Chaos, threats and autocratic leaders who threaten the sovereignty of nations, that is the reality of the world today. Arguably, we now live in times of terror. Millions living in fear of their rights, and millions being deported and detained. Systemic forced migration was a staple of Adolf Hitler’s ideology and today these policies seem to be resurfacing whether that be in South Sudan, Gaza or even the perceived leader of the free world, the USA. A global conflict is looking more likely and international alliances are being reimagined.

However, in times of desperation and horror the greatest of humanity flourish, and that is what I will discuss today. The world of today is alarmingly similar to that of 1938 when Hitler was threatening the Sudetenland and a time of crisis was emerging in Prague.

If you have watched the recent “One Life” film depicting the life of Nicholas Winton, you may also recognise the name Doreen Warriner. However, most people are not familiar with her or the incredible humanitarian work she performed. Winton has achieved great fame for his humanitarian efforts, but Warriner has not been equally recognised. The film does not fully appreciate Doreen’s importance, and I wonder if this is in part reflective of a global trend of whitewashing women out of significant parts of history?

Firstly, I would like to demonstrate my local connection to this remarkable individual. Doreen’s family lived in my village, Bloxham in Oxfordshire. She is buried in the village churchyard, and the local secondary school is named ‘The Warriner School’ as the land it is built upon was owned by her family.

Warriner studied in Prague in the 1930s before then returning to Britain. In September 1938, when Hitler first threatened to occupy the Sudetenland, she flew to Prague to provide aid to citizens. After seeing the extent of the problem, she felt compelled to do more, and secured limited funding to launch an evacuation programme. Largely through her own drive, she was appointed as the Head of the British Committee for Refugees in Czechoslovakia with the remit of identifying and evacuating political refugees. The highest priority were members of the SDP – the Nazi’s largest political rivals, and she accompanied many of these refugees on the trains out of Prague.

So how does this part of her life tell a global story? Well, first and foremost it is a microcosm of the slide into totalitarianism within Europe and the use of force to remove political opponents. It also illustrates how at a time when many British politicians did not want to get overly involved in Europe, key organisations had more of a global outlook and impact than we might think.

When Winton arrived in Prague at the end of 1938, he was introduced to Warriner who highlighted to him the plight of thousands of children in the city. He went on to formally set up the Kindertransport, which evacuated in total 664, primarily Jewish children, but without Warriner’s role the whole project would have been impossible. Their partnership was the key to success so whilst Winton attempted to secure funds and visas in London, Warriner remained in Prague, identifying the at-risk children and organising the Prague side of the operations.

Given the desire of certain prominent international political figures of today to look inwards rather than outwards, Doreen’s actions demonstrate her global outlook and humanitarian nature. We can also see the impact of her work through the tragedy of those she was unable to save. As the Nazis occupied Prague, the 9th and final train was boarded by Nazi forces, and the children were taken. The fate of these children remains unknown, but it is presumed they were taken to concentration camps. Whilst Doreen Warriner’s history might be perceived through the narrow focus of displaced Czechs, it actually sheds light on a global picture of terror during a time of cataclysmic change.

In the years following 1939 Warriner played a key role in another global story as she was influential in plans for reconstructing a post war world. She held a position in the ministry of economic warfare before securing a post in 1943 working for the embryonic United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation administration, an organisation that sought to provide aid for citizens affected by war. Although the UN couldn’t prevent the divisions that would soon become apparent in the post war world, it illustrated the desire for global collaboration.

Doreen Warriner was an amazing woman who made a significant impact, through virtue of her global outlook dedicating her life to saving the lives of others. Due to her efforts, she is attributed with saving an astonishing 15,000 people from Nazi persecution. Her contribution to the development of the UN shows the growing international desire to establish global solutions to problems. Her later career as a university professor, at a time where women worldwide were just starting to break the glass ceiling of academia, again reflects just how much her story tells us about a global picture on many levels.

I am a keen historian currently in year 12 studying History, Geography and English. I am very passionate about History especially political history and intend to study history and politics at university.

Photo: Mrs. Doreen Warriner - author unknown; via Wikimedia Commons.