«ИДЕМТЕ ВПЕРЕД ЕДИНОЙ СИЛОЙ!». БРИТАНСКИЙ ТЫЛ В ГОДЫ ВТОРОЙ МИРОВОЙ ВОЙНЫ. ЧАСТЬ 1
В статье рассматривается общественная и социально-экономическая жизнь Великобритании в годы Второй мировой войны. В первой части работы представлен краткий очерк периода, предшествовавшего началу Второй мировой, а также мобилизации армии и общества Великобритании в первые военные годы. ; Today, the concept of 'soft power' is a mainstream among political and social sciences. However, both practical application and theoretical study of soft power is based on knowledge of the history of social relations, of history of relations between ruling elite and different social groups, as well as history of the transformation of these relations in critical periods. From this perspective, all three of these aspects I find useful to examine on the example of the United Kingdom, which even in the period before WWII, in adverse social and economic conditions, could effectively resist both military and propagandist (ideological) pressure of Nazi Germany. Accordingly, the subject of my study is British home front during the WWII. I interpret this concept in its broad understanding, first of all as a synergy of various kinds of social super-mobilizations (political, economic, mental, etc.) that in one way or other affects the outcome of military operations and defines 'the price of victory.' I used system analysis, historical and sociological methods. In the first part of my study, I focused on UK economic, political and cultural landscapes that cause rise and fall of British fascism, as well as on Churchill War Cabinet's efforts to destroy the 'fifth column' (which had a very deep roots in aristocratic society). In my article, I have shown Great Britain began its shift from the appeasement policy at the last months of N. Chamberlain as a Prime Minister. So W. Churchill continued and crystallized policy of struggle with Nazi Germany. As to the nationalist ideas, their roots were at the British conservative thought of the second half of 19th century ('white man' superiority over Asian nations). The British Union of Fascists (BUF) was popular during 1920s 1930s, when Great Britain was of great economic troubles after the WWI. But the British turned away from the BUF at the late of 1930s. They were loyal to the Crown even in spite of the Nazi propagandist broadcast. I also consider the state of the British military forces in context of the interrelations between UK Royal Army and the British society. So I pay special attention to Women's auxiliary services (ATS, WRNS, WASP, Land Army, etc.). I conclude that there were evident social and economic conditions for strengthening the position of Nazi parties in UK (primarily Oswald Mosley's BUF). However, Winston Churchill was able to oppose them with effective governance. This contributed to the consolidation of various social strata within UK and helped to line up British colonies and dominions on the anti-fascist basis.
