Sure to be an exceptional discussion. This is a special gathering where we will learn about and if you will rightly celebrate the publishing of a unique book. A look at a closes event from a fresh perspective an opportunity to yet learn something new and profound about the Second World War. Or as Victor Davis Hanson has titled his acclaimed best selling history published by basic books the Second World Wars. How the first global conflict was fought and won. Im jack, a trustee i didnt know they were serving alcohol this early. [laughter] but thank you. And a trustee of National Review sthiewt. And i do this welcoming on behalf of my fellow trustees some here today chairman peter rich lowery i may be downtown. I could be wrong or we have some of our board here, and the president of the institute lindsay craig. National review . Iewfts founded in 1991 by william f. Buckley jr. It is a journalistic think tank published to advance the conservative principles Bill Champion to review magazine by promoting and a supporting its best talent. At the last National ReviewBoard Meeting in october 2006, bill buckley order period literally the directors to make the fight against islamic terrorism a Central Mission of the overall National Review enterprise. The institute took bills from directive and formed the center for the defense of western civilization. Which is the home if you will for two nri fellows one being Andrew Mccarthy and the other the man were assembled today to here Victor Davis Hanson. Please visit nr institute. Org to learn more about this center, and all of the institutes programs. It is an honor to call Victor Davis Hanson a friend and rich lowery too so as to the former this son of california is a raisin and almond farmer the author a of dozens of acclaim books, the martin and nearly angd e son senior fellow in residents in class eggs and military history, at the hoover . Iewlings at stanford, university, a nationally syndicated columnist, and author of a weekly column for National Review online. Professor hanson is also the wayne and distinguished fellow in history at Hillsdale College and among other honors, he was awarded the National Humanity medal in 2007, the bradley proiz in 2008, the eric award this 2002 and buckley prize in 2015. We will proceed as follows to give a talk about 15 to 20 minutes hanson to provide an overview of some key themes of the Second World Wars. Then, he will be joined by my other friend rich lowery editor in chief of National Review. And a claimed author in his own right i recommend all should read his lincoln u unbound and despite his youthful appearance, the man now celebrating his 25th year at National Review. And please do cheer that. [applause] you know, rich when he first came to National Review worked for me believe it or not in the fact that he survived that is, thats a quite a miracle. Anyway, rich will join victor for some informed q and a about the book. And while rich and victor engage we will collect question cards from the audience and rich and deliver few to further tuck a talk with one of the great historian of our time in his review of the Second World War writing a National Review mac owen said it is impossible to justice to such a magnificent book in a short review. Girch the vast quantity of ink us pengdzed on great account of conflict one would think there was not much left to say. Hanson provides that this belief is wrong. His fresh examination submits a military historian of the first order o pep indeed, ladies and gentleman it is a distinct pleasure to introduce professor Victor Davis Hanson. [applause] thank you very much. Or for that nice introduction it is much different when i go to officers im usually introduced to Victor Hanson and former colleague anything after that is gravy. I would like to briefly in the 15 or 20 minutes i have to explain this idea of any idea that anybody can say anything new when theres about 7,000 books published per year on the Second World War. The title we use Second World War is one that prompghts question. I was talking to the editor in chief at basic book i think here laura and i explain this idea i said it sounds like the Second World Wars to me. Meaning that was the title that we came up with it wasnt mine but what were getting at is that our idea of the Second World War is pan inclusive holistic concept that didnt come into currency it was used but until 1941 until it was polish war danish war, norwegian low country war greece all of which germany won except they came it an impasse with britain. At the same time, the japanese had their border were and were creating this greater east asia prosperity per and italy has been in a land and was in north average. And the access had had won. But because they were colluding under the practice of august 1938 and british engaged in appeasement until Winston Churchill during the fall of france, and we were isolationists and that gave an inexact on improper or misguided view of the strength of the United States and Great Britain and eventually soviet union and that led in 1941 to three events that change the course of history i think they were the three most momentous events in had the 20th century and change what we knew as wars into the Second World War and that was, of course, the soviet invasion of the german invasion on june 22nd, 19 41 the pearl harbor attack as well as with the next day on singapore and malaysia in december 7th and 8th of 1941 rein inexplicable of fighting of germany and italy