To a
large extent,arose out of various consequences of the post-World War I settlement. The
Versailles Agreement, which imposed harsh penalties on Germany for starting the War, caused deep
resentment among many Germans, who felt humiliated at being singled out for blame in this way.
Such resentment, combined with economic chaos, helped to generate support for extremist parties
of Right and Left, such as the Nazis and the German Communist Party.
One
additional connection between the two wars is the lack of an effective international body to
enforce the post-Versailles order. The League of Nations proved to be singularly ineffective in
combating the imperialist aggression of Fascist Italy, Imperial Japan, and Nazi Germany. This
was mainly because the United States was unable to be involved in the League after an
isolationist Senate rejected President Wilson's proposals.
Without the active
involvement of the United States in the League of Nations, the principles of national
self-determination contained in the Versailles Treaty were little more than pious platitudes.
That being so, various unsavory regimes felt free to pursue their territorial ambitions with
impunity, safe in the knowledge that no one would try to stop them. Inevitably, this led to the
breakdown of the post-World War I settlement and led directly to the outbreak of World War
II.
No comments:
Post a Comment