Three quarters of young Britons don’t know who Adm. Horatio Nelson was, a poll released last month by the Foundation for the History of Totalitarianism found. It is one bit of evidence exposing why Britain has lost its national cohesion and pride.

• The poll of 2,000 people showed that only 25 percent of Britons ages 18 to 24 “heard of and know about” the British naval war hero.
• Just over a third of young people (36 percent) know about the Battle of Waterloo, which ended in Napoleon’s defeat.

Young people know more about the history of other countries than they do about major events in British history. A majority (61 percent) said they knew about Julius Caesar and the French Revolution. History teachers are spending more time teaching about other countries than about significant individuals and events in British history.

Admiral Nelson symbolizes Britain’s innovation in warfare, resilience against threats, and the foundations of its former global power. Being disconnected from such history, today’s young people lack inspirational role models that teach virtues like leadership, courage, duty and personal sacrifice for a larger cause.

Britain’s story is one of the most inspiring in human history. The nation’s youths, and the nation itself, are poorer for their ignorance. Learning about significant individuals and events in national history would help them appreciate the sacrifices made for the freedoms they enjoy and aspire to develop the character necessary to maintain those freedoms. Read “A Law of History” in Gerald Flurry’s book The Former Prophets.