An excellent piece. I would only add this- I think the Germans in 1914 considered themselves THE rising power in Europe, who could only be stopped by the jealousy of its neighbors. Germany's contributions to science, medicine, and education, along with its rapid industrial development, the country's high rate of literacy, and its rising standard of living were proof of this assessment. Germans dominated nearly every field of endeavor at that point in time or would shortly. Plus, their army was second to none. This state of facts fueled the patriotism and pride present in the country when war came. And even as late as the spring of 1918, I think there was a feeling among Germans that they would win the war. After the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, over 1 million German soldiers were released to fight on the Western Front. The collapse of the German army that then occurred was a direct result of, and continuation of, the massive strategic errors committed by German leadership, both civilian and military. These errors had plagued the country from the beginning of the war. However, to the average German, it must have seen inconceivable that Germany could lose. At war's end, rather than the rising star it was in 1914, Germany was now viewed as a pariah among nations. This mind set was then fruitful soil for what was to come next.
PS-Katja- when are you coming to the US? I would love to attend that tour for sure!
Good points, and an eerie foreshadowing of where the US war with Iran may be heading: "their army was second to none. This...fueled the patriotism and pride present in the country when war came...The collapse of the German army...was a direct result...of the massive strategic errors committed by...leadership, both civilian and military. At war's end, rather than the rising star it was in 1914, Germany was now viewed as a pariah among nations."
A good summary of the current state of affairs and retaliatory threats to NATO after US leadership failed to learn any lessons from the strategic defeats in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Or the collapse of the Weimar Republic.
Wow that is one busy schedule ,August will be time to relax although knowing you the writing will continue, ready for the second half and the run up to Christmas. But you do get to meet lots of fans and new readers must be a most rewarding part of being an historian.
“The war was a bigger factor than the treaty” is painfully obvious when you say it - and demonstrate it vividly with the example of poor Hanns - but I for one have never thought of the question in just that way.
Thank you for pointing this out. I look forward eagerly to reading the book. Is there a publication date for Canada?
I was not familiar with Kennan's comment, but what a great jumping off point for today's posting. We are still living with the ramifications of WW I and its aftermath. Thanks for a very thoughtful piece today.
As always a very balanced assessment. But what about the polemic by Maynard Keynes (1920) on the Economic Consequences of the Peace which critiques the treaty? Now that his great-great niece is economics correspondent for the FT, it would be interesting to get her viewpoint a century on.
Good grief that’s a punishing schedule, nothing slight about it. May I ask do you enjoy it or just see as a part of the life of a modern public historian? In several of the books I have read, the politicians who signed the Armistice in November 1918 are referred to as the November Criminals. And one of the de facto wartime leaders, the Terrible Twins, Ludendorff, was a leading proponent of the ‘stab in the back’ myth. And it didn’t help that the defeated Reichswehr paraded through Berlin upon returning from France. Thus casting the withdrawal as some sort of spurious victory (A bit like our miraculous evacuation of the BEF from Dunkirk; however WSC tried to nip that in the bud). And we were off to the races before the signing of the Versailles Treaty. The treaty was fuel on a raging fire. I vaguely recall reading somewhere a suggestion that the German delegation erroneously believed the final treaty would be based upon Wilson’s Fourteen Point Plan published in 1916 (I think), much less onerous than the Versailles Treaty. As ever happy to be corrected. Sobering read with my Sunday morning coffee Katja.
I’ve never understood why Germans were so angry and bitter about Versailles.
Just a couple years earlier they had thrust the even harsher Treaty of Brest-Litovsk upon Russia.
They blamed France for being invaded by Prussia in 1870, and then stole their coal and imposed reparations of 5,000,000,000 gold francs - which the French repaid with such rapidity that a global recession was caused.
Austria and Denmark were invaded in the 1860s.
Twice Prussia and Germany wiped Poland off the map……all in revenge for their defeat of the Teutonic Kinights in 1410.
What did Germans think was going to happen after they invaded Belgium and France in 1914?
The bully got bullied and he complained that it wasn’t fair. Baffling.
Very fair points, but there is an argument that the treaty provided a context for economic and political disruption in Germany. Not the only factor, of course, and German troops behaved very badly in Belgium destroying priceless artifacts.
A fascinating article, Katja, which really conveys the complex interaction of factors which were exerting stress on ordinary Germans. It is too simplistic - and perhaps a get out of jail card - to blame the Treaty of Versailles for the rise of National Socialism. The impact of the war, the massive loss of life, starvation caused by the allied blockade, and post 1918 political violence - all of these traumas contributed. I’m glad that you have structured the book in the way you have - it will help provide context to readers.
As a fellow historian, I'm jealous of that schedule - over here, it's hard enough to find readers of history, let alone readers of history who go to book fairs. And it's nice to have a publisher willing to front that.
So when does the English language version drop? Will there be an American edition?
An excellent read. I think Communists in Germany may have taken up arms in other circumstances, but I fully agree that the overall tone of post-brutal-war life made it most likely as it in fact unfolded.
The harsh conditions of the Treaty of Versailles has been discussed at length by historians as the major cause of the Second World War. Germany was however the aggressor here and the destruction ,misery and suffering of the First World War was so traumatic that I always wondered what did they expect from a peace treaty. I read that John Maynard Keynes, the renowned British economist advocated for more lenient economic terms that would have allowed Germany to recover. His advice was not followed and he resigned from his position at the peace conference. If his advice had been followed could this have averted the
An excellent piece. I would only add this- I think the Germans in 1914 considered themselves THE rising power in Europe, who could only be stopped by the jealousy of its neighbors. Germany's contributions to science, medicine, and education, along with its rapid industrial development, the country's high rate of literacy, and its rising standard of living were proof of this assessment. Germans dominated nearly every field of endeavor at that point in time or would shortly. Plus, their army was second to none. This state of facts fueled the patriotism and pride present in the country when war came. And even as late as the spring of 1918, I think there was a feeling among Germans that they would win the war. After the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, over 1 million German soldiers were released to fight on the Western Front. The collapse of the German army that then occurred was a direct result of, and continuation of, the massive strategic errors committed by German leadership, both civilian and military. These errors had plagued the country from the beginning of the war. However, to the average German, it must have seen inconceivable that Germany could lose. At war's end, rather than the rising star it was in 1914, Germany was now viewed as a pariah among nations. This mind set was then fruitful soil for what was to come next.
