Finished volume one of Winston Churchill's memoir of The
Second World War. With five more to go, it is going to be a long but
interesting read.
While it is still early to say anything about this series,
there are already some interesting insights that can be extracted for future references:
(a) Hilter's war machine not ready during the Austria
campaign in 1938: In spite of perfect weather and road conditions the majority
of the [German] tanks broke down. Defects appeared in the motorised heavy
artillery. The road from Linz to Vienna was blocked with heavy vehicles at a
standstill. General von Reichenau, Hilter's special favourite, Commander of
Army Group IV, was deemed responsible for a breakdown which exposed the unripe
condition of the Germany army at this stage in its reconstruction. (Pg. 242)
(b) A greedy Poland: On September 30, 1938, Czechoslovakia
bowed to the decision of Munich. The dismemberment of the Czechoslovak State
proceeded in accordance with the Agreement. But the Germans were not the only
vultures upon the carcass. Immediately after the Munich Agreement on September
30 the Polish Government sent a twenty-four-hour ultimatum to the Czechs
demanding the immediate handing over of the frontier district of Teschen. There
was no means of resisting this harsh demand. (Pg. 289)
(c) Churchill's sleeping habit: I had recourse to a method
of life which had forced upon me at the Admiralty in 1914 and 1915, and which I
found greatly extended my daily capacity for work. I always went to bed at
least for one hour as early as possible in the afternoon, and exploited to the
full my happy gift of falling almost immediately into deep sleep. This routine
I observed throughout the war, and I commend it to others if and when they find
it necessary for a long spell to get the last scrap out of the human structure.
(d) Churchill's feeling after being appointed as Prime Minister: I
was conscious of a profound sense of relief. I felt as if I was walking with
destiny, and that all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour and
for this trial. Ten years in the political wilderness had freed me from
ordinary party antagonisms. My warnings over the last six years had been so
numerous, so detailed, and were now so terribly vindicated, that no one would
gainsay me. (Pg. 601)
(e) Dictators hate long war: The main military purpose and
scheme of the Dictators is to produce quick results, to avoid a prolonged war.
A prolonged war never suits dictators. A prolonged war like the Peninsular War
wears them down, and the great Russian defence, which produced no great
military victory for the Russians, broke Napoleon. (Pg. 334)
Last but not least, wisdom words from Churchill that may
still resonate with the current situation Hong Kong people is facing:
If you will not fight for the right when you can easily win
without bloodshed, if you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not
too costly, you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the
odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival. (Pg. 312)
