Sure to be an exceptional discussion. This is a special gathering where we will learn about and if you will rightly celebrate the publishing of a unique book. A look at a closes event from a fresh perspective an opportunity to yet learn something new and profound about the Second World War. Or as Victor Davis Hanson has titled his acclaimed best selling history published by basic books the Second World Wars. How the first global conflict was fought and won. Im jack, a trustee i didnt know they were serving alcohol this early. [laughter] but thank you. And a trustee of National Review sthiewt. And i do this welcoming on behalf of my fellow trustees some here today chairman peter rich lowery i may be downtown. I could be wrong or we have some of our board here, and the president of the institute lindsay craig. National review . Iewfts founded in 1991 by william f. Buckley jr. It is a journalistic think tank published to advance the conservative principles Bill Champion to review magazine by promoting and a supporting its best talent. At the last National ReviewBoard Meeting in october 2006, bill buckley order period literally the directors to make the fight against islamic terrorism a Central Mission of the overall National Review enterprise. The institute took bills from directive and formed the center for the defense of western civilization. Which is the home if you will for two nri fellows one being Andrew Mccarthy and the other the man were assembled today to here Victor Davis Hanson. Please visit nr institute. Org to learn more about this center, and all of the institutes programs. It is an honor to call Victor Davis Hanson a friend and rich lowery too so as to the former this son of california is a raisin and almond farmer the author a of dozens of acclaim books, the martin and nearly angd e son senior fellow in residents in class eggs and military history, at the hoover . Iewlings at stanford, university, a nationally syndicated columnist, and author of a weekly column for National Review online. Professor hanson is also the wayne and distinguished fellow in history at Hillsdale College and among other honors, he was awarded the National Humanity medal in 2007, the bradley proiz in 2008, the eric award this 2002 and buckley prize in 2015. We will proceed as follows to give a talk about 15 to 20 minutes hanson to provide an overview of some key themes of the Second World Wars. Then, he will be joined by my other friend rich lowery editor in chief of National Review. And a claimed author in his own right i recommend all should read his lincoln u unbound and despite his youthful appearance, the man now celebrating his 25th year at National Review. And please do cheer that. [applause] you know, rich when he first came to National Review worked for me believe it or not in the fact that he survived that is, thats a quite a miracle. Anyway, rich will join victor for some informed q and a about the book. And while rich and victor engage we will collect question cards from the audience and rich and deliver few to further tuck a talk with one of the great historian of our time in his review of the Second World War writing a National Review mac owen said it is impossible to justice to such a magnificent book in a short review. Girch the vast quantity of ink us pengdzed on great account of conflict one would think there was not much left to say. Hanson provides that this belief is wrong. His fresh examination submits a military historian of the first order o pep indeed, ladies and gentleman it is a distinct pleasure to introduce professor Victor Davis Hanson. [applause] thank you very much. Or for that nice introduction it is much different when i go to officers im usually introduced to Victor Hanson and former colleague anything after that is gravy. I would like to briefly in the 15 or 20 minutes i have to explain this idea of any idea that anybody can say anything new when theres about 7,000 books published per year on the Second World War. The title we use Second World War is one that prompghts question. I was talking to the editor in chief at basic book i think here laura and i explain this idea i said it sounds like the Second World Wars to me. Meaning that was the title that we came up with it wasnt mine but what were getting at is that our idea of the Second World War is pan inclusive holistic concept that didnt come into currency it was used but until 1941 until it was polish war danish war, norwegian low country war greece all of which germany won except they came it an impasse with britain. At the same time, the japanese had their border were and were creating this greater east asia prosperity per and italy has been in a land and was in north average. And the access had had won. But because they were colluding under the practice of august 1938 and british engaged in appeasement until Winston Churchill during the fall of france, and we were isolationists and that gave an inexact on improper or misguided view of the strength of the United States and Great Britain and eventually soviet union and that led in 1941 to three events that change the course of history i think they were the three most momentous events in had the 20th century and change what we knew as wars into the Second World War and that was, of course, the soviet invasion of the german invasion on june 22nd, 19 41 the pearl harbor attack as well as with the next day on singapore and malaysia in december 7th and 8th of 1941 rein inexplicable of fighting of germany and italy and at that point the border wars changed and suddenly the actress who prided themselves on earlier preparation the japings and jer man soldier and their Wonderful Technology pounds themselves basically in a war they could not win. 170 no over 400 Million People and who had a prewar gdp six or seven times larger so then