The Battle of Britain was a series of aerial conflicts over Britain from July-September 1940. The German Luftwaffe was tasked with establishing aerial supremacy over Great Britain in preparation for a naval invasion. Adolf Hitler had assumed the British would surrender after their complete evacuation from the European mainland and the capitulation of France. As such, the German army and navy had no plans or preparations for a naval invasion. Only Hermann Göring, Air Marshal of the German Luftwaffe, expressed confidence in attacking Great Britain. With Winston Churchill unwilling to capitulate to German rule of the mainland, it was eventually clear to Hitler that an invasion of Great Britain was necessary to bring hostilities to an end. The only hope for the Germans was to control the air and suppress the British Royal Navy while their troops crossed the channel. As such, the German air force was tasked with suppressing the British Royal Air Force (RAF) to provide safe passage for a vulnerable landing attempt against the superior Royal Navy.
However, things would not go according to plan for the Germans. The British had superior fighter craft and the German attacks were ineffective at thinning out the RAF. Significant casualties were inflicted on the British population as the Germans tried to deteriorate the will of the British people to continue resisting. However, this came at a high cost to German fighters and bombers, resulting in a net loss of equipment. German aircraft were shot down faster than they could be replaced. Unable to reliably down British aircraft, and unable to bomb the population into submission, Hitler eventually called off plans for an invasion of Great Britain and turned instead to invading the Soviet Union. After months of responding to near-constant bombing raids, the RAF outlasted the Luftwaffe and spared the British island from German invasion. Years later, the British coastline would be used to launch Operation Overlord when British, American, and Candian troops would cross the English Channel and turn the tables against the Axis.
Winston Churchill refused to capitulate to Germany or recognize Hitler’s rule over the European mainland.
Over 1,700 RAF aircraft were destroyed during the Battle of Britain with over 1,500 airmen killed. Nearly 50,000 civilians were killed or wounded by the air raids before the German Luftwaffe backed off. The Germans lost almost 2,000 aircraft and over 2,500 airmen before giving up on the offensive.
From the perspective of the Allies, the Battle of Britain was a dark and somber time. The European mainland was ceded completely to the Germans and Soviets. France was under German occupation. The British had abandoned the mainland. To many, the air raids over Britain seemed to be the beginning of the end. Nevertheless, this was not so. The British RAF held their own against the Luftwaffe until the Germans backed off, bringing the people of the Allies some semblance of hope.
Hermann Göring was the leader of the German Air Force during WWII, and the only German military leader with a plan to attack Great Britain.
The world has fallen Darkness rises over all Hope begins to fade
Time grinds to halt The whole world seems to stand still What will happen next?
A time of monsters We come to the darkest hour A time of heroes
The German Luftwaffe attempted to exhaust the British air defenses in preparation for a naval invasion.
Doom is upon us But the light has not fallen Brave souls do yet stand
They take to the skies Demons fly across the sea And angels meet them
Uncertainty looms Death rains from skies on fire People hide below
The RAF “Spitfire” was one of the British aircraft which was instrumental in defending against the German air raids.
Flesh and metal grind The skies fill with flame and blood With no end in sight
Through struggle they grow Selfless souls fly into hell To the stars they go
Their efforts prevail Day and night, they stay the flame Taming the dark beast
As the air raids dragged on, many British people opted to emerge from their shelters and get on with their lives despite the dangers of the war.
The people hold strong Across the ages they stand To meet this moment
The beast wails in pain Unable to bear the truth That hope still remains
The beast turns away Aching from its wounded state The light still may shine
The RAF was established in WWI. Their motto translates to, “through adversity to the stars” in Latin.
This weekend was the 810th anniversary of the Battle of Las Navas De Tolosa. On July 16th, 1212, the Reconquista defeated the Muslim invaders of Spain and marked a turning point in the liberation of the country. Spain had been occupied by Muslim slavers for five centuries, with a small resistance movement slowly taking back territory in the north bit by bit. After they had liberated half the country, the situation escalated. The Muslims amassed a huge army of volunteers, traitors, and slaves to reinvade northern Spain.
Pope Innocent III received the declaration of war and called for Christian warriors from across the lands to muster for a defense. Thus, a new Crusade began, and Alfonso VIII of Castile took charge of the Reconquista. The Spanish Christians were outnumbered, but better equipped and were volunteers with hearts filled with passion. A force of 12,000 heavily armed and armored warriors stood against the ragtag group of 30,000 scantily clad conscripts. The enemies fell in droves, but their numbers allowed them to withstand such losses.
The Christians eventually grew weary and lost hope. They began to flee, and Alfonso took the initiative to lead a cavalry charge. With their flags bearing the cross and the Son, Alfonso and his men rallied their troops and broke through the Muslim lines. They slaughtered the slave warriors chained together and scattered the rest who could run. The tide was turned and the enemy was routed. This battle was one of the great triumphs of freedom over slavery and it is an inspiring tale to behold.
