Flavius Vegetius Renatus, 4th Century Rome's George Fielding Eliot, propounded one of history's catchiest slogans "Si vis pacem, para bellum" (If you want peace, arm for war). During the days of fitful peace that followed World War II, mankind still clung tightly (but with imperfect confidence) to this maxim. All over the world, March brought martial demonstrations of preparedness:
¶ In Manchuria, Red Army units were about to hold vast sham battles.
¶ To Turkey and the Middle East, crucial southern flank of Russia's Drang nach Westen, the U.S. sent its showiest battleship, the 45,000-ton Missouri.
¶ At Gibraltar, Britain's proud Home...
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