VE Day and the British National Story

How collective memory and political diversity shape the sense of Britishness

Photo by Daniel Cooke on Unsplash

Victory in Europe Day, also known as VE Day, commemorates the conclusion of the Second World War in Europe on May 8, 1945, when the Allied Nations accepted the surrender of Nazi Germany. In Britain, a four-day celebration was organized by the government: it began on Monday, May 5, and will run until Thursday, May 8. A military procession and an impressive flypast took place in central London on Monday, with other events to follow, including concerts, exhibitions, public meetings, and commemoration services in churches.

The commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory over Nazism in Europe raises important issues of British national identity, revealing deep layers of the country’s collective memory. It is no exaggeration to say that the modern British nation was largely shaped by the two world wars in the 20th century. And the sense of Britishness, civic unity and belonging to the country emerged thanks to social reforms after the end of the Second World War. It became possible when the creation of the NHS and new housing programs helped to smooth out class contradictions.

Eighty years later, however, social unity is out of the question and British society is atomized and fragmented…