Rereading Nineteen Eighty Four – Part II Chap 9(5)

Winston receives the Book at the same moment history changes; the name of the enemy, which had been Eastasia is suddenly  Eurasia.   

It is not that Oceania is now at war with Eurasia; it is that Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia, not that a minute ago it was Eastasia.   

The subterfuge, the lies,  misdirections were ‘standard’ and baked into those who worked at the Ministry of Truth. Everyone in the Records Department worked eighteen hours a day, with two three-hour snatches of sleep.  Mattresses were brought up from the cellars, meals consisted of sandwiches and Victory Coffee.

Everyone, including Winston devoted every moment to this mammoth task of changing history.

It had to be, official, that Oceania had ALWAYS been at War with Eurasia.