The actual importance of post-WWI reparations

Discussion in 'World War 1' started by Einadiz, Aug 22, 2014.

  1. Einadiz

    Einadiz New Member

    It is known that forcing Germany to pay reparations after World War I was an underlying cause of the Second World War. It wreaked havoc with the economy and pushed sentiments of having been unfairly treated, and that sentiment contributed to the rise of national socialism.

    But is that really all there is to it? Some historians think most of Germany's economic problems after WWI were caused by how much they put into the war effort. In your opinion were the reparations really that pivotal to the rise of Nazism or could we say it was an argument which was easy to appeal to by populists willing to exploit the anger of people? Ultimately, without those reparations perceived as unjust by Germans, what would have changed?
     
  2. Interrogator#6

    Interrogator#6 Active Member

    I have a book for you to read which I found: The Fruits of Victory, by Norman Angell, 1921. It is valuable in itself even though it was meant to be read as a companion piece to: The Great Illusion, 1910. These works deal economicly with the relationship of national military spending and the illusion of national might. The author makes the case that spending mass amounts on military and naval weaponry does not ensure economic well-being for a nation.
     
  3. Peninha

    Peninha Member

    From what I've seen WWII was caused by Hitler and the Great Depression of 1929 I think, before that Hitler had no popularity but the Depression made his extreme ideals appealing to the Germans.
     

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