On the 8th of May we celebrate VE day, also known as Victory Europe day. We would like to inform you about it, especially if you haven’t heard of it before. VE day was undoubtedly the start of a new era. In addition, it slowly gave birth to a new society, in which we are now living in.
The History
In 1945 it started as a celebration at the formal acceptance of Nazi Germany’s surrender to the allied forces. It is unquestionably, one of the most influential events in British history. We take this day to celebrate peace, our values such as liberal democracy, and to remember those who died for the freedoms we enjoy.
The Impacts & Effects
Firstly, you may think that this does not affect you today but it does. Liberal democracy is a part of all our lives, it probably even affects your life in ways that you might not even know. In a liberal democratic society, the majority gets to vote in what parties they want and we have a welfare state. There are many other rules put in place, some minor but nevertheless, it will affect you in major ways. Some examples of this are taxes, how you get educated, and how the world is viewed. It also sets the boundaries of what you can and can’t do, in order to try and keep us safe and at peace.
We also use this time to try and understand the effects on the individuals that went through this war. As well as the effects of the individuals that still suffer from it. Many people were physically harmed, along with a lot more people who suffered from PTSD. It is believed that 10% of soldiers suffered from PTSD at some point in their lives.
In addition, we could also talk about the individual lives of you and me now. World War 2 has caused a large spike in technology such as computers, and has led to the invention of some items we use daily. Some of these include radars, computers and even duct tape.
Above all, we are glad to celebrate Victory Europe day and we hope that many generations will carry it on, as well as understand the effects World War 2 had on the past and present.
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