and at that point the border wars changed and suddenly the actress who prided themselves on earlier preparation the japings and jer man soldier and their Wonderful Technology pounds themselves basically in a war they could not win. 170 no over 400 Million People and who had a prewar gdp six or seven times larger so then what was that decision about . As historians with dont like to go become and say, that was stupid. At the too many there were all sorts of those that made it wise if you were a german or a japanese or italian planter we dont have time to go through them all but very quickly britain was not able to be defeat by the third right despite occupation of what is new European Union by 1940 in late june. So the idea was that we could be, we being germans could be imhewn from blockades if we turned on our provider the coach. People said they collapsed. They being the russians in world war i france never did. France collapse this time around so soviet union will collapse very quickly so soviet union have been very unprecedented in pol land and spanish war their aid was not very effective so there was a wrong misguided impression that soviets were eager and vend ed in earlier in the french and right per the plucking pee and that the story of the idea that the market never fought a real global were and no ability to go beyond the year old and hit soviet industry, 80 of the transportation was provided by horses. And die a natural death at 42 a question of time for red army to get up to full strength 12. 5 Million People. Second decision is even more because why would you attack the United States when its gdp all during the 20us and 30s often during economically diverse and unpredictable time with anywhere from 10 to 30 times large than jp. It produced about 70 of the worlds oil japan had had 1 , and idea was if you were a japanese thinker that the americans hadnt done anything during the blitz to help their key ally. Holland no longer exist and means indy french were open and southwest asia could be concurred and despite whether to go into the phil pence and bypass or pearl harbor but depression is they have run wild in china and in americans didnt have the wherewithal and didnt know about shipping program in progress to make a fleet within two or years that was larger than all of fleets that participated in world war ii put together. So again, what caused this war is enact impression of what the enemys capabilities are both spiritual and material. And finally hitler declared war in United States partly it was because he felt that he has you votes even though 10 or o 15 active off east coast could think and sink shipping from new york to niewm with ease and more importantly he had a impression that japanese, navy, would occupy the americans and they would never be with able to get across the sea. Atlantic, again, misimreption of American History because remember in world war i we had transported 2 Million People without losing single soldier and produced more artillery shells than frns and britain put together by 1918 so those misimpressions started a war with against a new alliance is as it was communist british, the democrats that the axis could not win nflt we cooperated more closely and more synchronized in the ideological akin actress people or nontransparents by nature dont trust each other. So when they go into russian says you didnt tell me her wakes up wheres pearl harbor japanese are fighting russians they say wow germans just declared a nonaggression tax with our enemy and they did the same thing to the germans before the invasion. The theme then would be to finish one of the themes of world war ii that was just a question in 1942 with ally fight if they did in world war i and settle for arm cyst because at some point these act of powers were going to quit. And answer was we cant do this because the versailles treaty was partly to blame for the present were and in other words worst of both war but didnt address the problem of emasculate jer is man aggression this time we are going to roam berlin, and tokyo and insist and impose Unconditional Surrender in a war and most importantly, we have the wherewithal to do if. The United States and britain have four engine long bombers the idea was soviet union would be supplied 0 of its material needs it would destroy two out of three soldiers with the mark, and out of that had calculation came idea that ally were modern faking that when you get into war you have to address the manpower, industrial reserves of your enemy. Hitler blundered war, in a war with the britain he had no lip capacity, no infib use capacity, incapable of defeating arf and declared war on country that he could not reach new york plus much detroit or San Francisco what was he thinking as i said, it made no sense other than he lived in the world of fantastic but that battle field epic say spiritual intense all of these intangibles would nullify practicality and reality. Some of the question after 42 was released people who have this ideology could they pull it off . If we are in this room june 1942, the answer is yes they were looking down the german army in 70 percent of the of soviet oil was cut off they surrounded stalingrad cut off a river the japanese had 5c battles of love and now. There were 27 carriers eventually there were 140 much they did not know that. There will be invaded and they landed 1942 austria would be cut off and then there is 70 miles from alexander on the way to boost u. S. With the iconic