#occupation of the rhineland

[captain-price-unofficially]

US Doughboy poses with two young children in a German studio. The soldier is holding an M1917 rifle and is kitted out with a sidearm, gas mask, bed roll, backpack and a pair of leather gauntlets complete with trigger fingers, Germany, 1918.

[whencyclopedia]

Anschluss

The Anschluss ('fusion') of 12 March 1938 was the annexation and formal union of Austria with Germany. Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), the Nazi leader of Germany, dreamed of an empire which enclosed all German speakers, his 'Greater Germany'. Hitler's military invasion met no resistance or meaningful response from foreign powers, and so Austria was absorbed into the Third Reich.

Many in Austria were sympathetic to the idea of joining Germany, but there were also those who knew their sovereignty would be lost for as long as Hitler was in power. Hitler was additionally attracted to occupying Austria since the Anschluss would give him access to new resources such as manpower for the military, raw materials, and a large quantity of cash and gold. The Austrian government was dissolved, and the very name Österreich (Austria's name in German) was banished from public use. The Nazis were not slow to begin imposing their ideology on Austrians and imprisoning those they identified as enemies. The union very swiftly became an occupation by a totalitarian regime.

A Weak League of Nations

Hitler had harboured ambitions to build a German empire or 'Greater Germany' ever since his book Mein Kampf (published in 1925), in which he described the need for Lebensraum (living space) for the German people – new lands where they could prosper. The Nazi party rose in popularity through the early 1930s, and Hitler was eventually invited to become chancellor in 1933. Quickly establishing a dictatorship through such measures as the Enabling Act, Hitler soon turned to an aggressive foreign policy that aimed to recover Germany's territorial losses following the Treaty of Versailles that had formally concluded the First World War (1914-18). Hitler had noted the lack of power of the League of Nations in the early 1930s. The League, formed after WWI with the goal of keeping world peace, had failed to act meaningfully to Japan's invasion of Chinese Manchuria in 1931.

Hitler gave world leaders mixed messages, insisting Germany should be allowed to rearm and break the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles on its military capabilities but, at the same time, promising his commitment to world peace. The treaty specifically forbade the union of Germany and Austria. Hitler stated in 1934 that he had no intention of merging Austria into the Third Reich as his new German state was now called. Domestically, Hitler's policies were clearer. He had consistently promised the German people that he would reverse the points of the Treaty of Versailles – points which he felt were holding Germany back from achieving its full potential. The first practical step came with a plebiscite in the coal-rich Saar region, once part of western Germany but governed by the League of Nations since the end of WWI. In March 1935, the voters decided overwhelmingly to rejoin Germany. Hitler announced conscription in Germany in 1935 and began rearmament in earnest. The League of Nations was again shown to be impotent to acts of aggression when Italy invaded Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in 1935. No doubt, Hitler once again took note.

Europe after The Treaty of Versailles

Simeon Netchev (CC BY-NC-ND)

In March 1936, German armed forces occupied the Rhineland, an industrialised area between Germany and France which the Treaty of Versailles had stipulated should not have any military presence. The League offered no response to the reoccupation, which was, after all, only Germany 'taking control of its own back garden', a phrase coined by the British Times newspaper. Hitler had been prepared to withdraw his troops at the first sign of resistance, but the bluff had worked. In October 1936, the Spanish Civil War broke out, with both Italy and Germany directly involved and glad to test out their new military hardware. From July 1937, China was at war with Japan. In this background of international turmoil, Hitler felt the time was right to further expand the Third Reich by absorbing Austria, the country of his birth, into the growing state of Greater Germany.

Continue reading...

[hellearth6]

A mounted unit of the German army is greeted during the occupation of the Rhineland. Cologne, 7 March 1936.

