if there are, stand or wave, wherever you might be. and if we do not have any veterans, that is a shame. we would love to have them as always. anybody working on the home front that is here? there s somebody. don t be bashful. i thought so. [applause] i saw them earlier. holocaustors of the who might be here, i would like to recognize them as well. and veterans of any period of time wherever you are in the audience, would you please stand and raise your hand? thank you. [applause] service. all for your and thank you again for being here. in the early morning hours of may 7, 1945, and a little red schoolhouse in france in a little red schoolhouse in france, world war ii officially came to an end in europe with the surrender of german military alfred jodel. it is the anniversary date of ve day, the 72nd anniversary of that event, which celebrates the allied defeat of the nazis. 72 years ago, the west was facing a new beginning, a herculean task to ensure that another war woul
the world war ii alliance between winston churchill s great britain and the leaders of european nations who fled to london following the nazi occupation of their countries. she details how the british and their exiled allies helped one another to combat the germans prior to u.s. entry into the war. the national world war ii museum hosted and recorded this event in may 2017. good evening, ladies and gentlemen. thank you for being here. i am president and ceo of the national civil war museum. i think a lot of familiar people are out there. fors great to see you all our distinguished speaker. share her latest work with us. before we get started, is always our tradition to recognize any world war ii veterans who may be with us. if there are, stand or wave. anyone from working on the home front? don t be bashful. [applause] i saw them earlier. any survivors of the holocaust to might be here? we like to recognize them as well. veterans of any time, will you still stand. [applause]
behemoth in the history of until that point and poland have kind of an army, a small dv but it was basically a poor country that didn t have the defenses or the financial wherewithal but it did think it could hold off germany for a while but the germans just kind of rolled right over them.germ you save the date was a surprise because the rest preparing for the war up to this point?t?but was th guest: they suspected it was coming again. most hoped it wouldn t happen ao least half were natural and declared their neutrality. they were hoping something would happen to prevent germany from embarking on what hitler had been preparing for why weren t they prepared if they were aware of you have to remember 1939 was 20 years after the end of world war i which was the greatest bloodbath in history up to that point. many have lost hundreds of thousands if not millions of people including the two biggest western allies and plans in the uk england and they were not prepared in an
poland i was prepared but it wasn t, the mightiest military behemoth world history up to that point and poland had a sizable army, very small navy, it didn t have the financial wherewithal that germany did and did think the germans rolled over them. the date was a surprise but was the rest of europe preparing for war? they suspected war was coming. most european countries hoped it wouldn t happen. half were neutral, declared their neutrality. some had prepared for war to a certain extent but none of them were really ready for what was about to happen. they hope to somehow something would happen to prevent germany from embarking on what hitler had been preparing for for a number of years, keeping their fingers crossed but obviously that didn t work. host: why weren t they prepared if they were aware of hitler? guest: remember 1939, only 20 years aftxx years after thed war i, the greatest bloodbath in history to that point. many of those countries lost hundreds of tho
history up to that point and poland was, had a, sizable army. small air force, small navy. it was basically a poor country. it didn t have the sense and financial wherewithal germany did. they thought they could hold off germany at least for a while but germans rolled over them. cspan: you say it wasn t a surprise. the date was maybe a surprise but was the rest of europe preparing for war at this point? guest: they expected war was coming. most european countries hoped it wouldn t happen. half the european countries were neutral. they declared neutrality. some prepared for war to a certain extent but none of them were really ready for what was about to happen to them. they hoped somehow something would happen to prevent germany from embarking on what, you know, hitler had been really preparing for a number of years. so they were basically keeping their fingered crossed. obviously that didn t work. cspan: why weren t they prepared? if they were aware of what hitler wanted?