Terror spreads throughout the land Fiends pillage and enslave the weak A great heresy is their marching band Where they go, havoc does wreak
Yet brave souls prosper to the north Carrying the sword of the cross Piece by piece, they move forth Reclaiming the land that was lost
The slaver king cries out in vain Against the return of the light The Lord has come to free the land of Spain To push out the heretical blight
Hope is kindled near every bend Light spreads to the darkest corner A scourge of five centuries comes to an end The Lord has come to restore His order
The slaver king fumes with rage Wailing from his throne of flesh and chains Against the Lord, he sets his cage With malice flowing through his veins
An artist’s depiction of Alfonso’s cavalry charge against the Muslim slave soldiers.
The heretics know their end draws near The time for them to drown in shame The Lord's men come for that most dear To reclaim the lost land of Spain
Men of God muster from across all the lands To Crusade once more against the darkness Pushing back the heretics and slaver bands The Reconquista comes to redeem us
A force of warrior monks and knights Volunteers with hearts strong and calm To battle the slave hordes of Muslim fright And restore the realm of Christendom
The army of God amassed as one Met with a sea of demons of all types Knights in armor shining in the sun The agents of the Adversary a force of all stripes
Traitors, slaves, and volunteers filled the heretic ranks Dressed in rags and chains with flesh exposed Some came willingly, others dragged without thanks Others came in madness with their minds disposed
The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa is said to have involved so many men that there was no room for archers.
The light and dark clashed without end in sight Outnumbered at large was the Army of God Yet unyielding and undeterred as they kept up the fight Determined to break the heretics' fascade
A momenet then came When hope faultered briefly The army of light flew in shame As the dark horde stood steeply
But Alfonso stood tall When he heard that cry of doom He charged forth without fear nor stall Into the thick of the blood plume
There was no victory in sight With the darkness vast and shrill Though God's men stood still to keep the fight To embody His everlasting will
Armor clashed against flesh and chain Freeman against the slave Fighting for the fate of Spain For a future bright or grave
Another depiction of Alfonso’s cavalry charge against the Muslim slave soldiers.
And the light shines in the darkness Ever bright and ever pure The darkness shall not overcome His greatness The future shall at last be secure
At long last the chains did break And the heretics fell to the sword Fallen ground was now God's to retake Freedom was Spain's reward
The Reconquista prevailed By God's mighty grace The enemy was assailed Now peace, Spain may embrace
Praise be to the Lord He who is never to know loss He who sends us men of war Men who wield the sword of the cross
The Third Great Awakening was a global religious revival beginning in the United States. The movement lasted from 1855-1930. The focus of the revival was briefly altered by the American Civil War, but the movement was not halted. The Third Great Awakening can be recognized as a distinct social movement from the Second Great Awakening, occurring directly after and as a result of the Second Great Awakening. Whereas the Second Great Awakening was a religious revival across the United States, mainly on the country’s frontiers, the Third Great Awakening was a revival in the cities that spread out to the world and became a global phenomenon. Prominent figures of the Third Great Awakening include Dwight Moody and William J. Seymour, among several others.
Lighting the Lost Cities
Dwight Lyman Moody was working at this uncle’s shoe store when a man named Edward Kimball visited and spoke to Moody about the love of Jesus Christ. This prompted Moody to join Kimball’s Sunday school at Mt. Vernon so he could learn more. Moody shortly thereafter devoted his life to serving God and found his way to the city of Chicago, Illinois where he became involved with the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). Moody started his own school known as Moody’s Mission School where he reached out to the youth of the inner city who were lost and confused. He opened the Illinois Street Church in 1864. As his followers grew, more and more people came to hear what he had to say from all over the major city.
A portrait of Dwight Lyman Moody
Whereas the First and Second Great Awakening were largely born out of the frontiers of the United States – out in the wilderness or small towns – the Third Great Awakening brought religious revival straight to a major city for the first time at the onset. This makes sense, as that was where the need was concentrated during this time, and where a revival could make the biggest difference. The United States had expanded from coast to coast and was on the brink of civil war due to the dehumanization of black slaves. Poverty ran rampant in the major cities and many had turned away from their roots which had built the strong nation. The Third Great Awakening would also be instrumental in seeing the American people through the firestorm which was about to be unleashed.
The Nation Breaks
Stress was at an all-time high across the United States leading up to the outbreak of the American Civil War. Tensions led to physical fights in the halls of Congress. Propaganda efforts went into full swing to justify the enslavement of black Americans and counter the Abolitionist activists. Cooperation between the North and South deteriorated over the issue of slavery. After the North refused to capture and extradite black slaves who had escaped across the border from the South, the Southern States seceded from the Union and formed the Confederate States of America. For a brief time, it seemed as if there might be peace as the nation divorced into two separate countries. However, this did not last, and before long the two sides came to blows at the Battle of Fort Sumter.
Even though this was a tumultuous and divisive time, D.L. Moody saw the mobilization of troops through major cities as an opportunity to spread the word of God. He first preached to Union soldiers at Camp Douglas outside Chicago. His efforts would take him across the country to other cities, military bases, and battlefields. Moody preached to both Union and Confederate troops. He helped to bolster the spirits of the Union troops fighting to end slavery. Moody also served to guide Confederate troops toward reconciliation and to question the cause they were fighting for. Above all, he brought much-needed comfort to the young men and boys suffering on both sides of the battlefield.
