During the Blitz, whilst London was being relentlessly bombed by the Germans, Londoners all rallied together. Whilst their homes and churches were being obliterated, they joined arms, helping their neighbours and carrying on a usual.
“Small boys continued to lay all over the pavements, shoppers went on haggling, a policeman directed traffic in majestic boredom and the bicyclists defied death and traffic laws. No one, as far as I could see, even looked into the sky.” (First-hand account)
The term ‘Blitz Spirit’ was later banded around by politicians and historians when discussing British attitudes to adversity and struggle, and has undoubtedly been used to describe how Britons will face off the coronavirus pandemic. However, in this article I want to explore if this strength, ‘can do’ attitude and strange serenity in the face of adversity is a uniquely British thing or if other counties and humanity as a whole possesses this attitude of finding normality – of keeping calm and carrying on - in even the most dire of circumstances.
‘Hitler had forgotten to account for one thing’, writes historian Rutger Bregman, ‘the British stiff upper lip and wry sense of humour’. And this, on the face of things, appeared true, as the bombs continued to plummet, pubs and shops put up signs saying ‘MORE OPEN THAN USUAL’ or ‘OUR WINDOWS ARE GONE, BUT OUR SPIRITS ARE EXCELLENT: COME IN AND TRY THEM’.
As an American journalist observed when interviewing a couple who were sipping tea as their windows rattled in their frames:
Interviewer: Weren’t you afraid?
Couple: Oh no! If we were, what good would it have done us.
And when the bombing came to an end, it left a barely visible mark in Britain’s domestic economy and in fact reduced alcoholism and suicide rates. Hitler’s tactics failed and Britain went on to win the war. But what were the spirits of Germans like as British bombs were deployed from RAF planes? Well, contrary to what the British media suggested, the German people also engaged in extraordinary levels of camaraderie and cooperativeness. Hitler Youth boys ran around helping the elderly and injured, many Germans volunteered for a makeshift ambulance service and shop keepers also put up signs designed to lift up the mood - ‘DISASTER BUTTER SOLD HERE’. And many more psychological reports from the time show that bombing significantly improved morale in most countries.
But now, in the 21st Century, can we expect to see these levels of morale in times of disaster and chaos? Have we, as a society, become more insular and egotistical? Well, the media will certainly suggest that, but I want to make a different argument. Perhaps one of the most harrowing events of the 21st century occurred right at the start and this was the 9/11 terror attacks. To many this was shown to be a chaotic and disordered event, with people pushing and shoving: restless chaos. However, through reading countless eyewitness accounts we can see this was not the case at all. As the firefighters entered the burning towers they were amazed at the levels of well-orderdness. One later recounted, ‘I couldn’t actually believe it, that at this point people would actually say “No, no, please take my place.” It was uncanny.’. And many more examples of these levels of camaraderie and serenity in moments of pure terror are present throughout human history.
There is a new wave of academic literature suggesting a new hypothesis that humans are in fact kind, compassionate and cooperative beings, and even in events of carnage and fear, we do rally together and display ‘Blitz Spirit’, and I am all for it!
So, in conclusion, is ‘Blitz Spirit’ a uniquely British thing? No, I don’t think it is. I think it is a human thing and I am certain that in any time of hardship almost anywhere in the world wherever there is man, I feel confident that he or she will rally together with others calmly and orderly and continue through until they reach a brighter and richer future.
Jay Frederick Palombella (20/02/21)
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