A renewal of hostilities?
It is a commonplace that the war beginning in 1939 is a continuation of the one which ended in 1918, much as European conflicts of the 18th century (such as the Seven Years' War) were often a return to unfinished business. In many respects the commonplace is true, and it is reflected in everyday vocabulary. No other wars are numbered I and II, like kings in a line of succession or blockbuster films in a series.
The idea of a progression from World War I to World War II is unavoidable, and several factors make it so.
The same nation, Germany, is the participant most actively responsible for each of the two wars. In 1914 this was a panic reaction, through fear of losing advantage if not moving first. In 1939 it is the deliberate result of the policy of one man, Adolf Hitler.
That policy can in many respects be traced back to the after-effects of World War I. Hitler, in his vengeful and expansionist plans for Germany, is able to play on German resentment of the terms imposed by the Treaty of Versailles. He is helped also by another undercurrent from 1918 - the feeling that Germany was not really defeated at the end of that war. Her politicians capitulated before a single foreign soldier had trodden on German soil. If the match were replayed, the result could be different. |