PS-Katja- when are you coming to the US? I would love to attend that tour for sure!
Good points, and an eerie foreshadowing of where the US war with Iran may be heading: "their army was second to none. This...fueled the patriotism and pride present in the country when war came...The collapse of the German army...was a direct result...of the massive strategic errors committed by...leadership, both civilian and military. At war's end, rather than the rising star it was in 1914, Germany was now viewed as a pariah among nations."
A good summary of the current state of affairs and retaliatory threats to NATO after US leadership failed to learn any lessons from the strategic defeats in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Or the collapse of the Weimar Republic.
Wow that is one busy schedule ,August will be time to relax although knowing you the writing will continue, ready for the second half and the run up to Christmas. But you do get to meet lots of fans and new readers must be a most rewarding part of being an historian.
“The war was a bigger factor than the treaty” is painfully obvious when you say it - and demonstrate it vividly with the example of poor Hanns - but I for one have never thought of the question in just that way.
Thank you for pointing this out. I look forward eagerly to reading the book. Is there a publication date for Canada?
I was not familiar with Kennan's comment, but what a great jumping off point for today's posting. We are still living with the ramifications of WW I and its aftermath. Thanks for a very thoughtful piece today.
I think it was Karl Kraus who wrote that the trenches had returned to the home front.
“Reklamefahrten zur Hölle” or another polemic?
As always a very balanced assessment. But what about the polemic by Maynard Keynes (1920) on the Economic Consequences of the Peace which critiques the treaty? Now that his great-great niece is economics correspondent for the FT, it would be interesting to get her viewpoint a century on.
You’ll be a very busy lady in the next few months , looking forward to the book , it will be a belter I’m sure 👏👏👍
Good grief that’s a punishing schedule, nothing slight about it. May I ask do you enjoy it or just see as a part of the life of a modern public historian? In several of the books I have read, the politicians who signed the Armistice in November 1918 are referred to as the November Criminals. And one of the de facto wartime leaders, the Terrible Twins, Ludendorff, was a leading proponent of the ‘stab in the back’ myth. And it didn’t help that the defeated Reichswehr paraded through Berlin upon returning from France. Thus casting the withdrawal as some sort of spurious victory (A bit like our miraculous evacuation of the BEF from Dunkirk; however WSC tried to nip that in the bud). And we were off to the races before the signing of the Versailles Treaty. The treaty was fuel on a raging fire. I vaguely recall reading somewhere a suggestion that the German delegation erroneously believed the final treaty would be based upon Wilson’s Fourteen Point Plan published in 1916 (I think), much less onerous than the Versailles Treaty. As ever happy to be corrected. Sobering read with my Sunday morning coffee Katja.
I’ve never understood why Germans were so angry and bitter about Versailles.
Just a couple years earlier they had thrust the even harsher Treaty of Brest-Litovsk upon Russia.
They blamed France for being invaded by Prussia in 1870, and then stole their coal and imposed reparations of 5,000,000,000 gold francs - which the French repaid with such rapidity that a global recession was caused.
Austria and Denmark were invaded in the 1860s.
Twice Prussia and Germany wiped Poland off the map……all in revenge for their defeat of the Teutonic Kinights in 1410.
What did Germans think was going to happen after they invaded Belgium and France in 1914?
The bully got bullied and he complained that it wasn’t fair. Baffling.
Very fair points, but there is an argument that the treaty provided a context for economic and political disruption in Germany. Not the only factor, of course, and German troops behaved very badly in Belgium destroying priceless artifacts.
A fascinating article, Katja, which really conveys the complex interaction of factors which were exerting stress on ordinary Germans. It is too simplistic - and perhaps a get out of jail card - to blame the Treaty of Versailles for the rise of National Socialism. The impact of the war, the massive loss of life, starvation caused by the allied blockade, and post 1918 political violence - all of these traumas contributed. I’m glad that you have structured the book in the way you have - it will help provide context to readers.
Much looking forward to your new book, and to listening to you at Blackwell's on Wednesday.
As a fellow historian, I'm jealous of that schedule - over here, it's hard enough to find readers of history, let alone readers of history who go to book fairs. And it's nice to have a publisher willing to front that.
So when does the English language version drop? Will there be an American edition?
'Weimar' is English-language in the original. In Katja's previous books I've noticed the odd Americanism, so I think you'll be able to decipher it ;-)
An excellent read. I think Communists in Germany may have taken up arms in other circumstances, but I fully agree that the overall tone of post-brutal-war life made it most likely as it in fact unfolded.
The harsh conditions of the Treaty of Versailles has been discussed at length by historians as the major cause of the Second World War. Germany was however the aggressor here and the destruction ,misery and suffering of the First World War was so traumatic that I always wondered what did they expect from a peace treaty. I read that John Maynard Keynes, the renowned British economist advocated for more lenient economic terms that would have allowed Germany to recover. His advice was not followed and he resigned from his position at the peace conference. If his advice had been followed could this have averted the
Second World War?
BTW regarding your book tour - if you ever make it to Cincinnati, I'll buy the beers...
It’s such a pivotal time in history. Can’t wait to read the book on its release. Great article. Thank you.