The Origins of the Second World War is arguably one of the most controversial books to be published in the latter half of the twentieth century. The book attempts to take the first unbiased view to a very biased topic. The Origins of the Second World War, attempts to explain why things played out like they did in the Second World War, and why countries reacted certain ways in certain situations. The book has gone under harsh criticism for “defending Hitler” and shielding Germany from blame in World War Two. However, this is not the case of the book, but simply a blind prejudice created by narrow minded-readers. The book takes an unprejudiced look at the events of World War Two and concludes that all countries are to blame for World War Two. Author A.J.P Taylor claims that the commonly accepted “Nuremburg Thesis”, which stated that the Second World War was the product of Hitler’s criminal master plan, is far too convenient in respect to how well it shields other state leaders from blame. Taylor maintains that Hitler was no different than any other Western leader, aside from his firm belief in anti-Semitism. Taylor drives the point home that Hitler was fairly ordinary by demonstrating that the foreign policy of the Third Reich was practically identical to that of Weimar Germany and the Second Reich. He also point out that there were thousands upon thousands of people in Germany and Austria who were just as viscously anti-Semitic as Hitler. Hitler was an opportunist who was not looking for war, but simply sought to make Germany the greatest European power, and capitalized on the inaction of other countries. The remarkably bold thesis of the book is revealed in the Preface where it reads, “The moral of the book, so far as it has one, is that Great Britain and France dithered between resistance and appeasement, and so helped to make the war more likely.” (ix) Had Britain and France taken a stand, and not caused a wave of confusion throughout Europe, Taylor maintains the Second World War would not have happened. The thesis, contrary to a great deal of historical texts, contains minimal bias. Taylor, a British historian, was taking a remarkably controversial approach to the war, which seemed traitorous to some of his fellow British historians. The book really does appear to be an honest look at the Second World War, without holding anything back in search for the truth, not for defending Germany or indicting Britain. In addition to his brilliantly defended arguments about Hitler, and appeasement, Taylor claims the Treaty of Versailles was the primary factor influencing the strife experienced in the inter-war period. He defends this through exemplifying that the treaty neither appeased Germany, nor completely prevented them from becoming powerful again. Thus, it provided Germany with the desire to become a world power again, and lacked the restrictions to prevent them from becoming a world power again.
The book is a true masterpiece, shedding new light on an age old topic. Taylor put his reputation as a historian on the line to give the world a fresh and unbiased take on one of the most horrific events in the history of man. His hard work and attention to detail is extremely evident when reading the book. He provides well defended arguments that are not hard to follow, and explains why existing ideas are invalid through meticulous detail. He also provides an in depth, blow by blow account of inter-war events that are easy to understand for all, not just historians. These strengths, coupled with the bold honesty and unbiased approach to the book make it a sure winner. A few of the book’s minor flaws are that it is a little text heavy, and provide the reader with only two maps. By providing the reader with more maps and images, the information would have been much easier to absorb. Additionally, Taylor’s does not examine Mein Kempf and the Hossbach Memorandum in enough detail, choosing to skip over certain parts, or ignore details that might have contradicted his argument but presented the truth on the war.
All in all, the book is a genuine and timeless piece of history that shall remain a classic for years to come. It’s bold and uncompromising nature provide readers with a fresh take on things, and it reads easy enough for a high-school student to understand the message. Anybody interested in the Second World War, or how the countries of the world let it happen must read this book.
The Origins of the Second World War is arguably one of the most controversial books to be published in the latter half of the twentieth century. The book attempts to take the first unbiased view to a very biased topic. The Origins of the Second World War, attempts to explain why things played out like they did in the Second World War, and why countries reacted certain ways in certain situations. The book has gone under harsh criticism for “defending Hitler” and shielding Germany from blame in World War Two. However, this is not the case of the book, but simply a blind prejudice created by narrow minded-readers. The book takes an unprejudiced look at the events of World War Two and concludes that all countries are to blame for World War Two. Author A.J.P Taylor claims that the commonly accepted “Nuremburg Thesis”, which stated that the Second World War was the product of Hitler’s criminal master plan, is far too convenient in respect to how well it shields other state leaders from blame. Taylor maintains that Hitler was no different than any other Western leader, aside from his firm belief in anti-Semitism. Taylor drives the point home that Hitler was fairly ordinary by demonstrating that the foreign policy of the Third Reich was practically identical to that of Weimar Germany and the Second Reich. He also point out that there were thousands upon thousands of people in Germany and Austria who were just as viscously anti-Semitic as Hitler. Hitler was an opportunist who was not looking for war, but simply sought to make Germany the greatest European power, and capitalized on the inaction of other countries.
ReplyDeleteThe remarkably bold thesis of the book is revealed in the Preface where it reads, “The moral of the book, so far as it has one, is that Great Britain and France dithered between resistance and appeasement, and so helped to make the war more likely.” (ix) Had Britain and France taken a stand, and not caused a wave of confusion throughout Europe, Taylor maintains the Second World War would not have happened. The thesis, contrary to a great deal of historical texts, contains minimal bias. Taylor, a British historian, was taking a remarkably controversial approach to the war, which seemed traitorous to some of his fellow British historians. The book really does appear to be an honest look at the Second World War, without holding anything back in search for the truth, not for defending Germany or indicting Britain.
In addition to his brilliantly defended arguments about Hitler, and appeasement, Taylor claims the Treaty of Versailles was the primary factor influencing the strife experienced in the inter-war period. He defends this through exemplifying that the treaty neither appeased Germany, nor completely prevented them from becoming powerful again. Thus, it provided Germany with the desire to become a world power again, and lacked the restrictions to prevent them from becoming a world power again.
The book is a true masterpiece, shedding new light on an age old topic. Taylor put his reputation as a historian on the line to give the world a fresh and unbiased take on one of the most horrific events in the history of man. His hard work and attention to detail is extremely evident when reading the book. He provides well defended arguments that are not hard to follow, and explains why existing ideas are invalid through meticulous detail. He also provides an in depth, blow by blow account of inter-war events that are easy to understand for all, not just historians. These strengths, coupled with the bold honesty and unbiased approach to the book make it a sure winner. A few of the book’s minor flaws are that it is a little text heavy, and provide the reader with only two maps. By providing the reader with more maps and images, the information would have been much easier to absorb. Additionally, Taylor’s does not examine Mein Kempf and the Hossbach Memorandum in enough detail, choosing to skip over certain parts, or ignore details that might have contradicted his argument but presented the truth on the war.
ReplyDeleteAll in all, the book is a genuine and timeless piece of history that shall remain a classic for years to come. It’s bold and uncompromising nature provide readers with a fresh take on things, and it reads easy enough for a high-school student to understand the message. Anybody interested in the Second World War, or how the countries of the world let it happen must read this book.