The Light Spreads
D.L. Moody continued his work through the end of the American Civil War, returning to his school in Chicago after the cessation of the conflict. After his school was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire, he took that as a sign to take his mission abroad. Moody traveled across the United Kingdom and Ireland for a brief time before coming back to the United States. During this time, he trained many missionaries who would go out and spread his message of unity among Christians and the bridging of denominational divides. When he returned to the U.S., he began traveling around the country preaching and training new missionaries until he died in 1899. This resulted in missionaries traveling to Europe and Asia, with revivals starting up in Britain and Korea as a result.
Around this time, another prominent figure would undertake a similar journey of training missionaries to travel the globe and spread the word of God. That person was William J. Seymour who began what is referred to as the Asuza Street Revival in 1906. Seymour was a black preacher who drew large crowds of poor, rich, black, white, and everyone in between. As with Moody, many of those who attended Seymour’s sermons became missionaries who would travel abroad. This spread the word of God to Africa and Asia, as well as other parts of the United States. The Manchurian Revival of 1908 may also be considered part of the Third Great Awakening and was affected by these missionaries.
A photograph of William J. Seymour
W.J. Seymour was the son of freed black slaves born in the wake of emancipation. He was learning to be a pastor under Charles Parham at a church in Houston, Texas. Here, he was preaching while Neely Terry was visiting from Los Angeles. She was impressed with his speaking ability and his message, and so she invited him to come to L.A. and preach. Seymour accepted and was on his way to California. During this time, there was internal conflict when members of the Holiness Church Association of Southern California rejected his message. However, other members of the community helped Seymour continue to preach by providing him with a place to stay and a new location to meet.
Seymour drew large and diverse crowds, bringing people together in the bitterness of the post-Civil War era. This helped heal the divide in the nation, as many were unhappy about the peace which had been brokered. Also, many struggled to forgive one another after so much blood was shed. The American Civil War was the bloodiest and most socially-destructive conflict in the history of the United States. Family members had been made to hate one another. Neighbors fought and killed each other. Fathers were turned against sons and there were many times when the fragile peace seemed it would be lost and the people would take up arms against their fellow countrymen once more.
However, Seymour’s work served to teach people about the importance of forgiveness. No matter how hard it might have been, the American people would have to make peace with one another or become the architects of their own destruction. As the word of God spread throughout the American people, they stumbled their way into peace, even if they could not forget the horrors they had inflicted on one another. Over time, many also came to see the former black slaves as fellow Americans too, united as one under God. In the end, while resentments and divides would remain, enough was healed in time for the United States to stand as one unified country during the Great War that would become known as World War I and World War II.
The End and the Beginning
The Third Great Awakening overlapped with the Great War. Many consider WWI and WWII to be the same conflict with a 10-year armistice. This was the deadliest armed conflict in human history which culminated with the Axis Powers battling against the Allies for control of the globe. The world shifted and tore itself apart piece by piece. Friends became foes as there were many betrayals and the sides were not so clear. Marxism – the Gnostic ideology which inverted many teachings of the Bible – split into fascism and communism, with the Nazis and the Soviets becoming the most prominent faces of the two new ideologies. Communism stayed true to traditional Marxism, whereas fascism was “Marxism perfected” as Adolf Hitler would say. They were two sides of one coin who both perceived each other as heretics.
The Americans, British, and Nationalist Chinese found themselves in an unlikely alliance with the Soviet Union while the Germans, Japanese, and Italians forged equally perplexing bonds. At this time, most countries on Earth would eventually find themselves in one of the two camps. Perhaps by coincidence, or perhaps not, the countries which were recipients of missionaries from the Third Great Awakening tended to find themselves on the side of the Allies. The unified Americans would produce much of the hardware supplied to the Allies throughout the conflict and would have troops fighting in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Many South Africans, Koreans, and Nationalist Chinese also fought against the Axis Powers alongside the Americans and British. In the wake of the conflict, the Nationalist Chinese would sustain the Republic of China on Taiwan in the face of the red terror from Communist China. The South Koreans would also hold the line decades later against the consuming horde of Communist Chinese, North Koreans, and Soviet tanks.
The Manchurian Revival spread the Third Great Awakening to China and Korea.
A Light Shines Ever In the Dark
The Third Great Awakening was instrumental in both healing and unifying the American people after the bitter American Civil War, and in preparing them for the role they would play in the battles to come. The missionaries produced from the Third Great Awakening also provided connections across the globe which helped shape the alliance which strike down the Axis Powers and stand against the dark specter of Communism left in their place. This prevented the world from being completely consumed for a time and helped to pull the people of Earth out of the dark places made by the horrors of the Great War and Cold War.
The Second Great Awakening was a major religious revival in the United States which took place between 1795-1835, spreading to Britain in the final phase. Prominent figures of the Second Great Awakening including individuals such as Barton Stone and Charles Finney, among others. The Second Great Awakening saw many uneducated believers take on leadership roles, advocating for the perspective that anyone of any background could choose to play a major role in spreading God’s word. Additionally, many black Americans became converted as a result of the Second Great Awakening. Over the ensuing decades, this would empower the Abolitionist movement and ultimately lead to the American Civil War.
