Saturday 31 December 2011

1944 - The end is nigh

At Monte Cassino, a failed gamble
They bombed the monastery, angered the Pope
But the Nazis hid well in the rubble
And made it harder for Allies to cope
Rome freed, D-Day in June, Parisians group
To welcome De Gaulle, then Caen and Brussels
Taken, but problems in Holland. The scope
Of Nazism shrinks, but informers tell
On Anne Frank's family. Warsaw rebels
Too soon, the town destroyed, Soviet tanks roll
In after the Germans leave. The Japs hope
Their suicidal banzai tactics will
Deter Yank progress, enough islands fall
To bomb their mainland - tightening of the rope

Friday 30 December 2011

1943 - Calm down, calm down

The siege of Leningrad, and Stalingrad
Then Kursk, Soviet defence becomes attack
White Rose students, Warsaw Ghetto Jews said
No to the Nazis though prospects were black
As villages are torched by the wolfpack
In Belarus, and Chinese massacres
The new Chinese leader is Chiang Kai-Shek
Attending meetings with Allied leaders
Sicily invaded, Mussolini's
Replaced, mainland Italy invaded
Naples spontaneously rises to kick
Out the Germans. Young John F Kennedy's
A hero, saving his crew's lives, a hard
Swim in the Pacific, but they get back

Thursday 29 December 2011

1942 - Come on now, stop fighting like children!

The US fights Japan in Philippines
The Coral Sea, Midway, Guadalcanal
Eventually halting the Japanese
Though ill-equipped Britain could do little
To save Singapore, Burma - so brittle
Its eastern Empire - Gandhi arrested...
The Desert Rats finally beat Rommel
And Montgomery is well tried and tested
The Germans regroup in Russia, undid
The Soviets at Kharkov, but Stalin learns
To take Red Army advice, and this will
Help them win this winter at Stalingrad
At Wannsee they plot that by any means
Camps will be built and solutions final

Wednesday 28 December 2011

1941 - Oops - it's another war on two fronts

The '41 North African campaign
Saw Brits and Aussies beat Italians
But not Rommel's tough Afrika Korps men
Despite Lindbergh's views, Lend-Lease now begins
The States in naval conflict with Germans
Vichy France headed by Petain, Laval
At least they stop France fighting for 'the Huns'
FDR works closely with our Churchill
And seems to ignore warnings about Pearl
Harbour soon being attacked by Japan
Yugoslavia's new king, his allegiance
Switched to the Allies, means Hitler curtails
Invasion of Russia til the Balkan
Area is subdued, ruining all his plans

Tuesday 27 December 2011

1940 - He missed the bus but caught the express train

1940, start of food rationing
In Britain. Over in the USA
Conscription into the army begins
And they lend ships and build aircraft though they
Are still neutral. Germans invade Norway
And Denmark, while Russia fights in Finland
Just after Chamberlain thought he could say
'Hitler has missed the bus.' That's not the end -
The Germans invade Benelux and send
The Brits scrambling from Dunkirk, then forging
On to Paris and French surrender. Play
That recording of Churchill's speech to fend
Off bombs falling on London, and falling
On Coventry and Sheffield day by day

Monday 26 December 2011

1939 - Best of enemies

1939, year of infamy
The carving up of Czechoslovakia
France reneges on commitments over the
Eastern end of Europe, leading to a
Free hand for Germany and for Russia
In doing what they like, splitting Poland
In two, half each, even though Herr Hitler
Has written of his hatred of Slavs and
Communists, though Stalin's Soviet Union
Did also confer with the Allies. We
Do not want to deal with them, however
So they've been forced into a pact with them -
The Nazis - who plan to crush our Navy
In secret plans by 1944

Sunday 25 December 2011

1938 - It'll be Snow White on the night

It's Christmas Day today must I must write
About history, as still is my wont
As I go through the years. This silent night
I'm up to 1938, which won't
Bring peace or joy to mankind, but the sound
Of goose-stepping troops first in Vienna
Then before long in the Sudetenland
Not only that, but Jews were forbade a
Passport to freedom by exterior
So-called democracies...and Crystal Night
Wasn't enough to change that. Underground
Oil reserves found in Saudi Arabia
That hitherto nomadic tribal site
And we see the first screening of Snow White

Saturday 24 December 2011

1937 - Not a lot of laughs to be had

The Moscow Show Trials continue this year
Of '37, of Old Bolsheviks
Army men, and anyone causing fear
In Stalin's mind that he could be out-tricked
And less popular than them, and so strict
Methods of gaining confessions were used
Those who weren't shot after the sure verdict
Were sent to labour camps and there misused
Mostly soon dying anyway. The fuse
Of war was lit in the east, China's near
Neighbour Japan invading with some quick
Victories but terrible massacres
Falangists also wreak abuse through war
In Spain, where Nazis mount aerial attacks

