America Does Not Enter WW1

[CommonSense]

Where would we be today if America never entered WW1? Think about it, no treaty of Versailles no harsh treatment of postwar Germany. Europe probably would have fought to an armistice with everything staying the same. The United States would not have been involved and there would be no WW2. Hitler would not have captured the hearts of the German people. Without a WW2, there may not have been a Cold War. Our world would be totally different. Any thoughts?

[MARIO]

CommonSense said:

Where would we be today if America never entered WW1? Think about it, no treaty of Versailles no harsh treatment of postwar Germany. Europe probably would have fought to an armistice with everything staying the same. The United States would not have been involved and there would be no WW2. Hitler would not have captured the hearts of the German people. Without a WW2, there may not have been a Cold War. Our world would be totally different. Any thoughts?

-Good question.

A writer I like (he's a Libertarian) has a new book out on Wilson's War and he goes into detail about why US entry into the war was a mistake. I haven't yet read it, but one of these days I'll have to pick it up.

[tits]

CommonSense said:

Where would we be today if America never entered WW1? Think about it, no treaty of Versailles no harsh treatment of postwar Germany. Europe probably would have fought to an armistice with everything staying the same. The United States would not have been involved and there would be no WW2. Hitler would not have captured the hearts of the German people. Without a WW2, there may not have been a Cold War. Our world would be totally different. Any thoughts?

I mean the Prussians won the Franco Prussian. The Prussians stepped in foiled the Paris Commune, where Marx wrote the first Communist Manifesto.

IF.... the Prussians had not defeated Napoleon 14, would the French had not been in such a hurry to declare war on the Kaiser 40 years later? Would France have become the first Communist nation?

I read the other day where France has had 17 Constitutions since the famous Bastille Day revolution? It is odd how the Neo-Libs want to champion them as the great social democracy?

[CommonSense]

Good points Tittus. Liberals love France because they want to avoid praising America at all costs.

[dustdevil28]

commonsense said:

Where would we be today if America never entered WW1? Think about it, no treaty of Versailles no harsh treatment of postwar Germany. Europe probably would have fought to an armistice with everything staying the same. The United States would not have been involved and there would be no WW2. Hitler would not have captured the hearts of the German people. Without a WW2, there may not have been a Cold War. Our world would be totally different. Any thoughts?

.... candy and nuts we'd always have a marry Christmas. If America doesn't enter WW1 isn't it still likly that Japan goes to war with China afterward and than move on to try and take over all of Asia?

We could also speculate about the development of the A-bomb and how it may or may not have been used.

It's nice to think things might have turned out better, but than again they could've turned out worse.

[Remey688]

In understanding The Great War of 1913 one must begin with The Franco Prussian War, circa 1870, and end somewhere in Europe's Belle Monde period. A reading study should begin with "The Proud Tower", by Barbara Tuchman (a tresis of of the era's social conditions) and New Goverments in Europe, (no author), a book written circa 1930s. Plus a far more comprehensive study beyond political, and social knowledge of the period 1870 to 1970 select electives of your choice, plus a reading study of the Newcomen Society's (the history of science and industry) book-list of the period is valuable. The driving force 1870-1970 was first the mass production of steel, and secondly rubber tires.

[americanpride]

World War One was inevitable. It had to occur in order for the colonial world to be reshaped. The rise of industialization, the total war concept, nationalism, and the balance of power would have inevitably led to conflict. And it did.

When the assassination of the Archduke occurred, the dying Austrian Empire sought harsher terms than it normally would have. Indeed, the fact that the Empire was declining in international status and the desire for its administrators to restore that status pushed them towards the extreme. So - when Serbia accepted all but one of the terms of the ultimatum - Austria had no choice but to declare war in order to save what little credibility they retained.

Germany's support of Austria was - arguably - a mistake. And it seems more so when one considers that the Kaiser was somewhat aloof of Austria's conditions and intentions. And this is further illustrated by the Kaiser's shock when he learns that Austria went ahead with declaring war. Despite the failings of leadership, Germany left the control of its military assests to a vast bucreaucracy of planners and staff officers. They had planned an invasion of France down to how many train axels would be crossing a given point at a given time. So - when they learned that British neutrality could be assured by respecting the neutrality of Belgium (through which Germany planned to strike France), nothing could be done.

Now - Russia and France had solidified their position through an alliance. And Russia guranteed the independence of Serbia. Even though Russia's forces and mobilization capacities were nil. Not to mention a leadership vacuum in the highest military levels. Russia's leadership at this time can be described in one word: confused.

France was certainly willing to stay out of the conflict. In fact - France had made overtures to Germany to avoid conflict. But - as with Great Britain - Germany's mobilization was out of the hands of any individual - and so it happened. Story has it that the Kaiser even ordered the Western advance to halt - but by the time the orders reached the armed forces, they were already in foriegn territory. I'd have to double check that one though.

The international system itself was unstable - the balance of power with multi power centers (GB, France, US, Germany, Austria, Russia) had too many players.

As for the US - Wilson was no isolationist. In fact, the ideology of isolationism during this time period is blown out of proportion. It was only a decade earlier that the US defeated Spain and acquired territories in the Carribean and the Pacific. Not to mention the Monroe Doctrine. Wilson himself was an idealist and perhaps he wanted to project his world vision into Europe. But for more practical reasons - German aggressions against the US on the high seas is what pushed us to war. And the American people were not going to tolerate such acts of aggression.

[Remey688]

The french never recovered from the end of the Cold War. They and the Germans made a buddle and a half circa 1945/97 supplying west made goods to the east, and selling off soviet resourses to the west!