Origins of the Revival
Following the American Revolution, many American Christians resorted back to their denominational divisions. They had achieved the ultimate goal of the First Great Awakening in the American Revolutionary War, separating from the British Empire and founding a new nation based explicitly on Biblical principles. With peace and independence achieved, the Colonies-turned-States once more became divided. The Articles of Confederation did not create a stable government as the Constitution later would. Also, after justifying armed rebellion against the British crown, armed rebellion was in turn justified against the new American government. Many free and enslaved black Americans had fought in the Revolution based on promises of freedom, liberty, and justice. These promises were unfulfilled due to the economic dependence on slavery in the Southern States.
Barton Stone was one of the first to conduct the “camp meetings” of the Second Great Awakening.
Stone’s first camp meeting is said to have been attended by up to 25,000 participants. This would put the number in attendance far above the population of Cane Ridge at the time which was approximately 2,000. If such estimates are correct, people from all over must have traveled to attend the week-long meeting. In the second phase of the Second Great Awakening, Timothy Dwight saw a similar revival at Yale College led by the student body. Dwight was an evangelical and was president at the school. During his time there, he served as a contrast to much of the secular/rationalist thought which was predominant in academia, which was why he expressed surprise at the revival which occurred at the school.
A portrait of Timothy Dwight by John Trumbull.
Message and Spread of the Revival
A different aspect of the Second Great Awakening which set it apart from the first was the engagement of uneducated and illiterate people as spiritual leaders. This included many freed black slaves. “Black Harry” Hosier became the first black Methodist preacher despite being illiterate. This went well with the message of salvation being available to all if they chose it and a rejection of predetermined judgment. The Second Great Awakening sought to ensure people that their salvation was within their power to choose. The usage of uneducated and illiterate preachers drove home the message that anyone could be saved, not just those who had spent decades of their life reading.
Harry Hosier was converted during the Second Great Awakening and became a preacher himself.
The Second Great Awakening served to break down denominational barriers between the Methodists and Baptists. At the start, the Baptists were more decentralized with little structure to their congregations, and the Methodists were highly structured. By working together on this mission, their practices merged and adapted to suit the needs of the people. In the third and final phase of the Second Great Awakening, Charles Finney finally brought the revival all the way to New York and began preaching in the small towns throughout the coastal state. Near the end, Finney preached in major cities in Britain, although it does not appear there were significant effects on history outside the United States from the Second Great Awakening.
Effects of the Second Great Awakening
The Second Great Awakening was critical in American history as a catalyst for the American Civil War. As many of the new converts were freed black slaves, the Second Great Awakening both brought many black Americans into public discourse and forged bonds between white and black Americans regarding a shared vision for the country. As such, ending slavery became on of the broader objectives of the Second Great Awakening. The Abolitionist movement would emerge as a result. In turn, Christians across the country demanded an end to the practice of slavery. This demand led to social unrest, political gridlock, and disillusionment between those who demanded the recognition of the human rights of enslaved peoples and those who denied the humanity of the humans they claimed as property.
The South would eventually secede from the Union and form the Confederacy after the North refused to capture and return escaped slaves who crossed the border into the North. After this peaceful divorce, the North and South were content to go their separate ways for a brief time. However, the issue of who controlled federal land eventually brought the North and South to blows at Fort Sumter when both sides claimed ownership of the military base. While motivations for the American Civil War were greatly varied on both sides, and the Confederacy was originally winning the war with numerous victories, the mandate to free the slaves fostered by the Second Great Awakening kept the Union going long enough for Europe to cut off trade to the South and turn the tide of the war. In the end, the mission of the Second Great Awakening was accomplished.
The First Great Awakening was a spiritual revival which began as early as the 1720s in England and the Colonies, continuing on to as late as the 1760s. The movement is primarily recognized as having taken place in the 1730s and 1740s. Prominent figures in the First Great Awakening included George Whitefield, John Wesley, and Jonathan Edwards, among others. The First Great Awakening was critical to inoculating English communities from the devastating ideas of the proto-communist French Revolution which led to the Reign of Terror and ultimately, communism itself in the centuries to come. The First Great Awakening was also instrumental in preparing the Colonies to unite against the British crown under the word of God and birth the new nation of the United States.
Fall From Grace
The Enlightenment brought the world out of medieval times and into the Renaissance Era. Scientific discoveries and advancements in technology led to dramatic improvements in quality of life. Material conditions had never been better. This was the end Middle Ages and the beginning of the Age of Reason. It was a tremendous triumph for Humanity, but as with many things, it was taken too far. Excesses and complacency led humans astray once more, and people began to turn away from God as they put their faith in science as the be-all-end-all. This set the stage for the wars to come, but not all would be cast into the fire. There were a few brave souls who went against the excesses of the fleshy world and turned back to the Bible just before judgement swept across the globe, saving many others in their efforts.
