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The Origins of The Second World War

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Taylor's account of the origins of the war is a fascinating dive into the twisted saga that was the Third Reich. Propounding the theory that Hitler was a master of patience who let the Appeasment-happy politicians of the West hand Czechoslovakia, Austria, and eventually Poland over to him, Taylor's arguments are compelling and definitive. While not detracting from the horrors of the Reich, it becomes clear that the political aspect of Hitler's empire was focused on getting the most he could while avoiding war, not planning for or encouraging it. The second edition contains Taylor's reply (in a forward) to the many critics and historians who debased the work as monstrous upon its initial publication, but like all the best of Taylor's work, it seeks only to dig for the truth, not an absolution of morality.

This is an excellent book, learned and well-written but above all insightful... warning the reader that wars can be difficult to foresee and avoid. There is a blow by blow account of inter-war events such as the seizure of the Rhineland and the Anschluss (absorbtion of Austria), but it is the masterful linkage of events to their causes in the Versailles treaty and the interwar period that carries conviction. None of the parties to events in the inter-war period escapes censure, eg the USA excessively isolationist and the French defeatist, but it is the portrayal of Hitler and German foreign policy (insofar as there was one), ie a rational and deliberate foreign policy seeking to redress the grievances of Versailles, that teaches the reader the inappropriateness of demonising Hitler. Taylor demonstrates that politicians are often swept along by events rather than masters of them, that wars often arise from muddle and confusion rather than from evil intent or war-mongering. I was suprised to see Taylor's opinion that it was British public opinion, which shifted progressively against Hitler, that forced the issuance to Germany of an ultimatum over Poland, rather than the UK Government feeling bound by formal treaty pledges to Poland.

A.J. P. Taylor generated a lot of controversy with what he recorded here about the causes leading up to the outbreak of war in Europe in 1939, and it's not because of some weakness in his personal conclusions. If you read it for yourself, you'll learn so much that you actually won't be dependent on anyone else's conclusions. The book is now a familiar topic to all World War Two historians, but it amazed them all the more because Taylor is considered by many to rank among the finest historians the Western World ever produced.

He points out that what most people have learned about the outbreak of WW2 isn't actually in serious error, but it skips over all the embarrassing controversies and gray areas. Those deficiencies leave politicians with very few insights about how they could avert future tragedies. It's also a dangerously simplistic view planted in the minds of millions by the power of modern media, but there's actually no one person, government, regime, or creed, that can be blamed for the ignorance, as much as we would like to believe that only the good guys (or bad guys) who rule dished the perspective out to us... Misconceptions about WW2 era need to be grappled with honestly, and this particular book is a good start...Modern sociologists and religious people are moving away from a blanket condemnation of any individual or nation, especially those which are no longer in existence, and the insights offered by Taylor apply intelligence and sensitivity to the history of our last century. It is among the finest literary contributions offered for a more peaceful world.

Taylor's contribution to the literature on the Second World Waris a must read. He exhaustively researched the diplomatic dealingsthat preceded the outbreak of war and provided a wealth ofinformation. He shows that neither was Hitler simply a raving,irrational madman, nor were the British, French and other leadersparagons of virtue and sterling defenders of democratic ideals. As inmost cases in history in which "high politics" are involved, thediplomatic dealings occuring on the eve of World War II show that itis difficult to clearly distinguish between the "good" and the"bad" - even when detestable ghouls like Hitler areinvolved. Another important aspect of Taylor's work here is to showhow much history is more than just a series of broad processes, butalso a matter of minute human interactions. Thus, one can only go sofar in explaining the Second World War in terms of socio-economicfactors (which were, to be sure, crucial) - one also has to look athow events are the result of actions taken by powerful leaders andtheir back-room dealings with each other. All in all, an excellent andvery illuminating book. END

When this reviewer read A.J.P. Taylor's THE ORIGINS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR, he was impressed by the research, scholarship, and concise written experssion. Taylor argued that the Hitler regime never planned to enter a "total war," and a total war was the last thing the Germans wanted. Taylor convincingly demonstrates this thesis in this book.

