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".
I am specifically talking about the 1930s and the extraordinary ignorance of most people, in and out of Europe, to the danger of totalitarianism, but there are of course direct relevancies to modern times. There is no direct parallel between Western Europe and Russia. The general non-specific concern is that people in every age need to understand where power lies, domestically and externally, and what threats this power poses to one's own security. During any prolonged period of peace, for instance, the 'idea' that war could come or that ancient and accepted privileges might be swept away is considered to be inconceivable, until it happens.
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?
Nick, a lot. I’m writing about this in my latest book. Reaction in Britain against the idea of another war was incredibly strong. It was a mixture of animus against the army for supposedly messing up the Great War and general pacifism. In 1934 11 million people (from an electorate of 18m) signed the Peace Pledge.
Fascinating. Love to do more research on the pilgrimages of the late 20s and how the trauma of such a colossal national tragedy shaped society for subsequent generations. In either ‘Gunbuster’ or ‘Retreat from Dunkirk’ there’s an account of a young man being ‘dragged’ to the Menin Gate by his father to have melancholy meetings with his chums. Meetings the youngster found interminable. Skip forward and he’s a FOO sitting atop the Menin Gate dropping shells onto advancing Panzers at a crossroads in 1940. I also keenly recall 1940 graffiti from retreating soldiers in the dugouts of Grange Tunnel, Vimy.
Charles Carrington describes brilliantly the transition from Nov 11 being a victory party for his chums to becoming in time a self-absorbed 'remembrance of futility' in the 1920s as the decade went on by all those who weren't there.
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".
I am specifically talking about the 1930s and the extraordinary ignorance of most people, in and out of Europe, to the danger of totalitarianism, but there are of course direct relevancies to modern times. There is no direct parallel between Western Europe and Russia. The general non-specific concern is that people in every age need to understand where power lies, domestically and externally, and what threats this power poses to one's own security. During any prolonged period of peace, for instance, the 'idea' that war could come or that ancient and accepted privileges might be swept away is considered to be inconceivable, until it happens.
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?
Nick, a lot. I’m writing about this in my latest book. Reaction in Britain against the idea of another war was incredibly strong. It was a mixture of animus against the army for supposedly messing up the Great War and general pacifism. In 1934 11 million people (from an electorate of 18m) signed the Peace Pledge.
Fascinating. Love to do more research on the pilgrimages of the late 20s and how the trauma of such a colossal national tragedy shaped society for subsequent generations. In either ‘Gunbuster’ or ‘Retreat from Dunkirk’ there’s an account of a young man being ‘dragged’ to the Menin Gate by his father to have melancholy meetings with his chums. Meetings the youngster found interminable. Skip forward and he’s a FOO sitting atop the Menin Gate dropping shells onto advancing Panzers at a crossroads in 1940. I also keenly recall 1940 graffiti from retreating soldiers in the dugouts of Grange Tunnel, Vimy.
Charles Carrington describes brilliantly the transition from Nov 11 being a victory party for his chums to becoming in time a self-absorbed 'remembrance of futility' in the 1920s as the decade went on by all those who weren't there.