Awakening in England
In England, John Wesley was born in 1703 to a large Christian family. His house was burned down by an anti-Christian mob when he was young, but he was saved from the fire and went on to continue studying scripture. He attended Oxford university and started the “Holy Club” with his brother. Wesley became a preacher and sailed to Georgia on a mission to convert the Native Americans to the word of God. Meeting little success at the time, he returned to England and attended a Moravian meeting in which a Lutheran commentary was being read. Wesley experienced a change in himself upon contemplating the words on how faith and complete trust in Christ is a force for personal renewal. After this, John Wesley traveled around the British Isles preaching the message he had received of salvation through Christ’s word alone. While he was shunned by many churches for preaching a personal relationship with God instead of an indirect relationship through the church leader, Wesley nevertheless drew large crowds speaking outside churches and in open fields.
A painting of John Wesley by the painter, George Romney.
Meanwhile, George Whitefield was also coming up as a prominent figure of the First Great Awakening in England. Whitefield was born in 1714 and lived a non-believer’s life during his youth. Whitefield noted that when he was young, he was a vile and foul individual who reveled in worldly pleasures. However, Whitefield attended Oxford and became a member of Wesley’s Holy Club. With this, his own personal awakening began and he wrote that one night in 1735 he awoke and cried out for salvation from the burdens of sin he felt weighing so heavily upon him. From that moment forward, he was a changed man, becoming an Anglican priest the following year. He then traveled to Georgia and founded an orphanage before returning to England to preach there again. However, Whitefield also found many of the old guard of the church shunning him and closing their doors to him, forbidding him from preaching to their congregations. Nevertheless, Whitefield drew even larger crowds for his sermons outdoors and in massive fields.
A painting of George Whitefield by the painter, Joseph Badger which shows Whitefield’s cross-eyed vision.
Unification of the Colonies
The British Colonies were deeply divided among their different denominations. They squabbled over doctrinal differences in how they interpreted the Bible, and this prevented them from uniting as one Christian nation. However, Jonathan Edwards was born in 1704 and would become a uniting force for the budding American Colonies. Edwards attended Yale and became an assistant minister in the town of Northampton, Massachusetts under his grandfather. When his grandfather died, Edwards had to step up and take over as the only minister of the then second-largest church in the Colonies. He handled this position so well he was called upon to deliver a lecture at a commencement ceremony at Harvard in 1731. He preached his famous sermon, “God Glorified in the Work of Redemption” to a crowd far older and more experienced than he.
A portrait of Jonathan Edwards
Edwards continued to preach in Northampton, and there was a change which occurred in the surrounding towns. Edwards chronicled this mass of conversions in his book, A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God in the Conversion of Many Hundred Souls in Northampton and in the Neighboring Towns. Around this time, Wesley and Whitefield were doing their corresponding work in the mother country. They continued for some time, and Edwards gave one of his most famous sermons in 1741 after another preacher fell ill and he was called upon to fill the spot. That sermon was “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” in which the crowd notably became hysterical and cried out at numerous times throughout Edwards’ sermon. When the crowd became too loud, he patiently waited for them to calm back down before continuing.
New Lights and Old Lights
As mentioned, many of the old guard of the church who had become accustomed to the intermediary relationship they served between God and their followers were perturbed by the urging of men like Wesley, Whitefield, and Edwards for people to read the Bible themselves and form a personal relationship with God. Whitefield and Wesley were the target of numerous assassination attempts, none of which succeeded. Those who wished to stop the spiritual revival became known as the “Old Lights,” and those who wished to foster the awakening in the people were known as the “New Lights.” Many were inspired to abandon their different denominations and unify as Christians under one God after hearing the sermons of the New Lights. This was true even among the diverse and distinct Colonies.
An undated engraving of George Whiteman preaching sourced from Encyclopedia Britannica
Even Benjamin Franklin, who was a notorious skeptic of the Christianity, was moved by one of Whitefield’s sermons in Philadelphia. Ben Franklin noted that following the preaching of the New Lights, it was as if life had returned to the towns which had fallen silent. People could be seen once again filled with joy and a renewed sense of purpose in places where it seemed hope was fading. The Colonies, which previously viewed themselves as distinct entities with little in common, began to unite under one banner, as one people. After that, they began to demand the freedom and liberty from the British crown which they felt was promised to them by God. One motto of the American Revolution rebuking King George III which swept across the new nation exclaimed, “No King but King Jesus.”
A Storm Sweeps the Earth
Many today may assume what is now known as “World War I” was the first world war ever seen on Earth. I would argue this is not so accurate. World War I – referred to as the “Great War” at the time – is referred to as such due to World War II being seen as a continuation of the Great War with a 10-year armistice. However, there have been several world wars beyond those of the 20th century. One such world war was the series of conflicts known as the Napoleonic Wars. This world war was incredibly complex, but was at least in part precipitated by Britain’s tensions with France, as well as the infamous French Revolution giving rise to a brutal, expansionist French state.
As mentioned, the First Great Awakening had the obvious influence of unifying the American Colonies under one banner and reigniting the passion for obedience to God among the newly formed American people. The Declaration of Independence asserted the God-given rights of the people which were being infringed upon by the British crown, and that the people would stand for it no longer. However, one protective factor of the First Great Awakening which is less mentioned is how it safeguarded the people of England against the kind of radical secularism which took root in France. This fervent rebellion against God led to the Reign of Terror among the French people, and the ideas spawned from this movement eventually gave birth to revolutionary communism, resulting in tremendous losses of life over the centuries which continue to this day.