Taylor begins his study with some forgotten problems that "mainstream" historians, those historians who are too timid or too politically connected, refuse to handle due to preconceived conclusions which Taylor undermines. The facts are that while the Germans lost World War I on the Western Front, the Germans did indeed win World War I against the Russians and extraced a peace treaty from the new revolutionary regime under Lenin (Treaty of Brest-Litvosk). The subsequent Versailles "Peace" Conference (1919) unhinged German victorians in the East.

Taylor also unhinges the myths that Hitler was solely responsible for unraveling the unjust and tentative conditions of the Versailles settlement. For example, Taylor carefully examines the Anschluss between the Germans and the Austrians in 1938. This event was not planned by the Hitler regime, and the crisis was started by the Austrian Chancellor Schnussnig and not by Hitler. Schnussnig provoked a rebellion in Austria when he tried to used armed force to crush the Austrian National Socialists and lost political control. The Germans were the only ones who were seen as able to restore order. The crisis caught the Germans by surprise. When the Germans sent military and police forces Austria, over 70% of the vehicles malfunctioned. There was no carefully planned operation to take control. The crisis a totally unexpected political favor. In an attempt to legitimatize the Anschluss, he submitted the matter to the Austrians for a plebiscite. The vote was 99.08% in favor of the Anschluss and only .92% against it, "...a genuine reflection of German feeling."

Taylor further gives a more precise account of the Sudetenlan situation of the subsequent Munich conference in 1938. The French and British were branded as "appeasers" by lazy historians who are not aware of the situation. Taylor argues that the Czechs and Eastern Europeans would not be well served by war. If one looks at a map of Europe, they should realize that Czechoslovakia is Eastern Europe, and there was little that the British or French could do if war did result. One should note that the Czechs, British, French, etc. were very concerned about possible Soviet military intervention and fears of Big Communism moving west into Central Europe. One should also note that when the Germans moved into the rest of Czechoslovakia, Hocha, the Czech foreig minister, asked for German help because of fears of Polish, Soviet, and Hungarian dismantling the rest of the country.

Taylor handles the critics of these events. Taylor argues that the Czechs were "betrayed" while, later in 1939, the Polish were "saved." Less than one hundred thousand Czechs died during World War II while the Polish lost over six million people and their political independence after the war. Taylor asks which was better-to be a "saved" Pole or a "betrayed" Czech? When there was political flak during the Cold War about Soviet dominance in Eastern Europe, Taylor relates that the only ones could honestly raise such flak were those who were against British instigation of World War II in the first place. The Cold Warriors who preached war against the Germans in the 1930s could not honestly whine about Soviet presence in Eastern Eruope since their support for Stalin & co. enabled to control Eastern Europe afte World War II. What did they expect?

A.J.P. Taylor also has severe criticism of the Nuremberg War Crime Trials. He stated that if judges from neutral countries held these trials, the defendents would have been set free or some of the "allied" leaders would have joined the defendents as war criminals. He wrote, "The verdicts preceded the trials." Taylor also debunks some of the presecutions' evidence and proves it to be fabrications.

Taylor stated that in regard to World War II,"Though none were innocent, all were guilty." Taylor uses careful research, precise examinations of documents, and clear reason to make his case. This book is quite readable, and a reading of Harry Elmer Barnes' review titled 'Blasting the Historical Blackout" will assist the reader to have a better understanding of Taylor' THE ORIGINS OF WORLD WAR II.

Dubbed as a "revisionist history" when the book was first written, A.J.P. Taylor's scholarship has withstood the test of time and a fresh reading is testimony to his prophetic skills. Mr. Taylor's work demonstrates that there are no blacks and whites but only grays in the world of realpolitik. His work is both for the casual reader as well as for students of history. (Naushad Shafkat)

A. J. P. Taylor presents a controversial view on the cause of the Second World War. In his thesis, Taylor argues that the Western powers were as much to blame for the war as Hitler himself through their lack of reactionary response to his activities. Taylor should in no way be taken as a Nazi apologist in anyway, but simply presents miss opportunities that could have staved off disaster. Well researched and written, Taylor is one of the preeminent historians of 20th Century European history along with B. H. Liddell-Hart and J. F. C. Fuller.

