Why Study the Path to World War II?
The surface character of historical study - the very definition of history - is one of the past: past events with inherently past relevance and importance. However, just below that surface lies the true function of history: understanding the past as a means to the present. Historical study is not a static recounting of the past, but a dynamic analysis of how the past has shaped the present. As the present evolves and changes, the interpretation of the past, too, is open to change and reinterpretation. The past should not serve as only memories, but as factors of the present. Just as in understanding one's self, a better understanding of the past makes for a better understanding of the present, and a better understanding of the present with all its past factors lends to a better path into the future. History gives us our identity on all personal, cultural, national, and global levels. If we want to shape our future, we need a firm understanding of our identity and the events, values, themes, and concepts that built that identity. As the saying goes, history is doomed to repeat itself unless we learn from the past, and there are plenty of elements of the past that we do not want to repeat.
With all that said, I believe the period of time between the World Wars to be one of the most volatile and consequential segments of history. In short, one of the bloodiest, costliest, and most unpopular conflicts of history - World War I - somehow led right into another of the bloodiest and costliest conflicts of history - World War II - in a rather short period of time. How did such a horrible event that caused so much disillusion with war and foreign involvement seemingly end, yet lead the world right back into bloody global conflict punctuated with one of the most atrocious crimes of all time, the Holocaust? This interwar period truly makes for a great case study about the effects of war and foreign policy. In a time when the world is boiling over with conflict and international opposition, the lessons we can learn from that period are absolutely relevant to today. We need to understand the implications of that interwar period to avoid similar consequences to today's political and military conflicts.
With all that said, I believe the period of time between the World Wars to be one of the most volatile and consequential segments of history. In short, one of the bloodiest, costliest, and most unpopular conflicts of history - World War I - somehow led right into another of the bloodiest and costliest conflicts of history - World War II - in a rather short period of time. How did such a horrible event that caused so much disillusion with war and foreign involvement seemingly end, yet lead the world right back into bloody global conflict punctuated with one of the most atrocious crimes of all time, the Holocaust? This interwar period truly makes for a great case study about the effects of war and foreign policy. In a time when the world is boiling over with conflict and international opposition, the lessons we can learn from that period are absolutely relevant to today. We need to understand the implications of that interwar period to avoid similar consequences to today's political and military conflicts.