what was that decision about . As historians with dont like to go become and say, that was stupid. At the too many there were all sorts of those that made it wise if you were a german or a japanese or italian planter we dont have time to go through them all but very quickly britain was not able to be defeat by the third right despite occupation of what is new European Union by 1940 in late june. So the idea was that we could be, we being germans could be imhewn from blockades if we turned on our provider the coach. People said they collapsed. They being the russians in world war i france never did. France collapse this time around so soviet union will collapse very quickly so soviet union have been very unprecedented in pol land and spanish war their aid was not very effective so there was a wrong misguided impression that soviets were eager and vend ed in earlier in the french and right per the plucking pee and that the story of the idea that the market never fought a real global were and no ability to go beyond the year old and hit soviet industry, 80 of the transportation was provided by horses. And die a natural death at 42 a question of time for red army to get up to full strength 12. 5 Million People. Second decision is even more because why would you attack the United States when its gdp all during the 20us and 30s often during economically diverse and unpredictable time with anywhere from 10 to 30 times large than jp. It produced about 70 of the worlds oil japan had had 1 , and idea was if you were a japanese thinker that the americans hadnt done anything during the blitz to help their key ally. Holland no longer exist and means indy french were open and southwest asia could be concurred and despite whether to go into the phil pence and bypass or pearl harbor but depression is they have run wild in china and in americans didnt have the wherewithal and didnt know about shipping program in progress to make a fleet within two or years that was larger than all of fleets that participated in world war ii put together. So again, what caused this war is enact impression of what the enemys capabilities are both spiritual and material. And finally hitler declared war in United States partly it was because he felt that he has you votes even though 10 or o 15 active off east coast could think and sink shipping from new york to niewm with ease and more importantly he had a impression that japanese, navy, would occupy the americans and they would never be with able to get across the sea. Atlantic, again, misimreption of American History because remember in world war i we had transported 2 Million People without losing single soldier and produced more artillery shells than frns and britain put together by 1918 so those misimpressions started a war with against a new alliance is as it was communist british, the democrats that the axis could not win nflt we cooperated more closely and more synchronized in the ideological akin actress people or nontransparents by nature dont trust each other. So when they go into russian says you didnt tell me her wakes up wheres pearl harbor japanese are fighting russians they say wow germans just declared a nonaggression tax with our enemy and they did the same thing to the germans before the invasion. The theme then would be to finish one of the themes of world war ii that was just a question in 1942 with ally fight if they did in world war i and settle for arm cyst because at some point these act of powers were going to quit. And answer was we cant do this because the versailles treaty was partly to blame for the present were and in other words worst of both war but didnt address the problem of emasculate jer is man aggression this time we are going to roam berlin, and tokyo and insist and impose Unconditional Surrender in a war and most importantly, we have the wherewithal to do if. The United States and britain have four engine long bombers the idea was soviet union would be supplied 0 of its material needs it would destroy two out of three soldiers with the mark, and out of that had calculation came idea that ally were modern faking that when you get into war you have to address the manpower, industrial reserves of your enemy. Hitler blundered war, in a war with the britain he had no lip capacity, no infib use capacity, incapable of defeating arf and declared war on country that he could not reach new york plus much detroit or San Francisco what was he thinking as i said, it made no sense other than he lived in the world of fantastic but that battle field epic say spiritual intense all of these intangibles would nullify practicality and reality. Some of the question after 42 was released people who have this ideology could they pull it off . If we are in this room june 1942, the answer is yes they were looking down the german army in 70 percent of the of soviet oil was cut off they surrounded stalingrad cut off a river the japanese had 5c battles of love and now. There were 27 carriers eventually there were 140 much they did not know that. There will be invaded and they landed 1942 austria would be cut off and then there is 70 miles from alexander on the way to boost u. S. With the iconic british forced then vanished and within three months stalingrad, the tragedy the germans lost the best premier army of 3,000 people and surrendered 1943 with the british army with those tanks to turn back where the americans landed. The First Marine Division but the japanese could not build and supply the american so it was a question that the allies would insist on Unconditional Surrender the tissue were dealing with 15 million active soldiers of these economies were still damaged so basically how much treasure are you willing to expend to humiliate the germans that would preclude a resurgence. So world war ii became the most deadly