I'm sorry Adler if I hurted you in insunuating you were a nationalist. Sincerly I'm sorry. My feeling is just that this thread isn't really interesting mostly because World War 1 wasn't really interesting in itself.
My point wasn't to blindly defend France as Marla did. She's obviously a strong French patriot thinking her country could never be bad and that's plainly stupid. The only point I agree with her is that Versailles Treaty hasn't been the only disaster Germany had faced at that time. First, there was of course the Versailles Treaty. Second there were the war debts Germany had still to pay (War costs money). Both events lead Germany into a strong and untameable inflation. War debts are to me the main difference between 1871 and 1919.
Actually, all Europe was happy to see the war ending in 1918. It's not true when people say it didn't stop nationalism cause it did. France, Britain and many other countries were pacifist and careless in the 20's... All countries ? Except one ! Germany ! Germany were stuck in an inflation making people poorer and poorer everyday.
Inflation is the main reason why Weimar Republic didn't last in Germany as the third Republic did in France. In 1929, the black thursday was the final hit to knock out completely the brand new Republic. Germany were economically dependant on the USA and it's been the main european country really touched by the crisis. Germans were already poorer because of the inflation, now they were completely stuck into poverty. As you can see, there hasn't been only Versailles. In 1910, Germany was the greatest European nation whereas it was a country without dignity anymore in 1930.
Since inflation and economic crisis were considered as phenomenon on which we could do nothing, the only tangible event being considered as guilty of Germany's misfortune was the Versailles Treaty. If you look carefully, why Weimar Republic was endangered ? Was it because of Versailles Treaty or because of the failure of capitalism ? According to you for which damn' reason Germans were split between communists and nationalists at the beginning of the 30's ? Because of Versailles Treaty or because of poverty ? Was Versailles the only reason of that poverty ? French people didn't feel they were paying reparations to Germany after 1871 because they weren't poorer than before, if Germans felt it this way, it was because of the economic failure.
After such distasters, capitalism (and democracy) was burried in german minds, the only alternative models were communism and... some freaks calling for nationalism. The only reason why Hitler has won against the communists was his charisma and his fighting spirit. Hitler didn't hesitate to burn the Reichstag and to accuse the commies to get rid of them. Acting in such a way was very dangerous and if he did so, it's simply because it was the only way to beat the communists. Saying Versailles Treaty was an obvious call to wake up German Nationalism isn't totally true. It's Hitler who used it as a tool so that it would be the case. The Versailles Treaty was more a symbol than anything else : It was the symbol that the world wanted Germany to lose its dignity... that Germany's situation wasn't only economic misfortune... It's been made on purpose by
others because that's what they wanted.
The result after is well known. Nationalism which had disappeared from Europe was suddenly strongly coming back in Germany. French and English opinion were still strongly pacifist at that time. People didn't want a war anymore and seeing Daladier and Chamberlain making everything to appease Hitler was quite natural. That's why I disagree with Hitro when he says that even without crisis, Hitler would have raised. It's the economy which has killed Weimar. If the economy were getting better, Hitler would have never come. I agree Versailles partially damaged German economy but it wasn't the only reason... post-1870's France prove that as many other example.