Friday 23 December 2011

1936 - We three kings of Britain are

In this old year of 1936
King George V dies, and Edward VIII
In turn gives way to that King George VI
You know, the one that stammered but did great
In the end with his radio speech. The flight
Heroine Amy Johnson cuts the tape
Opening the first Butlins holiday site
In Skegness. He climbed a ladder to take
Baby Lindbergh four years earlier, now baked
On the electric chair, a German sits
The Arabs in Palestine rise to fight
Increasing Jewish settlers on the make
Peter and the Wolf, and Gone With The Wind's
Out there to hear and read if you can't wait

Thursday 22 December 2011

1935 - The dust doesn't settle

In '35 Italy rules Libya
The first briefs and the first canned beer are sold
An attempted Greek coup ends in failure
The Germans rearm despite what was told
In the Versailles Treaty. The worst Dust Bowl
Period hits the States. Meanwhile Sun Myung Moon
Thinks he is taking over Jesus' role
FDR's New Deal continues and soon
Things would improve there, but sadly a loon
Shot Huey Long in Louisiana
His wealth redistribution movement killed
Comedian Will Rogers crashed to his doom
Italy attacks Ethiopia
And Mao's war strategy becomes more bold

1934 - Bad start, happy end

Today I felt real ill after last night
I threw up in the morning and then went
To work, not feeling well enough to eat
Until lunchtime, when I went out and spent
A quid or two in the small newsagent
A pie, packet of crisps and a Daim Bar
Which used to be called Dime Bar, when it meant
Something, but, hey, there ain't nothing like a
Daim, because it's meaningless. Rushed home for
A phone call about mortgages, and quite
A long call it was. Then out with a friend
I've not known long. Did not go to a bar
We went to the Quays where we had a bite
Then back to hers, now I'm back home again

Tuesday 20 December 2011

1933 - Deal or no deal

In '33 Hitler is Chancellor
The Nazis enact laws imprisoning
The German people, and against the Jew
All their opponents are stopped from working
In professional careers. The first drafting
Of the plan for a state called Pakistan
In March, FDR takes over, begins
The fearless New Deal for Americans
His fireside chats on the radio and
Big schemes to fight the Depression which were
Still not socialist. Dow Jones starts rising...
Germany, Japan leave League of Nations
Einstein emigrates to America
Stalin and Co leave the Ukraine starving

Monday 19 December 2011

1932 - In a depressed state

In '32 German democracy
Fell, a victim of the Great Depression
Unelected Chancellors by decree
And by degrees, thanks to old President
Hindenburg, called quite a few elections
But the voters sadly voted Nazi
In increasing numbers. Coalitions
Being what they are, just wouldn't hold, and the
Reichstag being dissolved repeatedly
Hermann Goering as Senate chairman- he
Supported Hitler's tough machinations
The President and Chancellors thought they
Could outmanoevre Adolf. Unhappily
They were wrong, and he'd be Chancellor soon

Sunday 18 December 2011

1931 - Things were falling apart

In 1931 a republic
Replaced Alfonso's monarchy in Spain
His price for supporting dictatorship
Anti-church, pro-autonomy, Catalans
Were free, but soon the army would regain
Unity under Franco. Ataturk
Transforming Turkey as financial pain
Spreads from the States to Europe, does its work
In Austria, damning Germans to the murk
Of poverty and racism. The sick
Mind of Hitler almost flows down the drain
With niece Geli's suicide. And a stark
Warning from China, invaded by trick
Japanese dynamite on railway line

Saturday 17 December 2011

1930 - Not so magic bus

Walked miles and miles, my heels are both aching
But it was nice apart from at the start
When me and Josie got wet while standing
At the bus stop for a bus that's so late
It doesn't come at all. Twice we got wet
Two showers at that bus stop, all for naught
But some nice guy stopped his car and said 'Get
In!' and took us to town. We later caught
The bus from town to Altrincham, we thought
We could spend some time at the skating rink
It was full though, no tickets could be bought
So we got the tram to Manchester, walked
Through the Christmassy town centre, finding
A rink there, and no rain - it's time to skate!

