As war again rages in Europe, VE Day reminds us all what’s at stake

Eighty years ago this week, the streets of London erupted in joy. Flags waved, crowds sang, and church bells tolled across the English capital as Nazi Germany surrendered, ending nearly six years of devastating war in Europe.

It would become forever known as Victory in Europe – or VE – Day.

Among the many messages British prime minister Winston Churchill received in the hours that followed was one from Australia’s high commissioner in London, Stanley Melbourne Bruce.

A Gallipoli veteran, former prime minister, and now Australia’s most senior diplomat in the empire, Bruce had clashed several times with Churchill during the war. But on this day, there was no tension, only tribute.

“In this your hour of triumph and achievement – the greatest accorded to any man in history – I send you my hearty gratitude,” he wrote on May 9.

Churchill’s reply, dated May 15, was equally gracious, saying their bond had deepened through shared struggle.

“I value especially this message coming from you, as I know well how much you yourself have helped in bringing about this great consummation of our efforts,” he wrote.

Today, with war again raging in Europe and democratic values under siege in parts of the Indo-Pacific, the story of Bruce and Churchill – and Australia’s wartime choices – remains strikingly relevant.

When Britain declared war on Germany in 1939, Australia followed with patriotic resolve. But as the war dragged on and Britain’s capacity to defend the Pacific diminished, doubts emerged. Confidence in British command faltered, especially after the fall of Singapore in 1942, a disaster Churchill downplayed but which Australia’s then prime minister, John Curtin, described as “Australia’s Dunkirk”.

Faced with the growing threat from Japan, Curtin made the historic decision to recall Australian troops from the Middle East and declared that Australia would look to America for defence. It was a defining moment that exposed cracks in the relationship with Britain – and with Churchill himself.

At times, some in Australia questioned whether British leadership could be sustained. While such discussions were ultimately dismissed, they reflected real concern that loyalty to the mother country might come at an unsustainable cost.

Bruce knew war’s grim reality firsthand. As a young officer at Gallipoli, he was badly wounded, an experience that shaped his belief in imperial unity tempered by the need for Australia’s voice to be heard.

As high commissioner from 1933, Bruce watched Churchill’s rise with cautious admiration. When Churchill invited him to join the war cabinet in 1942, it was both a courtesy and a test. Bruce soon clashed with Churchill over a plan to prioritise Bomber Command. He objected to not only the proposal but to how it bypassed military hierarchy. Churchill bristled. Bruce, disillusioned, resigned in 1943 – but remained a vital link between Curtin and Downing Street.

When VE Day came, Bruce’s tribute was sincere. His differences with Churchill had never overshadowed his respect for what the British leader had achieved.

Victory in Europe was only part of the story. The war in the Pacific raged on until Japan surrendered in August. But VE Day was a watershed. Those celebrating in grainy black-and-white photos were not just rejoicing; they were expressing relief and modest hopes for a better world.

Australia paid dearly for that hope. It lost 27,073 men and women in the fight against Nazi and Japanese forces – 9572 in Europe and 17,501 in brutal battles across the Pacific. These sacrifices, and the scars borne by survivors, shaped the nation’s identity and commitment to the Allied cause.

Now, as Ukrainians resist Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s invasion and war again redraws Europe’s map, those fragile hopes are tested again. Once more, the world must ask: How far will it go to stand with a sovereign nation under siege?

For Australia – a middle power with a proud history of defending democracy – the answer matters. As in 1945, distant wars will, in time, touch us. We have already contributed to Ukraine’s resistance, but this moment demands more than tokenism.

The coalition that stood firm in 1945 was not built on convenience. It was forged through hardship and held together by principle. Churchill and Bruce did not always agree, but they understood a basic truth: tyranny unchecked would spread.

The war in Ukraine has seen many countries unite to support Kyiv, but as peace talks falter and Putin shows little sign of backing down, the road ahead remains fraught. Even President Donald Trump, who once suggested he could negotiate an end to the war within 24 hours, is beginning to understand the complexities of peacemaking.

It’s easy to talk about deals from a distance; it’s much harder to achieve them in the face of an unyielding autocrat who has no intention of surrendering his territorial ambitions. The cost of making concessions to Putin – or any aggressor – would not only embolden Russia but also undermine the principles that Churchill, Bruce, and the wartime alliance fought to preserve.

As Churchill reminded the world that day: “We must now devote all our strength and resources to the completion of our task, both at home and abroad. Long live the cause of freedom!”

That task remains unfinished, and freedom still demands vigilance. The world must unite again, not just to stop Putin, but to protect the foundation of the international order established after World War II.

Eighty years on, the choices we make will shape the world our children inherit. Like those who celebrated VE Day in 1945, we face a test – not just of resolve, but of values.

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