The Dom Cathedral survived the bombing of Cologne in 1945. The photo was taken by James Beadling, co-pilot of the ‘Razzle Dazzle’, a B-24 heavy bomber. Photo: From David C Foster / Flickr CC.

Ken Veitch reflects on war and peace

Thought for the Week: Why did we fight?

Ken Veitch reflects on war and peace

by Ken Veitch 9th November 2012

Last year one of my Christmas presents was All Hell Let Loose, Max Hastings’ history of the second world war. The excellent reviews were justified – the title sums up the mayhem and the horror that has always characterised warfare. He describes families packed into London tube stations to shelter from the Blitz; seamen adrift in the Atlantic after being torpedoed; the sadistic torture and murder of prisoners in Burma; the waves of Red Army attacks and street fighting in Berlin; and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.