On this day in history:March 17,1939

and now the rest of the story;

Winston Churchill,Conservative backbencher, Calls for Britain to meet the threat of Germany

"Ready to their hands is this new lamentable weapon of the air, against which our Navy is no defense, and before which women and children--the weak and frail--the pacifist and the jingo--the warrior and the civilian--the frontline trenches and the cottage home--all lie in equal and impartial peril." (London, England, November 16, 1934)

Neville Chamberlain, British prime minister, Praises Britain's Munich Pact with Germany

"We regard the agreements signed last night... as symbolic of the desire of our two peoples never to go to war with one another again." (London, England, September 30, 1938)

In the early morning hours of September 30, 1938, British and French prime ministers Neville Chamberlain and Edouard Daladier signed the Munich Pact with Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, thus giving Czechoslovakia away to German conquest. Daladier abhorred this appeasement of the Nazis, but Chamberlain was elated, and even stayed behind in Munich to sign a single-page document with Hitler that he believed assured the future of Anglo-German peace. Later that day, Chamberlain flew home to Britain, where he read the document before a jubilant crowd in London and praised the Munich Pact for bringing "peace in our time." The next day, Germany annexed Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland, and by March of 1939, nearly all of Czechoslovakia was under German control. On September 1, 1939, fifty-three German army divisions invaded Poland despite British and French threats to intervene on the nation's behalf. Two days later, Chamberlain solemnly called for a British declaration of war against Germany, and the European phase of World War II began.

Neville Chamberlain, British prime minister, Declares war against Germany

"This country is at war with Germany. You can imagine what a bitter blow it is to me that my long struggle to win peace has failed." (10 Downing Street, London, England, September 3, 1939)"

On September 1, 1939, at 4:45 a.m., fifty-eight German army divisions invaded Poland all across the 1,250-mile frontier. Exactly one week earlier, on August 25, Britain had signed a mutual assistance treaty with Poland, warning Nazi leader Adolf Hitler that such an invasion would warrant British intervention. Despite the agreement, Hitler expected appeasement from British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain--the same British leader who had given Czechoslovakia away to German conquest in 1938 with his signing of the Munich Pact. However, Chamberlain would not allow Hitler's new desecration of Europe's borders to stand, and on September 1 he demanded that Germany withdraw from Poland. The next day, he presented German forces an ultimatum: withdraw by 11:00 a.m. on September 3 or face war with Great Britain. On September 3, a few minutes after the expiration of the ultimatum, Chamberlain appeared on national radio to solemnly announce that Britain was at war with Germany. Australian and New Zealand immediately followed suit. Later that afternoon, a similar French ultimatum expired, and at 5:00 p.m. France declared war against Germany. The European phase of World War II had begun.

Winston Churchill,British prime minister,On the Battle of France

"The long night of barbarism will descend, unbroken, even by a star of hope, unless we conquer--as conquer we must--as conquer we shall." (May19, 1940)

Winston Churchill, British prime minister, Inaugurates the Battle of Britain

"Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duty, and so bear ourselves, that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.'" (London, England, June 18, 1940)

And let's not forget Sir Winston's sage words after Neville Chamberlain (are we SURE he wasn't John F'in Kerry's great grandfather or something?) sold out the Czechs in Munich:

"You had a choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor, and now you will most certainly have war."

(paraphrased)

Words of Truth like that are never diminished with the passage of time.

Well said,let us learn from history.

Never Forget.

Adolf Hitler broke his word?!! NO!!

Ted Bundy seemed like such a nice man...he said he'd found Jesus.

Sir Winston Ping!

It was BOOOSHs fault. Right, Teddy?

Listen to the difference in tone between Chamberlains' and Churchills' speeches,Chamberlain had already lost while Churchill would not allow defeat.

Neville Chamberlain's famous words: "Peace in our time."

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

1 Thessalonians 5:3 (KJV)

Winston Churchill made some very big mistakes in his life. However, when the stakes were the highest and the circumstances the most desperate, he was amazing. His courage, leadership and vision carried the day. I believe he was the greatest man of the 20th century.