![]() ![]() Surrender would inevitably follow within weeks or even days. Millions would flee into the countryside to escape the raids, and the economy would collapse. The great cities such as London would be destroyed by incendiary bombs and poison gas, causing such intense suffering that morale would collapse. The theory of “ the knock-out blow from the air,” widespread in the 1920s and 1930s, predicted that the next war would begin with shattering air raids by thousands of bombers. Despite the terrible suffering and mass casualties inflicted by Hitler’s Luftwaffe, Britain did not give in instead it survived to play a key role in defeating Nazi Germany. In particular, this meant enduring the Blitz, the German bombing of London and other cities between September 1940 and May 1941, with cheerfulness and courage – the so-called Blitz spirit. It embodies the “ stiff upper lip” of the British people in standing up to Hitler in the Second World War. Rather than merely being a nostalgic relic of a reassuring past, Keep Calm should be seen as a symbol of terror.Īs well as the elegance and simplicity of its design, Keep Calm’s popularity draws on an ideal of stoicism traditionally linked with the British national character. ![]() But while it is well-known that Keep Calm originated as British wartime propaganda, the original context is rarely appreciated. It’s a cultural – and marketing – phenomenon. It has spread further by being remixed and memeified: Keep Calm And Drink Tea, Now Panic And Freak Out, Change Words And Be Hilarious. The original Keep Calm survivor at Barter Books, Alnwick. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |