The age of catastrophe : a history of the West, 1914-1945

Characterized by global war, political revolution and national crises, the period between 1914 and 1945 was one of the most horrifying eras in the history of the West. A noted scholar of modern German history__,__ Heinrich August Winkler examines how and why Germany so radically broke with the normative project of the West and unleashed devastation across the world. In this total history of the thirty years between the start of World War One and the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Winkler blends historical narrative with political analysis and encompasses military strategy, national identity, class conflict, economic development and cultural change. The book includes astutely observed chapters on the United States, Japan, Russia, Britain, and the other European powers, and Winkler’s distinctly European perspective offers insights beyond the accounts written by his British and American counterparts. As Germany takes its place at the helm of a unified Europe, Winkler’s fascinating account will be widely read and debated for years to come. Cover page 1 Halftitle page 2 Title page 4 Copyright page 5 Dedication page 6 CONTENTS 8 INTRODUCTION 12 1 The Twentieth Century’s Seminal Catastrophe: The First World War 16 Battles and War Crimes: Military Action: 1914–16 16 War Aims, Ideological Warfare, Opposition to the War 22 A Year to Remember: The Russian Revolution; the United States Enters the War 34 Freedom for Civilized Nations: Woodrow Wilson’s New World Order 67 Two Countries Lie in Ruins; One is Reborn: Germany, Austria–Hungary and Poland at the End of the First World War 75 Trust Gambled Away and Violence Unleashed:The Legacy of the First World War 101 2 From the Armistice to the World Economic Crisis: 1918–3392 107 The Pace of Revolution Slows: Germany on the Wayto the Weimar Republic 107 A Blighted New Beginning: Austria and Hungary in 1918/19 120 The Struggle for Independence: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland 125 The East Remains Red: The Russian Civil War and the Foundation of the Third International 127 The Victors Move to the Right: The Western Powers on the Eve of the Paris Peace Talks 133 A Fragile Peace: From Versailles to the League of Nations 137 Protest, Prohibition, Prosperity: The United States in the 1920s 166 The International Revolution is Delayed: The Rise of the Soviet Union and the Divisions within Left-wing Parties in Europe 175 Three Elections and a Secession: Post-war Britain 195 Confrontations and Compromises: France 1919–22 203 A Democracy Self-destructs: Italy’s Road to Fascism 208 A Republic Put to the Test: Germany 1919–22 216 A Year of Decisions: 1923. From the Occupation of the Ruhr to the Dawes Plan 238 Right Against Left: Culture and Society in the Weimar Republic 252 Authoritarian Transformation (I): The New States of Poland, Czechoslovakia and the Baltic Region 260 Authoritarian Transformation (II): From the Balkans to the Iberian Peninsula 292 Democracy Evolves: From Sweden to Switzerland 316 Fascism in Power: Italy under Mussolini 335 From Poincaré to Poincaré: France between 1923 and 1929 353 From Empire to Commonwealth: Britain under Baldwin 366 From Dawes to Young: Germany under Stresemann 375 Socialism in One Country: The Soviet Union under Stalin 1924–33 398 Boom, Crisis and Depression: The United States 1928–33 415 The Logic of the Lesser Evil: Germany under Brüning 427 Stagnation and Criticism of the System:France’s Third Republic 1929–33 448 The Power of Continuity: Britain in the Early 1930s 457 Weimar’s Downfall: Hitler’s Road to Power 467 Storm Clouds in the Far East: Japan Invades Manchuria 492 3 Democracies and Dictatorships: 1933-9 499 A New Deal for America: Roosevelt’s Presidency 1933–6 499 The Process of Seizing Power: The Establishment of theNational Socialist Dictatorship 1933–4 517 Rome’s Second Empire: Fascist Italy and the War in Abyssinia 546 The Great Terror: Stalin Builds Up his Dominion over the Soviet Union 555 Setting the Course for War: National Socialist Germany 1934–8 568 Early Signs of Appeasement: Britain 1933–8 586 Mobilization of the Right, Popular Front on the Left: France 1933–8 596 Battlefield of Extremes: The Spanish Civil War 1936–9 617 A Model for Germany: The Anti-Semitic Policies of Fascist Italy 636 Neighbours at Risk: Czechoslovakia, Poland and the Third Reich 1935–8 639 Roosevelt’s Realpolitik: The United States from 1936 to 1938 647 Reaching Out Across Borders: From the Austrian Anschluss to the Munich Agreement 654 The ninth of November 1938: The History and Consequences of the Jewish Pogroms in Germany 666 An Alliance of Opposites: The Second World War is Unleashed 670 4 Fault Lines in Western Civilization: The Second World War and the Holocaust 688 War as Annihilation: The Fifth Partition of Poland 688 From ‘Drôle de guerre’ to the Battle for Norway 694 France’s Collapse: The Campaign in the West 700 Tokyo, Washington, Berlin: A