every conflict.
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When we dwell on the enormity of the Second World War and its victims, we try to absorb all those statistics of national and ethnic tragedy. But, as a result, there is a tendency to overlook the way the war changed even the survivors' lives in ways impossible to predict.
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I'm often reassured in a bizarre - perhaps perverse - way when I find in the archive stuff that contradicts what my assumptions have been. That's interesting and exciting.
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Teaching the history of the British Empire links in with that of the world: for better and for worse, the Empire made us what we are, forming our national identity. A country that does not understand its own history is unlikely to respect that of others.
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The greatest heroes of the Normandy battlefield were the unarmed medics, whom snipers often shot at despite their Red Cross armbands.
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