ConsitutionalHistory t1_ja39rnz wrote
IMO, the rise of Hitler in Germany was the result of a two pronged problem. The Treaty of Versailles was onerous in many ways...and in some respects, against German dignity as a nation. Then the Great Depression hit and while the rest of the world was trying to recover from that the country of France insisted on Germany continue it's reparations. This allowed the rise of the extremists in German society...this 'us against the world' mentality preached by the likes of Hitler.
ArkyBeagle t1_ja5gtrk wrote
There's a third prong - the Junkers ( Prussian big landowners with a longstanding , serious military culture ) based leadership class died out. Paul von Hindenburg was one of the last of them.
That led to a major power vacuum, and SFAIK, historians will use a power vacuum in explanations every time.
Ditto Russia. The enfeeblement, isolation and stubborn insistence on doubling down on absolute monarchy of Nicolas II contributed to that disaster.
aphilsphan t1_ja56x3n wrote
Did you ever see the terms Germany imposed on Russia at Brest-Litovsk?
bubb4h0t3p t1_ja5c69j wrote
>Brest-Litovsk
Well the civil war was already ongoing but ultimately splitting Poland with Hitler, and before that seizure of Azerbaijan and Georgia caucuses, occupation of the Baltic countries, invasion of Ukraine, Polish-Soviet war, and invasion of Finland etc even before the invasion of the Soviet Union sounds pretty revanchist to me
aphilsphan t1_ja5vnhk wrote
The point is Germany had no room to squawk about Versailles given the punitive terms they laid on Russia.
keschne t1_ja6if2s wrote
Thank you for using the word "squawk". My midwestern boss says it on occasion and it's just like hearing my fave song on the radio. You never expect it and it's just a delight.
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