Friday 16 December 2011

1929 - Another one bites the dust

The Wall Street Crash of 1929
May or may not have caused the Depression
But it caused panic and banks lost big time
Which meant there was no money left in them
So many went bust. And just about then
The Dust Bowl covered the Mid-West, causing
The Grapes of Wrath. Chicago's Al Capone
And friends wiped out some rivals, by luring
Them into a room and machine-gunning
Them, then leaving dressed as cops, but Al's time
Was nearing an end, like Prohibition
St Valentine's Day was not so loving
That year, but at least the Pope could show signs
Of hope, in his new state, the Vatican

Thursday 15 December 2011

1928 - All these things that I have done

It's been a busy day off work - I got
Up sort of early (for me), had a shower
Hair wash, orange juice, but no breakfast yet
Read up on 1928, bit lower
On incident than some years, but some dire
Serial killers that year. Ate, then out to
Post Christmas cards and get some post from Claire
And next year's calendar from the depot
(Which I had designed a few nights ago
Online). Got food too, and read for a bit
Watched the news, wrote some lyrics, phoned to clear
Up my mortgage arrangements, watched a show
(The Last Waltz) on disc, practised my songs, put
On two new CDs, wrote this... Next? Not sure!!

Wednesday 14 December 2011

1927 - Two big wheels

Two great men of history, prominent
In 1927, were Gandhi
Instigator of new non-violent
Tactics of opposition, and Trotsky
Soviet theorist and organiser, he
Did as much as anyone in '17
To win in Petrograd, the Red Army
Subsequently expanded, a machine
With Communist heart. Mahatma was keen
To overthrow British rule, to prevent
India's split by religion, and help the
Untouchables, though some vented their spleen
Tried to kill him, and did so in the end
As did power-hungry Stalin to Trotsky

Tuesday 13 December 2011

1926 - Unlucky strike

1926, and the General Strike
Lasted for a few crucial days in May
Led by the miners. Churchill didn't like
Their disruption of transport, felt okay
With using force of arms, but Baldwin stayed
Moderate, and it cooled down, miners losing
The fight for reasonable hours and fair pay
Post-war exports slump virtually dictating
Poor conditions, but sympathy resting
With the poor workers long after, just like
Their eighties counterparts. In China, they
Were in turmoil, three governments competing
For power. The Kuomintang alliance broke
With the Communists, and so it would stay

Monday 12 December 2011

1925 - Fear of fun

What's going on? Well, Christmas is so near
Yet I've just started preparing for it
Last night online, bought Louis' computer
At lunchtime (on strike) Christmas cards were wrote
And dished out at work. The plan for tonight
Is to watch a game in the Walkabout
Chelsea against Man City, although it
Should have been supporting Janet who's out
Doing her Jewish comic act. I thought
She was good last time, and ideas appeared
In my head that I'd like to once more treat
An audience to my own humour, without
Getting as nervous or as sick with fear
As in the 90s, when I tried and quit

Sunday 11 December 2011

1924 - Latest news from 1924

By '24, Stalin's firmly in charge
Purges increase in scope, fear and famine
This year sees Ramsay MacDonald emerge
As the first Labour PM of Britain
Though soon replaced by Tory, S. Baldwin
Hitler's in prison, writes a nasty book
In the States, the new big thing is Gershwin
While Coolidge says little and rides his luck
Not so Matteotti, stabbed in the back
Of a car by fascists. It's not alleged
The Duce knew, but the King seems sanguine
Mallory may climb Everest but gets stuck
Germany's reparations payments urged
While Ibn Saud takes Arabia for his kin

Saturday 10 December 2011

1923 - Living and dying on an island

In '23 the Irish Civil War
Concluded with a Free State victory
The IRA, some of whom had been for,
Some against the Anglo-Irish Treaty
Had fought among themselves, but the anti-
Faction ran out of steam, de Valera
Admitting defeat, though reluctantly
And with Fianna Fail in later years
He'd stay put, but with Lemass taking a
More pragmatic, modern way than before
Disaster in Japan in '23
A great earthquake, Tokyo, Yokohama
Flattened, then burned by fire, so now the law
States buildings must be strong, people ready

Friday 9 December 2011

1922 - In search of a lost year

This was the year 'Ulysses' was published
As well as Joyce, another genius, Proust
This year found his life and his work finished
Joyce, Proust, and Picasso all drank a toast
Together no doubt when they met, this most
Select dinner also attended by
Diaghilev and Stravinsky, and Proust
It's said, annoyed pretentious Stravinsky
By asking 'Do you like Beethoven?' Why
Did right-wing Germans shoot Rathenau? This
After Erzberger last year, showed the truth
The rise of intolerance in Germany
This year also saw the March of Fascists
On Rome, and the BBC's birth to boot