[autodiscipline]

Soldiers outside of Cologne Cathedral, 1945

In the 1790's, during the Rhinelands occupation by French Revolutionary troops, the cathedral was used as a detention center for prisoners of war. The nave's wood furnishings were used by the prisoners for firewood. It wasn't until 1821 that the Archdiocese of Cologne was reestablished, the two towers of the cathedral later being completed in the 1870s. During World War II, The Allies bombed Cologne intensely, 262 times, from October 1942 until March of 1945. The bombing included "Operation Millennium", the first thousand-bomber raid by the RAF, Taking place on 30/31 May 1942 using 1,047 aircraft and over 2 million kg of ordnance. The cathedral suffered 14 hits by arterial bombs and tens of incendiaries. Mass was held by American soldiers in the bombed ruins of the cathedral after Cologne's capture in march of 1945. Its original stained glass windows were removed earlier in the 18th century in the course of a redecoration program, other treasured items were preserved and protected by sandbags.

[bootyandgeekeries]

Rhinelander was a derogatory term used in Nazi Germany to describe Afro-Germans, believed fathered by French Army personnel of African descent who were stationed in the Rhineland during its occupation by France after World War I. There is evidence that other Afro-Germans, born from unions between German men and African women in former German colonies in Africa, were also referred to as Rheinlandbastarde.

After 1933, under Nazi racial theories, Afro-Germans deemed to be Rheinlandbastarde were persecuted. They were rounded up in a campaign of compulsory sterilization.

[drmonojog]

Historical Insights: Second World War - Causes & Far-Reaching Consequences

The Second World War, spanning from 1939 to 1945, stands as one of the most transformative and devastating events in human history. Fueled by a complex web of political, economic, and ideological factors, the war reshaped the global landscape and left an indelible mark on societies around the world. In this exploration of historical insights, we delve into the causes of the Second World War Causes and Consequences.

Causes of the Second World War:

Treaty of Versailles: The seeds of the Second World War were sown in the aftermath of the First World War with the Treaty of Versailles. The harsh conditions imposed on Germany, including territorial losses and reparations, created a fertile ground for resentment and fueled the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.

Rise of Totalitarianism: The emergence of totalitarian regimes in Germany, Italy, and Japan contributed to the global tensions that led to war. Hitler's expansionist ambitions, Mussolini's imperialist dreams, and Japan's militaristic pursuits converged in a dangerous alliance that sought to reshape the existing world order.

Appeasement Policies: The appeasement policies of the 1930s, particularly by Western powers, inadvertently emboldened aggressive regimes. The failure to confront early acts of aggression, such as the annexation of Austria and the occupation of the Rhineland, allowed totalitarian powers to test the limits of international response.

Invasion of Poland: The spark that ignited the war came with the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany in September 1939. The aggression prompted Britain and France to declare war on Germany, marking the formal beginning of the conflict. The invasion demonstrated the failure of diplomatic efforts and set the stage for a global conflict.

Far-Reaching Consequences:

Unprecedented Human Losses: The Second World War resulted in staggering human losses, with an estimated 70-85 million casualties. The horrors of the Holocaust, where six million Jews were systematically murdered, and the widespread civilian casualties underscored the brutality of the conflict.

Global Economic Devastation: The war left economies in ruins, particularly in Europe and Asia. The cost of rebuilding was astronomical, and nations struggled to recover. The United States emerged as a global economic powerhouse, setting the stage for the post-war era.

Formation of the United Nations: The devastation wrought by the war led to a collective global desire to prevent future conflicts. The United Nations (UN) was established in 1945, providing a forum for diplomatic dialogue and conflict resolution. The organization aimed to promote international cooperation and prevent the recurrence of global warfare.

The Cold War: The ideological differences between the Allied powers, particularly the United States and the Soviet Union, fueled the Cold War. The division of Europe into Eastern and Western blocs, the nuclear arms race, and proxy conflicts characterized the geopolitical landscape for decades, shaping international relations until the end of the 20th century.

Decolonization and Shifting Power Dynamics: The war accelerated the process of decolonization as colonial powers weakened. Former colonies in Asia and Africa gained independence, leading to a shift in global power dynamics. The emergence of new nations and the reconfiguration of geopolitical alliances marked the post-war era.

Technological Advancements: The war spurred unprecedented technological advancements. The development of nuclear weapons, jet propulsion, radar, and computing technologies transformed warfare and had profound implications for post-war scientific and industrial progress.

Establishment of Israel: The aftermath of the war witnessed the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. The Holocaust and international sympathy for the Jewish people contributed to the recognition of Israel as a homeland for Jewish survivors, reshaping the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East.

Conclusion:

The Second World War, with its roots in the aftermath of the First World War and fueled by the rise of totalitarian regimes, had profound and far-reaching consequences that shaped the course of history. From the devastation of human lives and economies to the establishment of international organizations like the United Nations, the war left an enduring impact on the world order. The lessons learned from the war underscore the importance of diplomacy, cooperation, and the collective pursuit of peace to prevent the recurrence of such catastrophic events. As we reflect on the historical insights into the causes and consequences of the Second World War, it serves as a solemn reminder of the need for vigilance in the face of global challenges and a commitment to fostering a more peaceful and just world.

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[keshetchai]

No offense but where on EARTH are you getting the idea that any evidence for existence of Jews in a region is considered a golden age?

That's kind of absurd and not at all why Jewish life in Muslim Spain is considered a "golden age."

Also like...we have oodles of proof of Jewish life under the Roman empire and occupation, and that wasn't a golden age. We definitely know Jews lived in the Rhineland in the middle ages and that certainly wasn't a golden age when the crusades started.

Like...I think you're trying to make an argument here that I sort of understand what is intended(?).

...but it's relying heavily on the idea of "evidence for Jewish life" meaning only certain specific types of evidence (which ones count aren't very clear by what you said), and that's not how we ought to analyze historical data. It sort of seems like you've taken a counter stance towards the idea of a golden age but to an extreme which also....I mean it doesn't make much sense to me (without context/based on what I know) as someone who worked for a medieval islamicist for several years.

I agree that it was not harmonious perfect coexistence, and it's factual this period ended in the slaughter of Jews, but I'm lost on the idea that it was only a golden age bc we have proof Jews were living there.

i think this person should have to look every single sephardic jew in the eye while they hand us each $18,000 in cash.

[myconsultantcanda]

The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) Program

ECONOMIC CLASS•

FEB 07, 2020

•

BY: DONALD CURRY [CICC ID: R535613]

(RNIP) continues the federal government’s strategy of granting more control over immigration to provinces and municipalities, inspired by the success of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot.

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot, which includes Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador launched in March 2017 as a three-year pilot. It has since been extended to December 2021.

The Pilot spurred the federal government to hear out MPs and advocates like myself who argued that what is good for Atlantic Canada should also be good for Northern Ontario. The two regions have much in common: the cities are smaller, spread out and are not attracting newcomers in large numbers; employers complain they can’t find people with the skills they need. Based on this feedback, Ahmed Hussen, the Minister of Immigration at the time, helped move RNIP forward.

RNIP started with a call for communities to express their interest in participating. In June 2019, Minister Hussen announced that 11 communities had been accepted. The communities included Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay and Timmins in northern Ontario; Brandon and Altona/Rhineland in Manitoba; Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan; Claresholm in Alberta; Vernon and West Kootenay (Trail, Castlegar, Rossland and Nelson) in British Columbia.

What do these communities have to offer?

• A lower stress lifestyle without lengthy commutes

• Much more affordable real estate

• Well-paying jobs for those with the right skills

• Good schools

• Quick access to nature

• Friendly and welcoming residents

Everything is a five to ten-minute drive away—work, lakes or rivers, downtown, shopping malls, colleges, universities, immigrant settlement agencies, golf courses, soccer fields, libraries and so on.

Speaking for myself, I have lived in Canada’s large cities—Toronto, Vancouver and Ottawa. They are great. However, life is better in smaller cities in my opinion. I moved to North Bay in 1978 and I don’t want to leave. In fact, not all immigrants come from large cities in their native countries. These people may enjoy living in Canada’s smaller centres.

Who can apply?

To be eligible for the pilot, candidates must intend to settle in the community and meet all relevant requirements such as work experience, language, education and so on.

They must have at least one year of continuous work experience in the past three years or have graduated from a publicly funded post-secondary institution in the recommending community. Volunteer work, unpaid internships and self-employment hours do not count. Work experience claimed by the candidates must include most of the main duties and all the essential duties in the occupation in the National Occupation Classification (NOC).

International students are exempt from the work experience criterion if they have a two-year or greater credential from a post-secondary institution. Other requirements include having studied full-time, graduated in the past 18 months or fewer and lived in the community for at least 16 of the last 24 months during their study. Candidates are not eligible to apply as an international student if over half their program was spent studying English or French, half of their program was through distant learning or they were recipients of a scholarship or fellowship that required their return to the home country.

The minimum language requirements are Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 6 for NOC 0 and A; CLB 5 for NOC B; and CLB 4 for NOC C and D.

It is mandatory for candidates to have a Canadian high school diploma or an Educational Credential Assessment report less than five years old showing the equivalent education.

Other than those who are already working legally in Canada when applying, Candidates must demonstrate they have enough funds to support themselves and their family members while they get settled. Candidates must obtain a job offer from the participating community, which is permanent, full-time and non-seasonal with a wage meeting or exceeding the Job Bank’s minimum wage for the NOC. The candidates' experience must show they have the qualifications for the job.

Each community will detail their additional requirements on their websites.

Which communities are ready?

At the time of writing, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, Brandon and Altona/Rhineland are accepting applications on their websites. The others will be coming soon, and each will have its own methodology.

North Bay, for instance, is coordinated by the North Bay & District Chamber of Commerce with community partners. Coordinator Patricia Carr, announced on January 3, 2020 that the Chamber would begin by inviting only candidates already working in the area who meet all IRCC and community requirements. She said there was a potential of 20 applicants in that category and she didn’t not know how many meet the requirements. By March or April, applications will be opened to those residing outside the North Bay area, or outside Canada, and move toward the maximum target of 100 by posting jobs and matching NOC codes. The original first-year target was 250 principal applicants and their families, but the IRCC lowered this number.

How to apply

To apply, foreign nationals should read the Instruction Guide (https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/application-forms-guides/guide-0118-rural-northern-immigration.html) to first determine their eligibility and then follow the instructions step by step if they are eligible. There are forms to complete for the applicant, the employer and the designated economic development organization in the participating municipality.

Two things for the applicants to note. First, as IRCC staff said in their North Bay training session, this program will not likely be a faster route to permanent residence than existing economic immigration programs. Second, if a foreign national doesn't qualify for the pilot, they still have an opportunity to move to these communities under existing federal and provincial immigration programs.

As for the communities, note that the federal government describes the pilot as a “community-driven program designed to spread the benefits of economic immigration to smaller communities by creating a path to permanent residence for skilled foreign workers who want to work and live in one of the participating communities.” That means the program will not be evaluated on the number of people who come to the community, but by the number of people who stay. Therefore, creating a welcoming community with settlement agencies and other community partners will be a key to success for the communities.

[today-in-wwi]

French Occupy Düsseldorf

Allied soldiers on parade in Düsseldorf.

March 8 1921, Düsseldorf--The Treaty of Versailles did not specify the amount Germany would have to pay in war reparations, but deferred the decision on the exact amount until May 1921; in the meantime, Germany would pay 20 billion gold marks and large quantities of coal and chemicals.  With that deadline fast approaching, however, no agreement had been reached, or even seemed close; the Allies had proposed a figure of 226 billion gold marks in January, whle the Germans countered with 30 billion.

To back up their demands, on March 8, 15,000 French and Belgian troops occupied Düsseldorf and Duisburg; the British signed off on the operation but only provided a handful of troops themselves.  The French claimed that the lowball German figure meant that the “German Government does not wish to fulfill the engagements it assumed in signing the treaty.” German President Ebert understandably protested:

Our opponents in the World War imposed upon us unheard-of demands, both in money and in kind, impossible of fulfillment.  Not only ourselves but our children and grandchildren would have become the work-slaves of our adversaries by our signature.  We were called upon to seal a contract which even the work of a generation would not have sufficed to carry out.

We must not and we cannot comply with it.  Our honor and self-respect forbid it.

With an open breach of the Peace Treaty of Versailles, our opponents are advancing to the occupation of more German territory.

We, however, are not in a position to oppose force with force.  We are defenseless....

Fellow-citizens, meet this foreign domination with grave dignity.  Maintain an upright demeanor.  Do not allow yourselves to be driven into committing ill-considered acts.  Be patient and have faith.

[whencyclopedia]

Hitler's Occupation of Czechoslovakia

Throughout 1938, Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), the leader of Nazi Germany, threatened to occupy the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia. The excuse presented was that Sudeten Germans were being repressed but Hitler was intent on creating a 'Greater Germany', which included all German speakers in Europe. In the Munich Agreement of September 1938, Britain, France, and Italy agreed to recognize Germany's claim over the Sudetenland. This act of appeasement was meant to avoid a world war.

In March 1939, Hitler occupied the Bohemian and Moravian regions of Czechoslovakia, Slovakia became a German client state, and Hungary and Poland grabbed what was left of the old Czechoslovakia. When Hitler invaded Poland in September 1939, Britain and France finally declared war. Czechoslovakia had been betrayed and bargained away for nothing.

German Troops Enter the Sudetenland

Imperial War Museums (CC BY-NC-SA)

Hitler's Greater Germany

Hitler had harboured ambitions to build a German empire or 'Greater Germany' ever since his book Mein Kampf (published in 1925), in which he described the need for Lebensraum (living space) for the German people – new lands where they could prosper. Once in power from 1933, Hitler pursued an aggressive foreign policy that aimed to recover Germany's territorial losses following the Treaty of Versailles that had formally concluded the First World War (1914-18).

The first practical step towards a Greater Germany came with a plebiscite in the coal-rich Saar region, once part of western Germany but governed by the League of Nations (the forerunner of today's United Nations) since the end of WWI. In March 1935, voters decided overwhelmingly to rejoin Germany. One year later, in March 1936, German armed forces occupied the Rhineland, an industrialised area between Germany and France, which the Versailles treaty had stipulated should not have any military presence. As was the case with Japan's invasion of Chinese Manchuria in 1931 and Italy's invasion of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in 1935, the League of Nations offered no meaningful response. Encouraged, Hitler repudiated the Treaty of Versailles and set about solidifying his alliances. In October 1936, Germany and Italy became allies with the Rome-Berlin Axis. In November 1936, Italy and Germany (and later Japan) signed the Anti-Comintern Pact, a treaty of mutual cooperation in empire-building and a united front against communism. Hitler could now concentrate on his next victim: Austria.

Hitler not only wanted more German speakers under his power but also Austria's raw materials and currency reserves; both were badly needed for the costly rearmament programme Germany was undertaking. In 1938, Hitler pressured the Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg (1897-1977) to appoint Nazi ministers in his government, but when Schuschnigg planned a plebiscite on independence for 13 March, Hitler mobilised his army, which crossed the border on 12 March. Crucially, Hitler had three factors in his favour: the support of half of the Austrian population, the Austrian army was incapable of effective resistance, and the fascist dictator of Italy Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) had promised he would not interfere. The Austrian government duly capitulated, and radio messages urged people not to resist. The Anschluss was accomplished.

The Rise of Nazi Germany, 1919 - 1939

Simeon Netchev (CC BY-NC-ND)

The major powers, all eager to avoid another world war, reacted tamely to the Anschluss and took solace from the popularity of the takeover indicated by the plebiscites in Germany and Austria, which showed (an improbable) 99% approval for the Anschluss. Austria was absorbed into the Third Reich and became a German province. Possession of Austria gave Hitler a strong strategic position in Central Europe, a base from which he could launch further invasions, particularly in the Balkans and to his next target, Czechoslovakia. In May 1938, Hitler declared to his generals: “it is my unalterable will to smash Czechoslovakia by military action in the near future" (Dear, 597). What Hitler wanted first, though, was an excuse to take Czechoslovakia. As it turned out, he did not need it since the Western powers conspired to give Hitler the country on a plate.

Continue reading...

[fdelopera]

Let's all refresh our memory about Hitler's persecution of Black people in Nazi Germany. Looks like these functionally illiterate bigots need a history lesson.

Black people in Nazi Germany weren't targeted for extermination and genocide in the way that Jews and Roma were, and a few Black Germans even served in the Hitler Youth and in Nazi Germany's Wehrmacht armed forces; however, Black Germans were still considered to be an "inferior race," and were sometimes forcibly sterilized as part of Nazi Germany's eugenics program.

Here's what Hitler said about Black people in Mein Kampf. White Supremacists use these passages in Mein Kampf as "proof" of the "Great Replacement Theory." White Supremacists believe that Jews and Black people are colluding together to commit a "White Genocide" that will "exterminate the White Race." Unhinged and disgusting, but that's what they believe, and that's why White Supremacists murder both Black people and Jews. That is the conspiracy theory that White Supremacist Robert Bowers spouted when he committed the massacre at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018:

In Mein Kampf, Hitler described children resulting from marriages to African occupation soldiers as a contamination of the white race "by negro blood on the Rhine in the heart of Europe." He thought that "Jews were responsible for bringing Negroes into the Rhineland, with the ultimate idea of bastardizing the White race which they hate and thus lowering its cultural and political level so that the Jew might dominate." He also implied that this was a plot on the part of the French since the population of France was being increasingly "negrified". (x)

Oh, and let's not forget Germany's pre-War genocide they committed in Southwest Africa from 1904–1908.

Scholars commonly say the Armenian genocide of 1914–1915, perpetrated by the Turks, was the first genocide of the twentieth century. That is wrong. History records the first deliberate effort to systematically exterminate an entire group was by the Germans in Southwest Africa, 1904–1908. (x)

So, let's give these disgusting Hamasnik bigots the Cynthia McKinney Award for colluding with White Supremacists to attack Jews.

Disgusting.

It also shows how stupid these protestors was too .

If Hitler we're still here they wouldn't be here either Lol look at them ?

Do they look blonde hair blue eyed ?

Do they look like Hitler's master race ?

🤔

So stupid .Hitler we're still alive ?

They be right next to the Jews and all "undesirables" according to Adolph Hitler

These anti semitic protestors are just as ignorant as queers for Palestine.

Y'all cheering for people who would kill you if you we're living in Palestine or Gaza.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

“British Peace Guns On The Rhine,” Toronto Star. July 24, 1919. Page 03.  --- Three batteries of the London Division Field Artillery fired 101 guns as a peace salute on the left bank of the Rhine at Cologne on June 28th. A huge crowd of British soldiers and German civilians assembled on the broad embankment.

[mostly-history]

We knew what it was like to feel humiliated after a defeat.  Because we lived on the left bank of the Rhine, which was under Allied occupation, between 1919 and 1926 we saw Canadian, British and then French troops – chiefly drawn from the colonies – march past.  These six years of peacetime occupation were long and burdensome.  For Germans, the situation was incomprehensible: enemy troops had not entered the country on the western frontier, there had been no invasion during the war, and now it was the peace treaty, a treaty considered unjust and designed to ruin the country, that brought about foreign occupation.  A period of occupation, even a tranquil one, is hardly likely to strengthen friendship among peoples.  The occupation of the Ruhr from 1923 to 1926 was accompanied by violence and turmoil, and resulted in 121 summary executions and tens of thousands of expulsions, and it led to a general strike – at the instigation of Chancellor Cuno – and the economic collapse of the industrial heart of Germany, bringing on terrifying inflation.  All that, I think, accentuated the Rhinelanders' already very strong prejudice against the French, who had been seen for centuries as troublesome neighbours. The humiliations inflicted by the occupying forces did not escape my notice when I was a child.  I remember that my parents had been forbidden to attend the burial of my grandmother, on the pretext that my father was a reserve officer.  I also recall how we congratulated Father Seelen, who had dared to sing the German national anthem, which was strictly prohibited on the left bank, in full view of the French troops.  Fortunately Father Seelen was a Dutch citizen, and the French could not arrest him.  That is how, as young men, we practised a kind of resistance that was within our capabilities.

Operation Valkyrie: The Plot to Kill Hitler

[dashalbrundezimmer]

theodor-schwann-straße // köln riehl

villa for the british officers built in the twenties

[historyandclassicactors]

Since my plan for an occupation of the Rhineland post didn’t work out as I’d planned (and I tortured everyone with two solid weeks of posts on the Cuban Missile Crisis) have some pictures of the Occupation of the Rhineland! A newer post will hopefully appear later this week!

