Few Americans believed on December 8, 1941 that the struggle against the Axis Powers would be anything other than a protracted war that would put everything that mainstream Americans cherish in mortal peril. Four years later, Mussolini's cadaver had been strung up dangling from the roof of a gasoline station, Hitler had offed himself, and Tojo was in custody. The much touted "thousand-year Reich" was dead in slightly more than twelve years, and the United States seemed more likely to have 831 (831 + 169 = 1000) years of life left than any other political entity on Earth -- and the USA had a head-start on any other political system then in existence except the United Kingdom. The third-oldest political systems in continuous existence were the Swiss Confederation and the Kingdom of the Netherlands (which has continuity through its Caribbean possessions during the war).
Even as late as the Battle of the Bulge, most Americans saw a long and horrible struggle... but as the US and British forces closed in on the Bulge in early 1945 the Third Reich would endure a military collapse. Germans got to know what a swift conquest by overwhelming force looked like without those imposing that swift conquest being Germans.
Ends of Crisis Eras typically end with surprising speed. Consider the Battle of Petersburg in the American Civil War. The Confederacy waged that battle well, even establishing trench warfare that would better resemble many of the military realities of the Western Front in the First World War. The Confederates defended Petersburg well until they ran out of troops to man the trenches. After that the Union Armies outflanked the Confederates and caused the Confederate defense of Petersburg (and ultimately Richmond) to disintegrate. Within a few days Robert E. Lee would surrender at Appomattox. But while the nine-month battle of Petersburg was going on, the Confederacy seemed to be a going concern. On April 2 and 3rd the Union forces captured Petersburg and the Confederate capital at Richmond. Within a week Robert E. Lee would surrender at Appomattox Court House, recognizing that he had no viable means of continuing the war.
Consider also that the British thought they had a chance to win the war against the rebellious Colonies as late as the Battle of Yorktown in 1781. The war was over except for the formality of a treaty.
Unless we have a major shooting war or some other unforeseen calamity that poses an existential threat to America as a whole coming soon we are likely approaching the end of the Crisis of 2020. COVID-19 is the mass death characteristic of a Crisis war. Even our nasty political polarization could be approaching an end should one of the two sides become ineffective.
Even as late as the Battle of the Bulge, most Americans saw a long and horrible struggle... but as the US and British forces closed in on the Bulge in early 1945 the Third Reich would endure a military collapse. Germans got to know what a swift conquest by overwhelming force looked like without those imposing that swift conquest being Germans.
Ends of Crisis Eras typically end with surprising speed. Consider the Battle of Petersburg in the American Civil War. The Confederacy waged that battle well, even establishing trench warfare that would better resemble many of the military realities of the Western Front in the First World War. The Confederates defended Petersburg well until they ran out of troops to man the trenches. After that the Union Armies outflanked the Confederates and caused the Confederate defense of Petersburg (and ultimately Richmond) to disintegrate. Within a few days Robert E. Lee would surrender at Appomattox. But while the nine-month battle of Petersburg was going on, the Confederacy seemed to be a going concern. On April 2 and 3rd the Union forces captured Petersburg and the Confederate capital at Richmond. Within a week Robert E. Lee would surrender at Appomattox Court House, recognizing that he had no viable means of continuing the war.
Consider also that the British thought they had a chance to win the war against the rebellious Colonies as late as the Battle of Yorktown in 1781. The war was over except for the formality of a treaty.
Unless we have a major shooting war or some other unforeseen calamity that poses an existential threat to America as a whole coming soon we are likely approaching the end of the Crisis of 2020. COVID-19 is the mass death characteristic of a Crisis war. Even our nasty political polarization could be approaching an end should one of the two sides become ineffective.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated Communist but instead the people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists -- Hannah Arendt.