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Chapter 2 Global wave – The end of colonial era and the emerging two super powers
2-2(16) La Marseillaise & The Internationale
In World War II, the United States, Britain and France which society were the capitalism and the socialistic USSR jointly fought against Germany and Japan of totalitarianism. The world experienced twice world warfare within less than half a century. All of the citizens in the world got bored with wars. They established the United Nations after World War II and looked for the permanent peace.
Article 1 of the UN Charter stated that it aims to "maintain international peace and security". Everyone claimed no more wars. But the West and the East had quite different ideology, so the peace between them quickly failed. "Hot Wars" in which both sides confronted direct
. But the "Cold Wars" were started and prevailed globally. Local hot wars have taken place in various parts of the world. They were the proxy wars between the West and the East.
In the Middle East, revolutions took in the form of military coup. In Egypt it was a confrontation between Association of Free Officers led by Gamal Abdul Nasser with the support of the USSR and the royalists supported by the UK. In Syria it was a fighting struggle between minority tribes supported by France and the majority tribe who received military assistance from the USSR. France supported minority tribes to keep substantive power.
In those days socialism of the USSR encouraged class struggle and had been prevailing globally. In July 1952, a revolution took place in Egypt. On Mayday, chorus of unity song of laborers "The Internationale" were echoed all over the world. Even in Syria, civilians of anti-French movement chorused the same song.
Meanwhile the French soldiers stationed at the garrison in Syria sang loudly with the national anthem La Marseillaise every day at the flag hoisting ceremony.
Both lyrics are amazingly similar each other as follows.
Lyrics of "The Internationale":
Stand up, damned of the Earth
Stand up, prisoners of starvation
Reason thunders in its volcano
This is the eruption of the end.
Of the past let us make a clean slate
Enslaved masses, stand up, stand up.
The world is about to change its foundation
We are nothing, let us be all.
This is the final struggle
Let us group together, and tomorrow
The Internationale
Will be the human race.?
Lyrics of "La Marseillaise":
Arise children of the fatherland
The day of glory has arrived
Against us tyranny's
Bloody standard is raised
Listen to the sound in the fields
The howling of these fearsome soldiers
They are coming into our midst
To cut the throats of your sons and consorts
To arms citizens Form your battalions
March, march
Let impure blood
Water our furrows
No one will not be surprised that both lyrics sound similar. Two lyrics were almost same because they were written almost simultaneously. "La Marseillaise" was written and composed at the French Revolution in 1790s. On the other hand, the lyric of Internationale was originally written as "La Marseillaise" at the Paris Commune in 1871. Melody was composed a few decades later.
It could say that both lyrics were twins. The content of the lyrics is too harsh to meet the sense of moderate people. French people sing "La Marseillaise" at the events to show their solidarity. Its lyric is too aggressive to be peaceful. It may be meaningful to ask French people that how they feel themselves when they sing "La Marseillaise".
In Syria, French soldiers sang out "La Marseillaise" inside of the garrison. Syrians chorused "Internationale" outside the garrison. To whom the French soldiers sang out the phrase; “To arms citizens / Form your battalions / March, march”? For Syrian people enemy was clear. It was France.
Which side was inspired, France or Syria? It was clear that the French soldiers were knocked down and Syrian people were encouraged. It was the USSR who came into Syria after France. The USSR rented the Tartus port on the Mediterranean coast for its military base. The Russian Empire and its successor, The USSR, have been obsessed with the southward policy. They were eager to get an ice-free port instead of the port in icy Baltic Sea where the vessels were unable to navigate during winter season. They have the Sebastopol military port in the Black Sea. But from there to the Mediterranean, they have to go through the Bosporus Straight in Turkey. Tartus military port was a foothold of the USSR in the Mediterranean. Even after the collapse of the USSR, Tartus is still an essential military port for the Russian Republic.
(To be continued ----)
By
Areha Kazuya
E-mail:
areha_kazuya@jcom.home.ne.jp
Home Page: OCIN INITIATIVE
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