Quote:
Originally Posted by Sid Guttridge
Hi Guys,
Surely the sub-titled premise of this section prejudges the case?
Most of the issues that helped cause WWII had deeper historical roots than 1919 and many of the more immediate causes were not contingent on the post-WWI settlement but on subsequent politics in various countries. Versailles is just one way point of many.
Cheers,
Sid.
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Sid,
Welcome and thanks for provoking my thought process. As Pete said, history is continuous but events are discreet.
One can say (and I have said many times) that the events of the twentieth century in Europe were one long build up to war and war itself, with brief interludes of peace. The straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak in the first war was the assassination of the Archduke in Sarajevo but war was brewing before that. Ironically, the last of the battles of the century long war were those that have torn apart that very same region and nation.
I chose to "blame" Versailles as Germany was humiliated and bankrupted by it. Perhaps I should also have included the hodgepodge of other peace treaties between various nations and resulted in major loss of territory and honor not just for Germany but also for Austria-Hungary and the Russian Empire/USSR.
That an "epic war" might have ensued even if Germany had been treated "fairly" is a reasonable hypothesis, but that isn't what happened. It has been put forward also that Versailles was not harsh enough. That may also be true but is also conjecture. Maybe if Chamberlain had said "No" in 1938 there would have been no war, Versailles notwithstanding. Again, conjecture.
So feel free to put forward any alternate views (and suggestions as to how to more accurately title this forum are welcome). I think that we all would welcome the discussion.