Thursday 8 December 2011

1921 - Vanishing borders

The eurozone's melting like Arctic ice
Maybe that's because of iron German rule
And French collaboration - that's not nice
We learn about democracy in school
But where's the process, the vote? They can't fool
Even their own populations, who shout
Their opposition, demonstrate, and call
For occupation of Brussels, Frankfurt
In tents they shiver, maybe long-haired louts
Or maybe our future, outside the vice
Of centralisation of capital
Billionaires controlling shadow markets
These are the new dictators, force applies
Once more like in the thirties, harsh and cruel

Wednesday 7 December 2011

1920 - The twenties start to roar

Sacco and Vanzetti, bombs in Wall Street
J. Edgar Hoover investigating
Reds, who back in Russia would soon defeat
The Whites, Kolchak caught, eastern troops freezing
New American President, Harding
The League of Nations moves to Geneva
Prohibition starts, stops Yanks from drinking
Turkey loses its empire, new leader
Zionists move to Israel, post-Balfour
Ireland partitioned, North and South discrete
The Southern IRA freedom-fighting
Kapp Putsch, Ruhr Red Army, early Hitler
Greece tried and failed to expand to the east
In 1920 this was happening

Tuesday 6 December 2011

1919 - Red Terror

The Communists were still ruling Russia
In 1919, invading Ukraine
To suppress independence claimed last year
The other republics would get the same
The Cheka spread Red Terror, all untamed
Lenin would beat the Whites at all costs. In
The States, large labour strikes broke out, the flames
Of reactionary counter-revolution
Were fanned there, as with German rebellion
By the left's motley crew, brief disorder
Put down by the Freikorps, war veterans
Hired by the Weimar regime. In Scotland
There were even tanks in Glasgow, the fear
Everywhere, Bolsheviks bringing ruin

Monday 5 December 2011

1918 - World War One (Part Five)

1918 - the map redrawn again
Though uncertainty dragged on til '19
The western front joined by Americans
The exhaustion of the German machine
Their best men gone, sapped by the Somme and Aisne
The Marne and Amiens, despite the end
Of the eastern front, Russia's men being
Removed from the war, communist Lenin's
Priority being the preserving
Of Marxism itself, Lithuanian
Ukrainian, Georgian, Armenian regimes
Poland freeing themselves, and the breaking
Up of Austria and Hungary. German
Sailors mutinied, end of war's dark dream

Sunday 4 December 2011

1917 - World War One (Part Four)

1917 - year that shook the world
Everything was collapsing all around
The flag of Armageddon was unfurled
On fields of France and Flanders' muddy ground
Vimy Ridge, Passchendaele, the Aisne, all drowned
In mud and bullets. The Germans' supplies
Low from British sea blockade, meant they'd mount
All-out U-boat war. When Americans died
In merchant ships bringing arms, the Yanks cried
For revenge, and mobilised. Russia's spoiled
Empire, by war finally overthrown
First the Tsar in February, then they tried
Pursuing liberal war, but soviets hurled
Them out, abolishing all bank accounts

Saturday 3 December 2011

1916 - World War One (Part Three)

Zeppelins drop bombs on London and Paris
Unreliable, liable to catch fire
Tanks cut through barbed wire to the Somme trenches
Of the Germans, but casualties were high
A million, 60% the Allies
The Somme was a sideshow, because Verdun
Was where the real German thrust lay - it lies
Before the plains of Champagne that lead on
To Paris. The French held firm. Attrition
There and even more at the Somme, the kiss
Of death, battle of equals, shells and wire
Yet France was a sideshow - the real German
War aim had been Russia, and maybe this
Tantalising goal would tempt them again

Friday 2 December 2011

1915 - World War (Part Two)

In 1915 the World War progressed
Not at all, trenches static, give or take
The odd mile. U-boats and ships clashed from west
Of Chile to Korea. Both sides make
Advances, the British trial the break-
Through of the tank, while the Germans try gas
On the Russians, then the French, the Canuck
And Brits fighting near Ypres. The stalemate was
Established in the west, so the ruse was
To help Russia in the more fluid east
A sea route to supply them. But mistakes
Were made at Gallipoli. There were wars
At home as the Liberals split - Asquith's best
Had failed, and Lloyd-George now played for high stakes

Thursday 1 December 2011

1914 - World War One (Part One)

Franz Ferdinand was shot, Sarajevo
Late June '14 by a cross Bosnian Serb
He was the heir to Austria-Hungary, so
The Austrians felt justified to disturb
Serbian land. The Germans thought this superb
Russia will react, mobilise, and then
Germany will react in turn and curb
The growing Russian military threat when
The German force was still the stronger one
France was allied to Russia and also
Britain, who said they would stand by Belgian
Neutrality. The Germans struck east, though
Also west, soon into stalemate absorbed