The Blast of War: A Narrative History of the Third World War by Adam Yoshida

Author:Adam Yoshida [Yoshida, Adam]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Yoshida Media Company
Published: 2011-10-16T00:00:00+00:00

"The situation that now prevails in Europe and the Near East is the most dangerous in the lifetimes of anyone present today," Terrance McDowell told the House of Commons on the 4th of January, "most of us learned in school about a terrible phenomenon first observed in the Second World War - first in this country and then in other places such as Hamburg, Dresden, and Tokyo. This phenomenon, the firestorm, occurs when multiple conflagrations combine to form a single and overwhelming mechanism of destruction. What we are seeing today, Mr. Speaker, in the Balkans, in the Middle East and, yes, in Europe itself is the threat of just such a conflagration. It may well be, as the Right Honourable Gentleman from Witney has stated, that worst of this has passed us by. But, Mr. Speaker, in my judgement, this is not a secure basis upon which we may plan for the future."

"We must make quickly plans for the defense of the realm. We must ensure that our islands are in readiness to resist all attempts at coercion. And, Mr. Speaker, we must have a leadership that will fiercely assert the independence of this nation."

The Prime Minister was the next to speak. He had regained some, though not all, of his support within his own party by pulling a "U-Turn" on the question of the European Union during the early days of winter. At his instructions, the British representative in Brussels had blisteringly attacked the European intervention in Greece and, per the resolution of the House, all British payments to Brussels were being withheld. Yet, still, he hesitated to make the final break.

"Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the honorable gentleman for his thoughtful remarks. None of us can fail to be aware of the tragic events which have overtaken the European project, once so promising. And, of course, we are all aware of the lamentable tensions in the Middle East. Whoever's actions may have precipitated the current crisis there," he paused to wait out catcalls from the members, "I think that we can all agree that the avoidance of all-out war in the Middle East is not only in British interests but, indeed, in those of the human race. That is why it remains the policy of this government to maintain a sober distance from events... "

The Prime Minister was now struggling to make himself heard over the commotion of the chamber even as the Speaker called for order.

"...that we may indeed prudently defend both British interests while safeguarding those of the humanity as a whole."

Meeting secretly in Strasbourg, the German Chancellor and the French President could only view developments in London with alarm. Upon the outcome of the European crisis now rested not only the fate of their own political careers but of the seven-decade European project. As they saw things, they had little choice but to play out the hands that they had been dealt - hands which had already compelled them to go all-in before the river.

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