Keep Calm and Carry On

All over England there are memorials to WWII, such as statues of Winston Churchill. Signs bearing the slogan “Keep Calm and Carry On”, a prominent piece of propaganda during that time period, are pasted around Britain, among all the Union Jacks and Big Ben paraphernalia in the gift shops. There are tons of memorials to soldiers who fought, women who served, and those who helped on the home front. To me, these are prime examples of WWII’s impact on British culture and identity.

Due to the threat of invasion and the requirements for war (resources, morale, etc), the focus was placed on the government rather than the monarchy, which caused the monarchy’s involvement to decrease. Churchill was mainly running the show, which gave a lot more power to Parliament and allowed the power between the monarchy and Parliament to even out. The country had to become more industrialized in order to have a successful wartime economy, which required more government involvement. The Prime Minister became the head of the war effort and everyone looked to Churchill for direction. In class we’ve talked about the modernist theory, and how nationalism comes about once everyone feels a sense of equality. In Britain’s case, this happened because of the war. As terrible as it was, everyone came together to protect their country. They were all on the same level; fighting together against the Axis powers. The government played a large part in this -- creating propaganda to help British citizens feel the need to come together to protect the country, intervening and keeping everyone fed with rations and installing safety with regulations. There was tons of propaganda put out to remind everyone that the government was there to help and keep them safe. People sacrificed a lot for their country, but it ended up uniting the population because they were all making the same sacrifices and had the same goals.

WWII was a war that affected the entire country, and was incredibly devastating. But as I’ve noticed, the victory of the war and having a cause to get behind made the British people more united. From big metropolises like London to tiny country villages, the government asked everyone to get involved and fight a battle that affected everyone. Everyone had a part to play, everyone could contribute something, and everyone was seen at the same level. Today, I see that most of Britain still holds these values. For example, WWII was a huge jumpstart for women’s rights and equality, and there have been many memorials to women who served during the war to promote this idea. In recent years, women are becoming more involved in the workforce, which could partly be attributed to their involvement during the war. Churchill has become a figurehead, an example for the people to look up to and rally around. These memorials are a reminder to the citizens of the UK that they have gone through something as devastating as WWII and have continued to strengthen their unity.