Change in International Politics 1940–41 711 From ‘Barbarossa’ to Pearl Harbor: The Globalization of the War 726 Genesis of Genocide: The ‘Final Solution’ (I) 738 A Change of Direction: The Axis Powers go on the Defensive 751 Home Fronts: Nations at War 757 Occupation, Collaboration, Resistance (I): Eastern Central Europe, South-east and North-west Europe 770 Occupation, Collaboration, Resistance (II): France 787 ‘To cause this nation to vanish from the face of the earth’:The ‘Final Solution’ (II) 798 Collapse of a Dictatorship: Italy 1943–4 812 The Allies Advance: Eastern Asia and Europe 1943–4 821 The twentieth of July 1944: German Resistance to Hitler 830 The Partition of Europe (I): The Allies’ Post-war Plans 837 Completion of a Mission: The ‘Final Solution’ (III) 847 The End of the War (I): The Fall of the Third Reich 852 The Partition of Europe (II): Radical Changes and Deportations 862 New Beginnings and Traditions: Germany after Capitulation 871 The End of the War (II): The Atom Bomb and Japan’s Capitulation 885 Guilt and Atonement: The Caesura of 1945 (I) 893 West, East, Third World: The Caesura of 1945 (II) 909 From World War to World War: Retrospective of an PExceptional eriod 918 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 932 NOTES 937 INDEX 953 Characterized By Global War, Political Revolution And National Crises, The Period Between 1914 And 1945 Was One Of The Most Horrifying Eras In The History Of The West. A Noted Scholar Of Modern German History, Heinrich August Winkler Examines How And Why Germany So Radically Broke With The Normative Project Of The West And Unleashed Devastation Across The World. In This Total History Of The Thirty Years Between The Start Of World War One And The Dropping Of Atomic Bombs On Hiroshima And Nagasaki, Winkler Blends Historical Narrative With Political Analysis And Encompasses Military Strategy, National Identity, Class Conflict, Economic Development And Cultural Change. The Book Includes Astutely Observed Chapters On The United States, Japan, Russia, Britain, And The Other European Powers, And Winkler's Distinctly European Perspective Offers Insights Beyond The Accounts Written By His British And American Counterparts. As Germany Takes Its Place At The Helm Of A Unified Europe, Winkler's Fascinating Account Will Be Widely Read And Debated For Years To Come-- The Twentieth Century's Seminal Catastrophe : The First World War -- From The Armistice To The World Economic Crisis : 1918-33 -- Democracies And Dictatorships : 1933-9 -- Fault Lines In Western Civilization : The Second World War And The Holocaust -- From World War To World War : Retrospective Of An Exceptional Period. Heinrich August Winkler ; Translated By Stewart Spencer. Continues: Geschichte Des Westens. München : Beck, 2009. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "Characterized by global war, political revolution and national crises, the period between 1914 and 1945 was one of the most horrifying eras in the history of the West. A noted scholar of modern German history, Heinrich August Winkler examines how and why Germany so radically broke with the normative project of the West and unleashed devastation across the world. In this total history of the thirty years between the start of World War One and the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Winkler blends historical narrative with political analysis and encompasses military strategy, national identity, class conflict, economic development and cultural change. The book includes astutely observed chapters on the United States, Japan, Russia, Britain, and the other European powers, and Winkler's distinctly European perspective offers insights beyond the accounts written by his British and American counterparts. As Germany takes its place at the helm of a unified Europe, Winkler's fascinating account will be widely read and debated for years to come"-- Provided by publisher Characterized by global war, political revolution and national crises, the period between 1914 and 1945 was one of the most horrifying eras in the history of the West. A noted scholar of modern German history, Heinrich August Winkler examines how and why Germany so radically broke with the normative project of the West and unleashed devastation across the world. Â In this total history of the thirty years between the start of World War One and the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Winkler blends historical narrative with political analysis and encompasses military strategy, national identity, class conflict, economic development and cultural change. The book includes astutely observed chapters on the United States, Japan, Russia, Britain, and the other European powers, and Winkler's distinctly European perspective offers insights beyond the accounts written by his British and American counterparts. As Germany takes its place at the helm of a unified Europe, Winkler's fascinating account will be widely read and debated for years to come.