Even though the British lost control of the American Colonies, they arose triumphant in the Napoleonic Wars and regained significant influence over the globe once more. This stopped the French proto-communists from taking over the globe, even though their ideas would spread and later give rise to the Soviet Union. The British population was also spared from the kind of ruthless self-depopulation which characterized the proto-communist French Revolution. Of course, the Napoleonic Wars are a story of their own worth telling, though that is a tale for another time. For the time being, the world was spared complete oblivion due in no small part to the First Great Awakening.
John Lincoln Clem – commonly known as “Johnny Clem” – was a veteran of the American Civil War and one of the youngest participants of the conflict to engage in combat. He was originally born John Joseph Klem on August 13, 1851, but would later change his name and take on several nicknames. The American Civil War is often referred to as the “Boy’s War” due to the large number of underaged combatants involved in the conflict. As such, Johnny Clem was no exception, yet he was one of the most prominent boys who served in the war due to his prolific use in propaganda efforts by both the Union and Confederacy. Enlisting in the Union Army at the age of 9 years old, Johnny Clem became one of the youngest veterans in U.S. history, and certainly one of the most iconic.
Life Before Service
Given that he joined the Army while underage, Johnny Clem’s military service would certainly be considered part of his “early life.” Before that, however, he supported his family by selling produce from his parent’s farm on a cart he used to bring food into town. Johnny Clem was born and raised in Newark, Ohio. His mother died when he was 9, and Johnny reportedly did not get along with his new stepmother after his father remarried. This may have contributed to his desire to leave home and join the Union Army. However, Johnny was more inspired to join up by Abraham Lincoln’s speeches and seeing many of his other relatives enlisting in the fight.
Johnny started off his attempts to join the Union Army by skipping school to attend drills as a drummer boy with the 3rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He would make several attempts to join companies which moved through Newark without success. He was turned away by numerous commanders for his small size and age. Johnny then made attempts to ride a train further away from Newark and join a company where he was not so easily recognized, yet he was continually spotted by friends or family and sent back home. At one point he was rebuked by the commander of the 3rd Ohio Regiment who exclaimed the Army was not “enlisting infants.” Undeterred and determined to fight for the Union, Johnny continued his attempts to travel further away from home and find a unit which would enlist him.
A poster of Johnny Clem during his service with the 22nd Michigan Regiment.
Joining the 22nd Michigan Regiment
Johnny was eventually able to travel far away enough from home that he found a unit which did not know him and could not send him back. That unit was the 22nd Michigan Regiment which took on Johnny Clem as an unofficial mascot and drummer boy. A group of officers pooled their money together to cover his $13 monthly salary under the table. He was provided with the smallest uniform available and a modified musket with a sawed-off barrel to match his small stature. In May of 1863, Johnny was officially enlisted with Company C of the 22nd and began receiving his own salary from the Union Army.
Jonny Clem’s involvement in the war was embellished somewhat as he became a popular subject for war photographers. Reports were made claiming he took part in battles which he could not have been involved in, such as the Battle of Shiloh. This earned him the new nickname of “Johnny Shiloh.” He also changed his middle name to Lincoln after his hero, President Lincoln. Johnny also earned the nickname the “Drummer Boy of Chickamauga” and the “Rock of Chickamauga” for his confirmed role in the Battle of Chickamauga.
Johnny Clem continued to serve the U.S. Army after the end of the American Civil War.
The 22nd Michigan Regiment was stationed at Horseshoe Ridge in Chickamauga when the Confederate Army came on September 20, 1863. The Confederates gained significant ground and began capturing members of the 22nd. When Johnny was first confronted and ordered to surrender, he was riding aboard an artillery piece with his shortened musket in hand. A Confederate colonel reportedly exclaimed that Johnny should put down his weapon and ordered him to “surrender, you damned little Yankee!” With no intent on being captured, Johnny shot the colonel and managed to escape. He was still captured later, but managed to escape again. After his valiant efforts in the Battle of Chickamauga, dispatching a Confederate officer and escaping imprisonment, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant. This made Johnny Clem the youngest noncommissioned officer ever to serve in the U.S. Army.
Life and Legacy
Johnny Clem would continue with his military career throughout the war, fighting in several other battles. He was wounded in the Battle of Atlanta twice, but managed to continue on and survive. He was discharged from the Army in 1864 at the age of 13 years old. Johnny would attempt to join the West Point military academy, but struggled to pass the entrance exams due to his lack of formal education. He was later recommissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army in 1871, serving the United States for the next 45 years before retiring in 1951 after rising to the rank of major general. Johnny Clem passed away on May 13, 1937.
Johnny Clem served the Army his entire life before retiring at the rank of major general.
