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Essay On Dunkirk Disaster

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Was Dunkirk a Triumph or a Disaster? For so long it has been debated over whether Dunkirk was a success or a catastrophe. After only 15 years of peace, the second world war began. Austria, Rhineland and Poland had already been occupied. The French’s only way out was Dunkirk- that’s when and where the battle began. It was devastating. 68,111 dead or missing during Blitzkrieg, yet still viewed as a triumph. But why? Why, when so many were lost, was Britain still smiling? And why, or why not ,was Dunkirk a disaster? On the 31st May 1940, the first report on Dunkirk was released by the BBC 6 o’clock radio. It said “All night and all day the men of the undefeated British Expeditionary Force (Our army) have been coming home. From interviews with the men it is clear they have come back in glory; their morale is higher, and that they are anxious to be back again.” At the time, people would have leaped for joy at the fact their BEF were coming home. But this is not a first-hand account. Not a single British reporter touched Dunkirk soil. The government fed them information in order to restrict what was said, and here’s why- If the soldiers are portrayed as victors, then the British morale will be high. This …show more content…

You can see how it differs from the descriptions above. You can see the chaos and the problems here. In the period of the war, this picture would not have been allowed in circulation. Does this look like the portrayal of victors? It didn’t to the government, and it wouldn’t to the people either. If people had seen this, they would have lost hope, lost trust in the government. Fear would rise- rebellions would strike, and protests will commence. This was the last thing they needed, and it is the pictures, the first-hand accounts of this that made people ponder upon this question- Was this a triumph or a disaster? And for who? The soldiers? The government? Or the people of

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