[petermorwood]

Would love to know more about how Louis XIV caused WW2!

OK, this is the very VERY simplified version (a follow-up to this comment.)

Louis XIV, Catholic king of France, oppressed the Huguenots (French Protestants) because that’s what a Catholic king does. He also grabbed their goods and wealth because being in with God is nice but profit is even nicer; palaces like Versailles don't just build themselves.

Various other Protestant European states (mostly German) worried that Louis might use France's impressive military power to oppress them as well, or at least use their Protestantism and alliances (i.e. potential threats) as an excuse to extend territories granted to France after the Thirty Years War (1618-48).

Louis did exactly that, deciding that France's eastern border would be more easily defended if it was neatened up a bit, so, equipped with various legal pretexts and a rather large army, he invaded and annexed several parts of the German Rhineland - Mainz, Koblenz, Strassburg - which had been making the border look untidy.

Cue the Nine Years War (1688-97) during which the French threw their weight around considerably, invoking a scorched-earth policy to create a Zone of Defence that destroyed numerous towns in western Germany for no better reason than they were The Big Dog and could do what they liked.

Some years later (1792) the French were back in Germany again, this time to bring the benefits of the French Revolution and to re-confirm possession of those parts of the Rhineland that "belonged to France", plus adding a few more.

Some more years later (1803-15) the French were back in Germany again, this time to bring the benefits of Napoleon Bonaparte's empire and to re-re-confirm possession of those parts of the Rhineland that "belonged to France" plus adding a lot more.

After Bonaparte was packed off to St Helena (1815) various parts of Europe that "belonged to France" - not just the Rhineland, Bonaparte had been amazingly grabby - were returned, more or less, to their original owners. However, various German states still held a simmering "ooh, one day, just you wait" resentment against France.

Cue the trouncing of France under Napoleon III in the Franco-Prussian war (1870-71), the German annexation of Alsace and Lorraine (French provinces grabbed on grounds not dissimilar to the various parts of Germany that had "belonged to France") and the proclamation of the unified German Empire in no less a place than Louis XIV's palace of Versailles.

This left the French feeling as resentful towards Germany as Germany had felt against France, and if it sounds like the phrase "it'll all end in tears" is going to play a role in this post, yes it is, because Germany's militaristic emperor Wilhelm II was a one-man diplomatic incident with a waxed moustache, and his militaristic nation was - with only a few exceptions - little better.

Cue the Schlieffen Plan, with which Germany - prompted by a “damned stupid incident in the Balkans” that Chancellor Bismarck had warned about years before - planned to defeat France in a hurry by a quick advance through neutral Belgium, before France's ally Russia could mobilise fast enough to do anything about it.

That didn't work, because Belgium treated being invaded as a good reason to stop being neutral, and held up the carefully-timetabled advance long enough that various other alliances kicked in and the Plan fell apart. During this period the Germans threw their weight around considerably, destroying numerous towns in Belgium for no better reason than they were The Big Dog and could do what they liked.

Cue the Great War (1914-18) and four years of unpleasantness after which Germany was beaten and France got Alsace and Lorraine back, as well as occupation of (what a surprise!) the Rhineland as war reparations. France also insisted on the Versailles Treaty being as severe as possible, which left the Germans feeling as resentful towards France as France had felt against Germany... Etcetera, etcetera.

This led to more German militarism, a conviction they hadn’t really been beaten in a fair fight, a resurgence of "ooh, one day, just you wait", Nazis, Hitler, reoccupation of the Rhineland, absorption of Austria, annexation of Czechoslovakia, no further territorial demands in Europe, then blitzkrieg in Poland...

Cue World War Two (1939-45) and a further five or so years of unpleasantness compared to which any previous unpleasantness really couldn’t compare. Alsace and Lorraine weren't officially annexed this time, since they came as part of the complete Fall of France package. This was something which no doubt made everyone feel so much better.

And that’s how Louis XIV caused World War Two.