event in Human History 65 with the chinese may have been 70 million were killed because it was the first major war where the of losers lost more than the winners 85 of the 65 million were civilians but if you look at the war in the reductionist terms of average people being killed german and japanese soldiers killed unarmed and and uniformed people in Eastern Europe in the soviet union and china 50 Million People that should remind us a little bit when we show up about the of firebombing look at the 27 million killed that 89 million in Eastern Europe people said there the greatest warriors in the world yet they killed 50 Million People who cannot defend themselves and took on major powers that annihilated and humiliated them ending their way of assistance and with a final thought i had a little bit of a different take talking of the weak link because the British Empire at the time but remember britain was the only country was the first and last the only country that went to war not because of a surprise attack on the country but that verified to defy hillary selfing going into british production to occupy europe the worst day of britain was the of bombing of manchester in that entire period with that fighter production in germany so the end of the war with the third reich almost in every category except tank. Japan got off easy in the sense that no nations army killed more people get their courage carnage of in asia but they were not invaded the real story was not the of the atomic bomb but we had idled bombers because the door was open and so he would transfer those Medium Bombers if you can imagine in the armada to fly one Mission Today would make the atomic bomb carnage so the bombs were necessary to save millions of japanese clients justin three months 65 with those be 29 bovvers would do you can imagine so italy got off pretty easily they were an ally of world war i there read the only country to help the homeland fought with the civil war because as we kept the soviets out we occupied in a benign way. So whatever the faults of the allies of World War Two to leave Eastern European the attitude was we just have to be good, not perfect so the primary aim was to destroy a japanese militarism german not seek and italian fascism Everything Else was considered practical with the necessary adjustments of the border. So now i will open for questions think you very much. [applause] good morning victor is a great friend as part of National Review the day of september 11 when this monster is epic attack happened to this country one of the first thoughts we thought what does Victor Hansen have to say about this . Immediately i believe you faxed to us because the mill was not working as you can have imagined it was a compelling read as he reads once a week over 16 years so now he has written a book of grand military history that tastings and i have to say victor davis than sense of congratulations. Was of very well known book. [laughter] we will discuss a little book a little bit that we will ask questions. We dont have a lot of time so we will hit the high points but lets discuss those hinge points of the war so how close after germanys smashing victory was hitler to knocking the british out of the war with the siege of dunkirk . The british would capitulate but churchill made that impossible and he had a great insight it was almost surreal with the generals and admirals napoleon may have made britain but the people of the raf cannot defeat as. So it is inevitable the return they would do that to isolate britain so the of blitzkrieg would not offer that but nobody had ever done that. So that inevitably with the United States for us to see a global war when you start a war it is with the 80th if my enemies homeland but that is exactly what they did. So if you had to say the most important battle of world war ii . Do think it is stalingrad. If you look at where it was with the axis where installed in such dramatic fashion but the prewere army that was is optional part because of the iconic city, it was like being in the expedition for those opinions that they would defeat but of all the 300,000 people the hon period in san romanians and dariens and romanians, but then they would negotiate. But stalingrad was burned. So with it too simplistic to say that they defeated hitler . Yes. They did kill to data three with soviet and british historians it was soviet blood and british knowhow and experience but in our defense for them to concentrate on a single front because the supply locomotives to free them up for what they did best. And then to provide a vivid of they did not fight japan last todays 35 the pacific with the british but 10,000 of their best men were transferred we had the you boat Service Campaign offer the soviets to stop all at a cost with 27 russians so remember normandy and berlin and moscow we accomplish that it took them for years to do that 12. 3 million vs 12. 5. Million 03 of the force we invested 45 of our budget it was largely on the ground they could not offer that if we did not do that. But to discuss a little more, why is it wrong to be that material determinist . Not all the time but i think sometimes it is impossible for the north to lose and we will wear down the confederacy so you hear that you will not conquer russia that is taking on too much but obviously personal matters, spiritual factors matter. It is like a football field with those material conditions with those sidelines it would be very hard for hillary this is a country with a larger gdp than all of those put together with the aircraft carriers everyone put together the with the academy splitting the forces to declare a war on the United States not working with the japanese but with 1 billion of the b2 program with explosives at 100 times the cost it was taking tighter