Johnny was far from an exception to the norm as an underaged soldier in the American Civil War. The conflict brought people from every walk of life into the fray as the country was torn apart from within. However, as one of the most prominent young boys who fought in the war, Johnny Clem shows us that we are never too small to make a big difference in the world. The drummer boy’s bravery and commitment to his country was legendary, far surpassing that of most boys his age throughout history. Some may call his service foolish, though to do so would be to engage in chronological snobbery and irreverence toward the conditions of life in that time. The American Civil War brought strife straight to the front door of many American households, and everyone was needed to do their part. To that end, Johnny Clem played his part admirably, going steadfast into the unknown without allowing fear of giants overcome him. For that, he deserves to be remembered.
After learning about the Battle of Guningtou, I felt inspired by the story of the “Bear of Kinmen” and the harrowing tale of this triumph over great evil in such a dark hour. Given I was very busy this weekend, I felt it would be a good chance to write a poem in honor of the Bear of Kinmen and all the other KMT forces who gave their lives fighting against communism back in 1949. Without their sacrifice, the world would no doubt have become a even darker place than it is today. Yet, due in no small part to the bravery and victory of the Nationalist Chinese forces on that fateful day, a faint light still shines on Taiwan today, defiant against the specter of communism.
A nation turned against the Lord Embracing of the greatest foe Old evils raise a new Red horde Wherever it goes, death does follow
Desperate souls driven from their homes Out to the ends of the Earth A world on fire changes all they know And tests each man to see his worth
Now gone away to lands offshore To find some semblance of respite Darting in flight from Red fiends galore An island still clinging to the Light
The enemy lurks ever near Lashing out from darkened lands Meager souls train, unbeaten by fear Preparing themselves for the final hand
Yet retreat offers no way in relief The Adversary relentless in his pursuit Solace stolen in the night by a thief Any respite had till then, now moot
But fortune favored the brave that night Even had they seen the truth not then As tanks broke down in the place just right And a warship mulled about to no right end
Then the heroes tripped upon their own mines Lighting up the night with what seems dismay Yet revealing the enemy landing with the tide A blessing disguised in mysterious ways
Once more, battle raged and unfurled As if men know not what else to do Here, at the end of the old world And the beginning of something new
The Red horde would not win this day Their arms soaked wet by the sea By the sword of cleansing, all captured or slain Overrun by men who feared no such Adversary
Darkness rises with the Red dawn And the Light must be ready for a meet A constant struggle of right against wrong The Red specter's return as assured as its defeat
The Bears of Kinmen did stand fast And spared the new world of total disdain The darkness then faltered at long last Giving hope we may be redeemed once again
The Battle of Guningtou on October 25, 1949 was a pivotal moment in history which restored the crippled morale of the Nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) forces of the Republic of China (ROC) in their fight against the dark tide of communism during the Chinese Civil War. The ROC, commonly referred to today as Taiwan, managed to repel an amphibious landing by Chinese Communist forces of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on the island of Kinmen. After the Communists swept across mainland China and established the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing, they were on the verge of total victory over the ROC. This crucial win was the first after a series of devastating losses, boosting morale for the KMT and stopping the spread of communism from being absolute. The “Great Victory at Guningtou” spared the last remnants of the Republic of China from the cultural destruction which would befall the mainland under communism and gave resistance to the red tyranny a chance to survive into the 21st Century.
The Specter Spreads
In the wake of World War II, Communist forces under the command of Mao Zedong swept across China, ushering in a new era of darkness which would continue into the modern era. By October 1, 1949, the Nationalist KMT forces under Chiang Kai-shek were in full retreat from the mainland. All of China’s major cities had fallen, with small pockets of resistance far off to the north and south soon to meet the same fate. The Nationalists fell back to Taiwan and maintained garrisons on several smaller islands near Taiwan, including Kinmen and Matsu. The Nationalists still had naval superiority at the time, and the Communists believed they needed to seize Kinmen and Matsu before invading the much larger island of Taiwan. Intent of wiping out the last vestiges of the Republic once and for all, the Chinese Communists launched an amphibious invasion of Kinmen that October.
English-language recreation of the PLA invasion plan from warfarehistorynetwork.com.
On October 17, the Communists captured the smaller island of Xiamen. Lacking a navy at the time, they commandeered local fishing boats to use as amphibious landing craft under the cover of night. After the fall of Xiamen, the Nationalists began fortifying their coastal defenses on Kinmen. Landmines and obstacles were set up along the beaches and troops began routine exercises to simulate repelling an amphibious invasion. The Nationalist forces on Kinmen consisted of roughly 40,000 men from the 12th, 18th, and 22nd KMT Army. They were supported by the LST 210, the Chung Lung of the ROC Navy as well as American-made B-26 and B-25 bombers of the ROC Air Force for close air support. The 1st Tank Battalion of the ROC also had American M5A1 “Stuart” tanks from their time serving with the Americans in India as the First Provisional Tank Group.
The Communists Strike
On the night of October 24, 1949, the Communists made their move. Their plan was to use the roughly 200 commandeered fishing boats to quietly ferry 19,000 troops onto the beaches of Kinmen over several trips before moving further inland to take positions at Guningtou, Lungkou, Huwei and dig in to repel a counterattack. If lucky, they would have amassed a large enough invasion force before being discovered and having to fight their way off the beach. However, only about 8,000 Communist troops managed to land on the first and second day before the PLA’s plan went amiss. In the early morning of October 25, fortune favored the Nationalists defenders when they set off one of their own landmines and put the whole island on alert. Flares were fired into the air, illuminating the Communists who had landed on the beach. With the invaders now revealed, the fighting began.
