Bunkers

Fotos interessantes de bunkers:

http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/galleries/the_frightening_beauty_of_bunkers/07tfbob.php

Chamem o Keynes!

Sobre a necessidade de conduzir a economia de guerra, Churchill instrui o Lord President of the Council:

While the Import and Production Executives necessarily are concerned with the pratical handling of the business committed to them, it is essential that the larger issues of economic policy should be dealt with by your committee, and primarily by you. This is in accordance with the drift of well-informed public opinion. You should summon economists like Keynes to give their views to you personally. [...]

 Churchill, Winston. The grand alliance. Página 102.

Measureless peril

Entre os trabalhos de administrar o Reino Unido durante a guerra, ou conduzir operações militares, Churchill deixa clara a sua preferência em 1941.

[...] Indeed, it was to me almost a relief to turn from these deadly under-tides to the ill-starred but spirited enterprises in the military sphere. How willingly would I have expected a full-scale attempt at invasion for this shapeless, measureless peril, expressed in charts, curves, and statistics!

Churchill, Winston. The grand alliance. Página 101.

Grécia

Em março de 1941, um momento de difícil decisão chegou: ajudar ou não a Grécia, frente a uma possível e cada vez mais próxima invasão italiana ou alemã? Apesar da Inglaterra ter ajudado a Grécia antes, e mesmo ter assumido um compromisso com a Grécia, a situação estava se deteriorando com a indecisão da Turquia e o desenrolar deste teatro. Pesando tudo isso, em 6 de março de 1941, Churchill escreve ao Mr. Eden - que se encontrava em missão especial no Egito e região -, transmitindo a sua opinião, que no momento, era negativa. Sobre isto, escreve:

After reflecting alone at Chequers on the Sunday night upon the Chiefs of Staff paper and the trend of discussion in the War Cabinet that morning I sent the following message to Mr. Eden, who had now left Athens for Cairo. This certainly struck a different note on my part. But I take full responsibility for the eventual decision, because I am sure I could have stopped it all if I had been convinced. Its so much easier to stop than to do.

Churchill, Winston, The grand alliance. Página 90.

Hess e Stalin

A repentina chegada de Rudolph Hess na Escócia causou grandes desconfianças na Rússia, fazendo-os indagar sobre a possibilidade de um pacto entre a Inglaterra e a Alemanha para invadir a Rússia. Abaixo, Churchill descreve uma conversa que teve com Stalin, três anos depois da chegada de Hess.

Considering how closely Hess was knit to Hitler, it is surprising that he did not know of, or that if he knew he did not disclose, the impeding attack on Russia, for which such vast preparations were being made. The Soviet Government were deeply intrigued by the Hess episode, and they wove many distorted theories around it. Three years late when I was in Moscow on my second visit I realised the fascination which this topic had for Stalin. He asked me at the dinner table what was the truth about the Hess mission. I said shortly what I have written here. I had the feeling that he believed there had been some deep negotiation or plot for Germany and Britain to act together in the invasion of Russia which had miscarried. Remembering what a wise man he is, I was surprised to find him silly in this point. When the interpreter made it plain that he did not believe what I said, I replied through my interpreter, "When I make a statement of facts within my knowledge I expected it to be accepted." Stalin receveid this somewhat abrupt responde with a genial grin. "There are lots of things that happen even here in Russia which our Secret Service do not necessarily tell me about." I let it go at that.

Churchill, Winston. The grand alliance. Página 49.

Education for death

Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat

Sobre o relacionamento de Churchill com Theodore Roosevelt, e o sentimento de Harry Hopkins, um  "close confident and personal agent of the president":

He therefore in some ways bore out the poet Gray's line, "A favourite has no friend".

Churchill, Winston. The grand alliance. Página 21.

Texto completo do poema aqui.

Galeria Life

Não querendo ser repetitivo, mas achei outras galerias fantásticas no site da Life. Coloco-as abaixo:

Dogs of war

Uma galeria bem interessante da Time:



A minha preferida é essa:



E para não esquecer: