Very good piece. I’ve tumbled down a German history rabbit hole prompted by Katja’s excellent book, recommendations from her plus some of my own picks. I’ve been trying to figure out how Germany went so completely off the rails. Germany was a young democracy, not perfect, with a Kaiser who struggled to cement his role in governing, a strong man (Bismarck) who was a firm hand on the tiller in the early years. Then you have disaster of the FWW which Katja suggested was the overarching catastrophe for Germany. Nevertheless Weimar is a genuine attempt at democracy which is assailed from right and left. From my reading so far I believe that the German people were exhausted by the political machinations, economic turmoil and wanted stability. And the Nazis tapped into the ever present anti-Semitism in Central Europe. As you say it was gradual slide into disaster.
Interesting point - I thought as well that Nazism was not really foreseeable. If my book queue wouldn't be so long, I'd add that book.
One thing though confuses me - did you intend to write the article in such a way that replacing 1938 with 2008 and Czechoslovakia with Georgia, or alternatively with 2014 and Crimea, keeps the same main meaning? I couldn't but think that this article is in a way forecasting a future article along the lines "In 2022, appeasement still doesn't make sense".
Fascinating Rob, and worthy of much wider coverage. Question, how much was driven by the very real fear of a repeat of what had just gone before? Although little consideration was given to the brooding dangers of genocide, most people’s lens to view the danger of war was framed by the slaughter on the Western Front only a generation before. Even without regarding the catastrophic economic damage the First War had, many fathers and mothers would be doing anything they could to stave off the idea of sending their children to the charnel house they were themselves brutalised and traumatised by?
Very good piece. I’ve tumbled down a German history rabbit hole prompted by Katja’s excellent book, recommendations from her plus some of my own picks. I’ve been trying to figure out how Germany went so completely off the rails. Germany was a young democracy, not perfect, with a Kaiser who struggled to cement his role in governing, a strong man (Bismarck) who was a firm hand on the tiller in the early years. Then you have disaster of the FWW which Katja suggested was the overarching catastrophe for Germany. Nevertheless Weimar is a genuine attempt at democracy which is assailed from right and left. From my reading so far I believe that the German people were exhausted by the political machinations, economic turmoil and wanted stability. And the Nazis tapped into the ever present anti-Semitism in Central Europe. As you say it was gradual slide into disaster.
Excellent and sobering analysis. I'm looking forward to getting stuck into the book.
Perceptive as always Rob. Strikes a chord with your book “Under a darkening sky” which I found most interesting - and sobering .
Interesting point - I thought as well that Nazism was not really foreseeable. If my book queue wouldn't be so long, I'd add that book.
One thing though confuses me - did you intend to write the article in such a way that replacing 1938 with 2008 and Czechoslovakia with Georgia, or alternatively with 2014 and Crimea, keeps the same main meaning? I couldn't but think that this article is in a way forecasting a future article along the lines "In 2022, appeasement still doesn't make sense".
Thank you Ian
Excellent article
Fascinating Rob, and worthy of much wider coverage. Question, how much was driven by the very real fear of a repeat of what had just gone before? Although little consideration was given to the brooding dangers of genocide, most people’s lens to view the danger of war was framed by the slaughter on the Western Front only a generation before. Even without regarding the catastrophic economic damage the First War had, many fathers and mothers would be doing anything they could to stave off the idea of sending their children to the charnel house they were themselves brutalised and traumatised by?