Another Irony Concerning the Versaille Treaty?
It is, of course, general knowledge that a tyrant is formed, often, by national vacuum, such as the results of the Draconian actions taken by the victors over the Kaiser's Germany.
The absolute chaos caused by those measures, plus the Depression, created Hitler - we all know that; however, a thought crossed my mind the other day concerning, perhaps, an additional event which could very well have solidified the possibility of the rise of Hitler and the ensuing world conflict and tragedies of unprecedented magnitude that followed.
One of the conditions of the Versailles Treaty was that Germany be limited to a standing army of 100, 000. That meant that many thousands of young soldiers were released from the armed forces, and the young Hitler was one of them.
It is known that Hitler, as an aimless and deeply depressed drifter in Vienna, was elated upon hearing of Germany's waging of war and becoming a soldier in the Kaiser's army. It seems that Hitler had at last found a meaning, a role to play. We know that his contribution to the cause was one of the happiest periods in his life, as it ended the seemingly boundless drifting about. He truly felt that this was a home at last; a haven of sorts. His actions of courage under fire earned him more than one medal, and he extolled in this phase of his life.
What if he had been one of the soldiers who were among those 100,000 who remained in the German army? Would this have become his permanent mission; that is, a career soldier of relatively low rank, perhaps never an officer, who therefore would not have been given the opportunity to discover the genius to speak with the power and force of presentation that ultimately seduced a nation of some 60,000,000, resulting in his acquisition of world power, let alone the coming unspeakable tragedy we know as World War II?
Do be reminded that a lowly soldier would not ever be given the opportunity to make speeches, as Hitler ultimately did; therefore, would the voice of Adolf Hitler have been quelled before it was born?
If so, then our world would certainly not be the same today.
The absolute chaos caused by those measures, plus the Depression, created Hitler - we all know that; however, a thought crossed my mind the other day concerning, perhaps, an additional event which could very well have solidified the possibility of the rise of Hitler and the ensuing world conflict and tragedies of unprecedented magnitude that followed.
One of the conditions of the Versailles Treaty was that Germany be limited to a standing army of 100, 000. That meant that many thousands of young soldiers were released from the armed forces, and the young Hitler was one of them.
It is known that Hitler, as an aimless and deeply depressed drifter in Vienna, was elated upon hearing of Germany's waging of war and becoming a soldier in the Kaiser's army. It seems that Hitler had at last found a meaning, a role to play. We know that his contribution to the cause was one of the happiest periods in his life, as it ended the seemingly boundless drifting about. He truly felt that this was a home at last; a haven of sorts. His actions of courage under fire earned him more than one medal, and he extolled in this phase of his life.
What if he had been one of the soldiers who were among those 100,000 who remained in the German army? Would this have become his permanent mission; that is, a career soldier of relatively low rank, perhaps never an officer, who therefore would not have been given the opportunity to discover the genius to speak with the power and force of presentation that ultimately seduced a nation of some 60,000,000, resulting in his acquisition of world power, let alone the coming unspeakable tragedy we know as World War II?
Do be reminded that a lowly soldier would not ever be given the opportunity to make speeches, as Hitler ultimately did; therefore, would the voice of Adolf Hitler have been quelled before it was born?
If so, then our world would certainly not be the same today.
Labels: the rise of Hitler
posted by LH at
12:33 PM
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