over two hours of operation when they started the war we had a margin of error we go into okinawa to destroy a the we had a margin of error that compound that problem but they had a chronic liar in russia our losses were not a catastrophic but not with a margin of error. Host talk about weaponry was there anything characteristic typically german has opposed to american . Typically the access between the cylinder head and a the piston. With a better armor or better guns with the silhouette but if you only build 600 tigers so sherman had 10 hours of operation in case you had the pleasure of the real car so the question they called the 72,000ton battleship because it was so expensive to operate together they would sink one carrier and said he made the best destroyer in the world the best battleship you could have made so i guess the feet as for political and cultural reasons are much more pragmatic to build things that were good enough and practical and durable whether the war came for the sherman tank so they factored in the idea americans had to be transferred to send people to north africa with a 60ton tank we forget we were a mobile people to disperse that we arent good enough and we cooperated with the b51 did not seem like it would perform they said we have the rolls royce engine and that german got to normandy the british said put this highly charged shall and it would blow up the tiger. They were at odds with each other strategically but for somebody like the soviet union that stalin actually cooperated much more than any of the axis did with each other. Host so turning to the pacific what was the japanese theory of the endgame in the of war against the United States . Everybody talks about the of amado warning of pearl harbor of with the war of attrition what was the theory of how they would win . We created in formalized of 1940 when china is doing now if we look at the dacha of the french and the british we dont see military access commensurate with their fleets is not quite comparable to our own we feel that the west is in decline a few love america but the japanese were told to be a military attache or four minister had the opposite impression that we let london burned so they did not understand spiritually or culturally our willingness to go to war with those resources one tough blow and the americans would say they kim 3,000 miles and radio silence . And they did not know it . They thought they would get three carriers that would be the end of the fleet but with a bald they came back and said we will break radio silence. Basically it was the idea that one big blow and they would quit. Basically with these obsolete battleships. So you discuss this talking about the questions from the audience but in terms of dropping those out of bonds at tambovs we killed 100,000 people is in tokyo in one night with the firebombing is your attitude thats you are in the existential struggle with the adversary in a way we have never seen throughout history every half to win by any means a necessary . Taking a the Manhattan Project with impunity at 27,000 feet of all conflict but the japanese were killing four or 5,000 people. Killing 60 Million People in china i have a personal history growing up bin a swedish family but his brother was the first cop was killed of the last day of sugarloaf hill. They tested the atomic bomb in july. They had it through july july 2nd. And then they thought we have to go into okinawa. But to have 7,000 kamikaze planes. And they dont need to use those Nuclear Weapons. So my view that there was a utility but it precluded the incineration of japanese with the character. There are no more fear sentence if he had gotten his way. With those key political leaders. And would we have ben better off without him . I dont think so. The british aristocracy have been removed and hitler was willing to offer india of the British Empire with that occupation of europe but it would have happened eventually. But we eventually would come and but there is no soft underbelly of europe going up that 600 miles by i never worked, never worked for us that it would cause problems tour three years ahead of americans or 43 or 44. But you are bombing so dont buy this the we have to distrait a whole army. And spiritually nobody could articulate their roosevelt would have a much better politician so he was invaluable. Solar to ask the effect to draw the lines of the cold war . No doubt that roosevelt was naive to try regulate in that way against churchill who also said to him to have 500 divisions we only have 100 in europe. And not fight so well and slow down with their bellicose power we did have means other than a the nuclear bomb but it is hard to adjudicate that the that we have the wherewithal that we say those pro russian things that we will follow the troops. So to bracket the unspeakable evil. So with those mistaken decisions made repeated the with the ideology . A lot of it that with north africa as a corporal and a private not on the Eastern Front so the idea was blood and so real. Soil but with those munitions of roles for one to be assistant secretary of the navy and then the global sense asking to pay them back with the bombing of hamburg. But with that cost benefit. With emphasis on politely and to delegate that authority with that Logistic Administration and to find a way to do it. And then to build a beach 24 every our. Hiller had no conception of that capability. By one day bigger tiger. 200 tons. I want one that is 300 and 400 now 450. Well show only fires 70 times it is not practical. So to define efficacy and to build 177 million. Of. Would it be better for germany. I cannot accept the premise of the question because i really believe that world war i with the of morocco crisis. And what do you do with jury . That predates that. Was on the other side of the danube they thought it made them racially pure. So with that purely colonial status. And then to coalesce. So in 1914 and though its had a september program with that piece with the elimination of belgium. So pretty much with 50 Million People. If way look adverse side riverside france it was that had no mechanism to enforce to occupy the country to have the reparations in soft cash. So basically to say you cause 70 Million Deaths but it would be nice to not occupy your country we were 70 miles into belgium and france. We impose a strict peas wed be to them a bunch of jews status in the back. And they took 30 percent of the territory. Compared to what you did to the rushes and 80 and instead we said we are sorry. So maybe that was okay. So we appease them so that we have an alliance no now within six weeks and three months. But instead the versailles treaty was a guarantee of 20 years and the losers of will for one wanted to try that again and the other said we never want to go through that again. And then before the winter of 1941 . So pulling up within 10 miles of leningrad so that was the most expensive siege then they almost obliterated the city. To have the shortest route to in the Baltic States if that failed then everything would fail because that would wipe out leningrad very quickly but the problem with the whole idea was being countered german troops with 3. 5 Million People it is multinational the hungarians will do well so have that division from spain that didnt mean you could defeat a country that was only onethird or fourth of the soviet union. So very quickly the freighters from seattle or portland with botha up with American Goods to go to those japanese infested waters. So that reminded me we had a huge crop and my grandfather came down and said what you doing . Looked at the plums there are so many. That is what people do they kept saying we killed 250,000 wounded when will they quit . We already killed four or 5 million. Looking at the casualtys there is another 100 divisions the germans by the way did not want we will let the japanese do this so those 20 divisions were transferred there were too many divisions. Tonight my tenure last what i did today this is my highlight please give me a cool World War Twostory to share with a 10 yearold. [laughter] a cool story to share. People ask what book you should read my favorite is say symbolism of the allied approach as a student from alabama joins the marine corps and doesnt want to be an officer but finds himself in the First Marine Division and ends up in okinawa to write a memoir to the people who were killed it is one of the most moving things everybody thinks it is antiwar but it is not the war will go on forever is a tragedy because people dont understand you have to deter them. So that pretty much destroyed his life. I do take a kid from alabama 135 pounds to fight people . It is astounding but when i went to highschool here is a briefcase and here is a Louisville Slugger bat and would say he studied greek but at your age the first vector hanson was already killed everything you say and do will be judged by your namesake. Good luck because it will not be easy. I thought about that my entire life. So he writes of a letter to his swedish grandparents they said you have to do really well theres no money in the marine corps i saved all my money so then you have have broken english to say were doing our best and this will get you through the war. Now you have a congressional investigation and then with ripples of battle of man called me up to say i carry your of uncle heres the picture. I called your grandfather 1945 and said that when no more to do with the marine corps than the next day it showed up in the mail it is very tragic those that joined are almost all gone. Some people have some questions with contemporary implications if donald trump for president would he have won the war . [laughter] it wouldnt have been worse. Churchill said that he called him a jackal. And on your knees begging to kill you at your throat. Tuesday i will go to berlin. And settle sorts of things but with a history of wars with that it advertent but exclamatory that causes the war we will not go to work calling rocket man but we dont face sultry is in the defensive spier. South korea is in the defensive spier in rigo get involved in those wars. So i do think that is provocative but to reassure the aggressor we will not be unpredictable very predictable and what we try to do with north korea to say they are much stronger but there is a streak within us so we have a history did not want to encounter again. But that translates to the judicious people that can use that. I think this National Security team are all seasoned people and they understand history you want to have a little bit of unpredictability. We have two minutes left so very quickly you describe that geopolitical vacuum is there any risk of any geopolitical of arriving . I have more it looking at the chinese are telling our allies with the airspace base Say Something like we went into your airspace or it into your waters it is very similar what the japanese did that the colonial people were an isolation. But deterrence is very easy to lose and hard to recapture. It takes decades so now with those redlines tupelo from iraq corer libya we will not do something stupid not to say that we are less utopian or less apologetic and under this new doctrine basically we say all they can do is protect our friends but dont let our enemies attacked people. The United States for a policy there are very good people my favorites are the kurds and the israelis and the taiwanese south korean and the greeks their fears fighters they dont build missiles or proliferate Nuclear Weapons they exist because of people like the department of defense we