The end result to all of this theater was of course a war with unbelievable staying power, not only due to the fighting which was done, but to those who were murdered in the process. While going over the history, it is easy to see why the Second World War came about, yet it is much easier to see how it could have been avoided. However, those of the 1920’s and 1930’s did not have the luxury of hindsight in which we do today, they were instead acting in what they thought were their best interests, and that may have been the problem. The First World War was so graphic, so shocking and brutal, that no one wanted to believe that another war could be coming. Those in power wanted to believe that the Versailles treaty was too tough, that all Nazi Germany wanted was its land back, its people and military back. The alliance of Nations called on to govern after the First World War wanted to make concessions to countries with empire building in mind, they didn’t want to pick the fight, they hoped that giving in would appease the dictators. By the time the first gunshot was heard in Poland, the main powers in Western Europe were proven wrong, aggression would have to be met with aggression, or at least a believable threat of it; if only they would have seen that sooner, perhaps history would be different.
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Endnotes
John T. Kirby, "Aristotle on Metaphor," American Journal of Philology 118, no. 4 (Winter 1997): 524, http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/american_journal_of_philology/v118/118.4.kirby.html (accessed June 25, 2009).
[i] M. Nurek, K Keplicz, “GREAT BRITAIN AND THE SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES BEFORE AND AFTER THE SIGNING OF THE MUNICH AGREEMENT,” Acta Poloniae Historica, ( March 1998): 109-127. Available from: Historical Abstracts, Ipswich, MA. (Accessed November 3, 2011).
[ii] C. Waters, “The Menzies Government and the Grand Alliance during 1939.” Australian Journal Of Politics & History, (December 2010):560-573. Available from: Historical Abstracts, Ipswich, MA. (Accessed November 3, 2011). P 562
[iii] Waters, P 562
[iv] Waters, P 563
[v] Waters, P 564
[vi] G. Roberts, “The alliance that failed: Moscow and the Triple Alliance negotiations, 1939,” European History Quarterly, (July 1996):383. Available from: Historical Abstracts, Ipswich, MA. (Accessed November 3, 2011). P 383
[vii] G. Strang, “John Bull in Search of a Suitable Russia: British Foreign Policy and the Failure of the Anglo-French-Soviet Alliance Negotiations, 1939,”Canadian Journal Of History, (Summer2006):47-84. Available from: Historical Abstracts, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 10, 2011). P 49
[viii] Waters, P 565
[ix] Strang, P 49
[x]Waters, P 568
[xi] Strang, P 50
[xii] P. Michelson, “THE NAZI-SOVIET PACT AND THE OUTBREAK OF WORLD WAR II,” Revue Roumaine D 'histoire, (March 1992): 65-102. Available from: Historical Abstracts, Ipswich, MA. (Accessed November 8, 2011).
[xiii] Waters, P 571
[xiv] G. Xu, “THE ISSUE OF AIR ASSISTANCE TO CHINA IN THE U.S.-JAPANESE RELATIONS, 1931-1941,” Asian Profile, (February 1999): 11-27. Available from: Historical Abstracts, Ipswich, MA. (Accessed November 8, 2011). P 17
[xv] K. Drechsler , “GERMANY AND ITS ALLIES AND THE WAR AGAINST THE SOVIET UNION, 1940-42,” Soviet Union, (January 1991): 39-58. Available from: Historical Abstracts, Ipswich, MA. (Accessed November 3, 2011). P 44
Bibliography
Drechsler K. GERMANY AND ITS ALLIES AND THE WAR AGAINST THE SOVIET UNION, 1940-42. Soviet Union [serial online]. January 1991;18(1/3):39-58. Available from: Historical Abstracts, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 3, 2011.
Michelson P. THE NAZI-SOVIET PACT AND THE OUTBREAK OF WORLD WAR II. Revue Roumaine D 'histoire [serial online]. March 1992;31(1/2):65-102. Available from: Historical Abstracts, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 8, 2011.
Nurek M, Keplicz K. GREAT BRITAIN AND THE SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES BEFORE AND AFTER THE SIGNING OF THE MUNICH AGREEMENT. Acta Poloniae Historica [serial online]. March 1998;(59):109-127. Available from: Historical Abstracts, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 3, 2011.
Roberts G. The alliance that failed: Moscow and the Triple Alliance negotiations, 1939. European History Quarterly [serial online]. July 1996;26(3):383. Available from: Historical Abstracts, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 3, 2011. 383
Strang G. John Bull in Search of a Suitable Russia: British Foreign Policy and the Failure of the Anglo-French-Soviet Alliance Negotiations, 1939. Canadian Journal Of History [serial online]. Summer2006 2006;41(1):47-84. Available from: Historical Abstracts, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 10, 2011.
Waters C. The Menzies Government and the Grand Alliance during 1939. Australian Journal Of Politics & History [serial online]. December 2010;56(4):560-573. Available from: Historical Abstracts, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 3, 2011. 562
Xu G. THE ISSUE OF AIR ASSISTANCE TO CHINA IN THE U.S.-JAPANESE RELATIONS, 1931-1941. Asian Profile [serial online]. February 1999;27(1):11-27. Available from: Historical Abstracts, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 8, 2011.
Bibliography: Drechsler K. GERMANY AND ITS ALLIES AND THE WAR AGAINST THE SOVIET UNION, 1940-42. Soviet Union [serial online]. January 1991;18(1/3):39-58. Available from: Historical Abstracts, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 3, 2011. Accessed November 8, 2011. Roberts G. The alliance that failed: Moscow and the Triple Alliance negotiations, 1939. European History Quarterly [serial online]. July 1996;26(3):383. Available from: Historical Abstracts, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 3, 2011. 383 Strang G Accessed November 3, 2011. 562 Xu G Accessed November 8, 2011.
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