Artist’s depiction of the Battle of Guningtou at the Guningtou Battle Museum on Kinmen Island.
The Nationalist forces opened fire on the Communists who had already come ashore near Lungkou with machine guns, mortars, and artillery. The PLA tried to support their landing forces with artillery fire from the mainland, but had limited intelligence on the island of Kinmen and had to cease fire support in order for the Communist troops to attempt to move further inland without risking friendly fire. Also, a Stuart tank under the command of Lieutenant Yang Chan had broken down during exercises on the beach with a clear line of sight on the invaders. The Communists suffered heavy casualties landing at Lungkou and became pinned down on the beach from the many bunkers and three tanks wearing into them, resulting in their fishing boats being destroyed. Many of the Communist troops were unable to fight back at all due to their guns being waterlogged from the amphibious landing. When the Stuart tanks ran out of ammunition, they moved forward and used their hulking carriages to run over and crush the invaders stuck on the beach with nowhere to run.
The Communists coming in near Guningtou and Huwei managed to land safely, but their fishing boats became stuck on the obstacles along the beach due to the high tide and were eventually destroyed by shore bombardment from the Chung Lung. PLA reinforcements were cut off, and the Communists who made it onto the island were on their own for now, but those landing near Guningtou and Huwei had some initial success. They were able to push inland and hold defensive positions at Shuangru Hill, Guanyin Hill, and the Huwei Highlands for some time before the KMT forces could bring more tanks into the battle the next day and push them back. However, PLA forces were skilled at avoiding ROC tanks by this time, having fought against them extensively on the mainland. The Communists were able to avoid direct confrontation with the tanks in many instances, flanking infantry attempting to use the tanks as cover and avoiding encirclement before moving into the village of Guningtou for a final stand.
The “Bear of Kinmen” which was instrumental in repelling the PLA invasion.
On the third day of the invasion, about 1,000 additional PLA troops managed to land and reinforce Guningtou. Yet, this would not be enough. The Communists had found great success on the mainland due to spies and traitors among the ROC feeding them intelligence, and that advantage did not extend to Kinmen. Also, despite the reinforcements arriving, the Communists were still outnumbered and outgunned on Kinmen. Near the end of the last day, the Nationalist forces moved into Guningtou with tanks and limited air support. The fighting was bitter and bloody in the village, with significant close quarters and house-to-house combat. Eventually, the Nationalists wore down the Communists, pushing them out of Guningtou. Out of food, ammunition, and other supplies, the remaining Communists surrendered on the beaches of Guningtou with nowhere left to run.
Aftermath and Legacy
Following their defeat at the Battle of Guningtou, the Communists abandoned their ambitions of conquering Taiwan for the time being. The Nationalists were also dangerously low on morale at the time of the battle, having been driven from their homeland and losing control of the entire Chinese mainland. The major victory at the Battle of Guningtou was also considered to be one last desperate attempt to survive by the beaten and battered ROC. At the time, it was likely the first good news they had heard in a long time after a series of tragedies and defeats. By holding the line on Kinmen Island, the Nationalists also gave a future to the people of Taiwan and a home for traditional Chinese history and culture to survive unmolested by communism.
A statue of charging KMT soldier in front of the Guningtou Battle Museum.
It is also clear that someone was looking out for the Nationalist forces that fateful day. First, with the tripping of one of their own landmines revealing the enemy; to the waterlogged guns preventing the Communist soldiers from firing back; to the tank which just so happened to break down at just the right spot to repel the invasion force. While everything had gone wrong throughout the Chinese Civil War to lead the Nationalists to this point, everything seemed to go right at just the last moment before they were wiped out forever. As a result, they were spared complete annihilation at the hands of the Communists, and the people of Taiwan today have thus been spared from the horrors which ensued on the mainland under communist rule.
While information on the specific individuals involved in the battle is hard to find in English, the heroes involved in the defense of Kinmen Island in 1949 deserve to be recognized as a whole. Their efforts were instrumental in stopping the spread of communism in the 20th Century. For their sacrifice, all those alive today still have a chance to stand up against communism once and for all.
I was busier than usual this weekend, and found myself pondering the value of rest in the moments I enjoyed it. This poem was born out of those ponderings. Next month, I will start to experiment with some different forms of poetry to see if I can find some new forms I enjoy.
Calmness speaks to us
Quiet peace, almost frozen
Abound with stillness
A lesson if we listen
In peace, we find strength
Resolve to fight our battles
Might needed at length
To leave God's foes in shambles
Take rest while it lasts
For peace is always fleeting
Ever out of grasp
Precious moments left reeling
We must be ready
Ready to answer the call
With our steady hand
To ensure God's foes will fall
So now, take your rest
While you may still find solace
Rest makes us our best
Ready to face the lawless
The Pensive Warrior 