There are many puzzling features about this war. For instance: how is it that the Germans appear to have accomplished all they wanted so far in double-quick time? How is it that there is a powerful fifth column not only in every allied country, but also in every neutral country?

To provide an answer to questions of this kind, one must try and establish the true nature of the war.

In spite of what the communists say, this is not a war of rival imperialisms. It is not even a war of Great Britain versus Germany—a war of rival nations. It is a religious war—anyhow on the part of Germany. The reason why the Germans are prepared to sacrifice everything for victory, and were willing to dispense with most of the amenities and comforts of civilisation for years before they actually launched their attack on the world, is that they were buoyed up by great spiritual force and religious fanaticism. Spiritual force can only be met with spiritual force. Even if we possessed parity in numbers and equipment and were deficient in spiritual force, we could not beat the Germans. Islam, in the days when it was a young, militant, missionary religion, nearly succeeded in conquering the whole of Europe and destroying its civilization. There were moments when it seemed that nothing short of a miracle could succeed in holding the invading hordes at bay and preventing them from capturing the whole Mediterranean basin and most of Central Europe. But the miracle happened, and like all miracles it was in the first and last instance a change in the spiritual order of events.