jjares reviewed Weimar Republic: A Captivating Guide to German History between 1919 to 1933 and the Treaty of Versailles on + 3262 more book reviews
These two informative booklets have been bundled together to explain so much about Germany between the wars and the rage against Germany (especially by France and Belgium) that determined many of the retribution principles that formed the Treaty of Versailles.
The third chapter in the Versailles story is not to be missed. It explains in graphic detail where everyone stood on the eve of ending World War I. Essentially, it laid the groundwork for World War II. Someone once said, "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." There are many lessons to learn from these two booklets.
THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC --
This is the story of the 14-year Weimar Republic and how Adolph Hitler manipulated his way into the upper ranks of the German government.
The Kiel Mutiny was some stunning history. There were so many conflicting groups vying for power and that led to the rise of Nazism. The unrest amongst the German people was a recipe for revolution. The country was in a terrible state. The citizens voted for democracy and watched it fail. This study of democratic Germany with the devastating Article 48 shows how democracy, without accountability, does not work. On the other side, the story of Gustav Stresemann was fascinating. And his work with Charles Dawes (of Chicago, a banker) was truly amazing.
This is the story of Germany between the wars; the author laid bare the stressors and problems that besieged the German leaders and people. That was after the 1918 Spanish Flu that killed millions worldwide. The Flu probably increased the death count greatly because so many people in Europe were hungry or starving by the end of the war. On top of everything else, the Great Depression was a phenomenon that affected the Allied, as well as Germany.
We usually hear German history during the wars, not between the wars. This book explains clearly how Germany was devastated at the end of World War I and rose again to fight again in World War II.
THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES --
This book is an incredibly clear explanation of all sides of the conflict and its aftermath at Versailles. The personality conflicts were significant and they had a serious impact on the treaty that was eventually formulated. What I particularly liked was the explanation of the ethnic rivalries in various countries. Because the leaders did not adequately include or concern themselves with those ethnic problems, generally, we still have them (the Albanians come to mind).
Thank you to the author for explaining Woodrow Wilson, warts, and all. In fact, the author did a fine job of explaining the personalities and prejudices of each of the main leaders in the treaty committee. The analysis of Wilson's 14 points was most helpful.
This book explains how and why countries changed boundaries. The maps on page 160 were particularly valuable in graphically showing the dramatic changes in Europe before and after the Treaty.
Another great chapter is about the monumental changes in the Middle East. The creation of mandates was a particularly important aspect of what would create new problems. Chapter seven clearly explains America's isolationist movement after World War I.
This pair of books offers an exceptionally fine analysis of the Weimar regime and the problems of the Treaty of Versailles.
The third chapter in the Versailles story is not to be missed. It explains in graphic detail where everyone stood on the eve of ending World War I. Essentially, it laid the groundwork for World War II. Someone once said, "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." There are many lessons to learn from these two booklets.
THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC --
This is the story of the 14-year Weimar Republic and how Adolph Hitler manipulated his way into the upper ranks of the German government.
The Kiel Mutiny was some stunning history. There were so many conflicting groups vying for power and that led to the rise of Nazism. The unrest amongst the German people was a recipe for revolution. The country was in a terrible state. The citizens voted for democracy and watched it fail. This study of democratic Germany with the devastating Article 48 shows how democracy, without accountability, does not work. On the other side, the story of Gustav Stresemann was fascinating. And his work with Charles Dawes (of Chicago, a banker) was truly amazing.
This is the story of Germany between the wars; the author laid bare the stressors and problems that besieged the German leaders and people. That was after the 1918 Spanish Flu that killed millions worldwide. The Flu probably increased the death count greatly because so many people in Europe were hungry or starving by the end of the war. On top of everything else, the Great Depression was a phenomenon that affected the Allied, as well as Germany.
We usually hear German history during the wars, not between the wars. This book explains clearly how Germany was devastated at the end of World War I and rose again to fight again in World War II.
THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES --
This book is an incredibly clear explanation of all sides of the conflict and its aftermath at Versailles. The personality conflicts were significant and they had a serious impact on the treaty that was eventually formulated. What I particularly liked was the explanation of the ethnic rivalries in various countries. Because the leaders did not adequately include or concern themselves with those ethnic problems, generally, we still have them (the Albanians come to mind).
Thank you to the author for explaining Woodrow Wilson, warts, and all. In fact, the author did a fine job of explaining the personalities and prejudices of each of the main leaders in the treaty committee. The analysis of Wilson's 14 points was most helpful.
This book explains how and why countries changed boundaries. The maps on page 160 were particularly valuable in graphically showing the dramatic changes in Europe before and after the Treaty.
Another great chapter is about the monumental changes in the Middle East. The creation of mandates was a particularly important aspect of what would create new problems. Chapter seven clearly explains America's isolationist movement after World War I.
This pair of books offers an exceptionally fine analysis of the Weimar regime and the problems of the Treaty of Versailles.
