WAR and PEACE

Two events—one that decided the course of world history and is being commemorated, and another that will now on decide, are taking place side by side. While the first one concerns WAR, the other concerns, we may say, PEACE.

Welcome to the world of WAR and PEACE!

WAR

World leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, are arriving in Moscow on the evening of May 8—the day when Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender took effect in 1945, to take part in the 80th celebrations of Victory Day by Russia, to mark the victory of the Red Army against the Nazi Germany.

In Europe, Britian too is celebrating Victory in Europe Day. On May 5, Britain’s King Charles, joined by other senior royals, appeared in public to watch a grand military parade and a flypast at the start of a five-day long celebrations to mark the historic occasion when Britain and other Allied Powers won over the Axis Power that was led by nazi Germany.

Interestingly, both Britain and Russia are celebrating the victory over Nazi Germany, and the present-day Germany which has reconstructed its economy after the collapse, has been the largest economy in Europe that is standing face to face against Russia by hugely supporting Ukraine in the war. A few other nations like France of Europe too fought against the Axis Power—Germany, Italy, Japan and others, in the side of Britain. But in Europe, only Britain seems to be celebrating the occasion hugely. Most nations including Germany, have chosen to forget and move ahead!

As far as Russia is concerned, celebrating the victory day has a reason too obvious.

Things change in just a few years, and as a result, friends and foes and in Europe are forced to unite as one for their own geopolitical and economic security. Today, European Union largely led by Germany, and then France—minus Britain, is a single bloc that stands against Russia.

While Russia’s celebrations appear relevant in the present-day geopolitical situation—Russia after the World War II had de-linked itself from Europe (Britain and other nations), and followed a policy of enmity against Europe—Britain’s celebrations appear as an effort to keep the memory of its colonial empire alive.

Well over 1,300 members of British armed forces marched through central London as watched by the king Charles and the Queen Camila, Prince Williams and his wife Kate, as well as Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Ukraine’s armed forces also joined in carrying their country’s blue and yellow flag to keep in memory Britain’s support in Ukraine’s war against Russia.

Ironically, Britain and Russia fought against Nazi Germany in the same camp in WWII. Same historical event, both Britain and Russia celebrate, and this time they are fighting one another.

The WWII was bloody, and victory celebration is a painful memory.  

Some 51 million Allied soldiers and civilians died during War.

By the end of the War, some 24 million Russians and other Soviets had been slaughtered in the war with Germany. Russia gave the maximum sacrifice in the WWII, followed by others including Britain.

However, it is interesting to note how Britain and Russia’s alliance changed after the WWII and they now are enemies, fighting in a war that last lasted nearly as long as the WWII did. World War II had drained out the wealth of Europe into the United States and the economy of the world had changed geography. In a way, WWII scripted the rise and fall of nations.

PEACE

Conclave by the cardinals to elect the successor of Pope Francis, representative of Jesus on Earth, St Peter’s successor, has begun. Pope Francis stood for world Peace. The Pope, head of the 1.4 billion strong Roman Catholic Church is believed to be a figure of Peace.

Conclave to elect A new pope in Sistine Chapel has started. A total of 133 cardinals taking part in the secrete conclave to elect the new pope.

There are two streams of thought in the cardinals: One group thinks that the new pope should be the one who takes forward the reformist action of Pope Francis, and the other group wants more traditional approach to papacy, rooted in the doctrine of the Roma Catholic Church.

Pope Francis had a radical approach that has reportedly caused a split within the Church. His thought to open up the role of women in the Church has been a topic of discussion.

Further, Pope Francis had daringly spoken against wars—he had asked world intellectuals to study whether the casualty in the Israel-Palestine war amounted to genocide, drawing the wrath of the Israeli leadership.

The Conclave, a Latin word—literally meaning “with a key”, is a process of locking up cardinals in a chapel wherein they pray and elect one among them to lead them and the Church without any outside interference.

A new pope is elected usually within three days, following a ritual made by Pope Gregory X in 1274, who himself had been elected after a period of three years from the date the conclave began in 1271.

The election process of election of Pope Gregory frustrated the Catholics so much that the locals are supposed to have removed the roof of the chapel the cardinals prayed in so as to let the Holy Spirit in and help the cardinals elect a new pope soon. From there on, according to a ritual, if the cardinals fail to elect a new pope within three days, they are served only one meal a day, and if they fail to elect a new pope within five days, after the fifth day they are served only bread.

The cardinals have made their way to the Sistine Chapel as the world looks forward to see a new pope.