british forced then vanished and within three months stalingrad, the tragedy the germans lost the best premier army of 3,000 people and surrendered 1943 with the british army with those tanks to turn back where the americans landed. The First Marine Division but the japanese could not build and supply the american so it was a question that the allies would insist on Unconditional Surrender the tissue were dealing with 15 million active soldiers of these economies were still damaged so basically how much treasure are you willing to expend to humiliate the germans that would preclude a resurgence. So world war ii became the most deadly event in Human History 65 with the chinese may have been 70 million were killed because it was the first major war where the of losers lost more than the winners 85 of the 65 million were civilians but if you look at the war in the reductionist terms of average people being killed german and japanese soldiers killed unarmed and and uniformed people in Eastern Europe in the soviet union and china 50 Million People that should remind us a little bit when we show up about the of firebombing look at the 27 million killed that 89 million in Eastern Europe people said there the greatest warriors in the world yet they killed 50 Million People who cannot defend themselves and took on major powers that annihilated and humiliated them ending their way of assistance and with a final thought i had a little bit of a different take talking of the weak link because the British Empire at the time but remember britain was the only country was the first and last the only country that went to war not because of a surprise attack on the country but that verified to defy hillary selfing going into british production to occupy europe the worst day of britain was the of bombing of manchester in that entire period with that fighter production in germany so the end of the war with the third reich almost in every category except tank. Japan got off easy in the sense that no nations army killed more people get their courage carnage of in asia but they were not invaded the real story was not the of the atomic bomb but we had idled bombers because the door was open and so he would transfer those Medium Bombers if you can imagine in the armada to fly one Mission Today would make the atomic bomb carnage so the bombs were necessary to save millions of japanese clients justin three months 65 with those be 29 bovvers would do you can imagine so italy got off pretty easily they were an ally of world war i there read the only country to help the homeland fought with the civil war because as we kept the soviets out we occupied in a benign way. So whatever the faults of the allies of World War Two to leave Eastern European the attitude was we just have to be good, not perfect so the primary aim was to destroy a japanese militarism german not seek and italian fascism Everything Else was considered practical with the necessary adjustments of the border. So now i will open for questions think you very much. [applause] good morning victor is a great friend as part of National Review the day of september 11 when this monster is epic attack happened to this country one of the first thoughts we thought what does Victor Hansen have to say about this . Immediately i believe you faxed to us because the mill was not working as you can have imagined it was a compelling read as he reads once a week over 16 years so now he has written a book of grand military history that tastings and i have to say victor davis than sense of congratulations. Was of very well known book. [laughter] we will discuss a little book a little bit that we will ask questions. We dont have a lot of time so we will hit the high points but lets discuss those hinge points of the war so how close after germanys smashing victory was hitler to knocking the british out of the war with the siege of dunkirk . The british would capitulate but churchill made that impossible and he had a great insight it was almost surreal with the generals and admirals napoleon may have made britain but the people of the raf cannot defeat as. So it is inevitable the return they would do that to isolate britain so the of blitzkrieg would not offer that but nobody had ever done that. So that inevitably with the United States for us to see a global war when you start a war it is with the 80th if my enemies homeland but that is exactly what they did. So if you had to say the most important battle of world war ii . Do think it is stalingrad. If you look at where it was with the axis where installed in such dramatic fashion but the prewere army that was is optional part because of the iconic city, it was like being in the expedition for those opinions that they would defeat but of all the 300,000 people the hon period in san romanians and dariens and romanians, but then they would negotiate. But stalingrad was burned. So with it too simplistic to say that they defeated hitler . Yes. They did kill to data three with soviet and british historians it was soviet blood and british knowhow and experience but in our defense for them to concentrate on a single front because the supply locomotives to free them up for what they did best. And then to provide a vivid of they did not fight japan last todays 35 the pacific with the british but 10,000 of their best men were transferred we had the you boat Service Campaign offer the soviets to stop all at a cost with 27 russians so remember normandy and berlin and moscow we acco