really need to remember we do have certain obligations we tell them if you fly over one more time that there are certain principles that we have the principle of realism isnt just a slogan. Thank you. [applause] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] your last couple of books have been about their royal family. Why is that . Guest i was asked to do the queen but it took me a nanosecond to say yes because i realized this would be a big deal. With 60 years of the throne i was always fascinated by her and i wrote a biography of diana princess of wales in 1999 so i thought there is a character lets pull the curtain back to find out what she is like i found out working on that book there is the obvious sequel which is her error that all this error to the throne in british history waited longer than anybody else so i thought even writing about diana and the queen i realized very quickly there is a huge mountain did not know that he is complicated and compelling and in many ways the opposite of his mother he has had so much to say over so many years he was campaigning this story to explain and his influences from his childhood and his mentors some of which with those 11 years he was married to do diana and it was a greek tragedy. It was like a labyrinth. The dark pathway i came away knowing obviously he knows he is flawed as a human being and with those admirable things that people dont appreciate but after words people will say i had no idea. I really admire him. Obviously he made mistakes but he has been a force for the good just like Winston Churchills son and daughter the youngest i interviewed about the clean and Prince Charles is very fond of Prince Charles and said i believe he will be in the shining hour of the throne. Host bahia is a politician. He is not a politician but he is a charitable entrepreneur, over the years he has been very outspoken and has tried to influence public policy. Surge of the writing letters to politicians to try a and then persuade them with Climate Change and the environment and sustainability but he has done a lot to educate members of parliament what kinds of things can be done to keep them economically viable. Host as the head of state how would his reign be different . I think we will have to see he is a different person from his mother. Ive think he will speak more even though his images the structure but he is in formal up and much more constrained i dont think he would be some has predicted to be an activist came because by that very definition that means youre taking a position and the minute he would do that he would alienate of portion of the population so i think he will use that power not long ago he got the head of all the chocolate manufacturers to come together for a meeting to make an agreement to process sustainably i can see him doing Something Like that is not controversial. But he will play within the lines he knows the limits once he walks into Buckingham Palace he has to take the advice of people are around him including his own advisers that is partly a of giving a price to other people so he will have to have a change in attitude adjustment when he becomes king and recognizes that. Do we have to wait for his mother to pass . Yes. Those are two different questions to become king he will have to wait for his mother to die. She will not abdicate because of her uncle that put the monarchy in jeopardy and also it goes back to the coronation when she was anointed and made a sacred foul to do or die answer for people the best that was that 21 years old she gave that wonderful speech in south africa that i pledge to you i will serve you the rest of my life then she did a narration saying this is my job for life the british are practical people if there is mental or physical capacity shen there is a process acting for the powers of the monarch so that could happen if she is incapacitated the issue will not abdicate. He has been trained well and understands those constitutional pressures he had a lot of freedom as prince of wales but people have been working with him to the various duties there is a period of transition right now and for the first time would be the observer and not the participant so she will watch from of balconies and that is a symbolic moment but he has gradually been taking on public things. And she has been doing all the things she has been called upon to do taking credentials and meeting with the Prime Minister every week to show that she is mentally and physically capable she will continue. But he will be much more in the public. Mostly him and sent william and harry and kate. You are asked to do the biography. Who asked . The president of random house. I took that as a definitive asked to seven it did you have cooperation . I had a lot of cooperation from Buckingham Palace it took a lot to win their trust as an american to come over to read about her majesty but they realized the book was serious and thorough so when it came time to write the book about the prince of wales i have the same level of cooperation. There was no quid pro quo they have no opportunities to see the manuscript but i a struggled to watch him in action to go to the places that our significant to him i had a whole range of sources so it was of good mixture across the board and i traveled with him to shearling negative and traveled around the country so that is the cooperation i like to have. The most recent book on and Prince Charles also writing a biography of Queen Elizabeth the second booktv has covered that you can watch that of mine. Booktv cspan2. [applause] will go. Today we will hear from two people, a katy tur tony hill is a cbs news correspondent previously a Senior Writer and a reporter at newsweek with an article that led to his book he also holds up masters degree from columbia university