The First World War’s Shadow

The memory of the previous war shapes Chamberlain’s restraint, Britain’s preparations and the public’s simultaneous fear and relief.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

A Father Lost

War in a Family Memory The Balloon Phrase As a boy, Legat hears his father say the balloon has gone up before returning to the front. A Permanent Absence His father does not return, giving the coming crisis a personal history beyond political calculation.

A Nation Unprepared

Defence and Memory Material Shortages The Chiefs of Staff report that Britain has not completed its rearmament preparations. Lessons Not Learned Chamberlain fears that the country may repeat the helplessness and suffering associated with 1914.

Civilian Precautions

War Enters the Home Masks and Trenches Children are fitted for gas masks while civilians dig trenches and prepare for air attack. The Domestic Scale The crisis is measured not only in borders and armies but in what parents must explain to children.

The Prime Minister’s Vow

Preventing Another Catastrophe A Personal Confession Chamberlain tells Legat that the deaths and families of the last war have shaped his duty to preserve peace. Sacrifice for Peace He says he would accept personal death if it could prevent another conflict.

Relief Without Certainty

Celebration After the Crisis Public Exhales Crowds celebrate the immediate avoidance of war. Legat’s Doubt The relief is real, but Legat believes the threat has only been postponed and that the next war may still come.

Hugh’s childhood, during the First World War

27 September 1938, afternoon

27–28 September 1938

28 September 1938, morning

30 September 1938, evening