In what is often considered the most controversial of his many scholarly books, this exploration into the putative causes of World War Two by renowned British historian A.P.J. Taylor caused great controversy and discussion when published in the sixties. I remember as a college student the arguments regarding his scholarship, sympathies for Hitler, and somewhat simplistic approach in trying to mount an ardent and convincing argument demolishing the conventional wisdom holding that one man, Adolph Hitler, was uniquely responsible for the outbreak of the most horrific conflict in modern history. Amazingly, upon rereading this wonderfully written, entertaining, and erudite tome again recently, one walks away still impressed by his ability to marshal a wall of facts that seemingly support his incendiary ideas.

On the surface Taylor's general thesis that, given the poorly constructed and patently unfair peace treaty levied by the victorious allies onto Germany at Versailles, the war was inevitable is well-taken, as is his contention that many besides Hitler and the Nazis were responsible for the increased tensions and resort to force of arms in the 1930s both through acts of commission such as the peace treaty, and also through acts of omission, in particular referring to the failure of any of the allies to act responsibly and thoughtfully to the provocative acts of rearming Germany. Certainly the policies of appeasement, willful ignorance, and benign neglect of the international agreements so painfully wrought with the blood of millions of soldiers on the battlefields of France in WWI led to such a level of indifference and anarchy that it became an ideal environment for the incubation of the kinds of tyranny that arose in Italy, Germany, and Spain in those years. As Taylor points out, the fact of this indifference did much to sow the seeds of what would be reaped so painfully later.

Yet while any thoughtful student will heartily agree that the whole western world's blind indifference and acts of craven appeasement to the rising tides of murder and mayhem did much to encourage the excesses and bloody dreams of the Nazis, one finds it more difficult to excuse or ignore Hitler's own role in steering Germany toward confrontation and fatal conflict with all of its European neighbors. While one can argue that he never intended a war against England and France, that he misunderstood their resolve regarding Poland and the declaration of war against Germany, it is simply silly to argue that Hitler was somehow not directly responsible for the planning and execution of Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union and the quite systematic murder of its people. Thus, while in arguing for the wider sharing of blame for the possibility of war existing Taylor does a marvelous job, he fails miserably in trying to explain the specifics of the war, since Hitler said all along the reason for the war was to establish an area of expansion for the German people, or "living room", in the wheat-belt of Russia called the Ukraine.

Hitler intended from the beginning to systematically exterminate all the indigenous people living in the Ukraine (and elsewhere in Russia) through a delberate campaign of murder, slave labor, and starvation. He considered the Russian people subhumans he would smash and exterminate. Similarly, the so called "Final Solution", while not necessarily the product of the kind of systematic planning many have attributed to it, was in the end a masterfully executed campaign of deliberate genocide against Jews, gypsies, and other non-Aryans. This is a fascinating book, and Taylor argues articulately for the idea that others besides Hitler deserve a portion of the blame for what unfolded into the largest conflict in the history of the world. His notion that one can more fully comprehend Hitler's actions when viewing them in the context of a poisonously dangerous world environment in which others failed to act humanely and responsibly is both sophisticated and well supported. Yet he oversimplifies certain aspects of the story, and seems to be overly sympathetic to Hitler and the National Socialists in doing so. This book is a wonderful read, and it is a pleasure to be in the presence of such a marvelous intellect, even if I do not agree with the overall thesis he is arguing for. Enjoy!

This book examines the battle of words of diplomats involved with appeasing and then confronting Hitler before the real war. Hitler was not a madman warmonger, Taylor declares, but rather an opportunist whose stategy was one of waiting for something advantageous politically to happen rather than willing it to happen. He was a master of bluff, presenting himself as a leader of a country greatly wronged by the Versailles Treaty, which the English especially agreed with. He would recite the injustices of the treaty and would make pleas to have the land that was lost after the treaty returned to Germany. Other times he would threaten war, although Taylor claims that Hitler and Germany were not prepared for war and Hitler had made no plans to conquer Europe, except maybe to take the Ukraine. To quote Taylor: "In considering German armament we escape the mystic regions of Hitler's psychology and find the answer in the realm of fact. The answer is clear. The state of German armament in 1939 gives the decisive proof that Hitler was not contemplating general war, and probably not intending war at all."

Taylor looks through the diplomatic records of the European countries and finds that the English especially wanted to give Hitler what he wanted to avoid war. This book is not the most exciting reading in the world, given that he covers the endless political maneuverings of different diplomats from different countries. Indeed, it's a bit difficult to keep up with all the names and countries and what their stances were. A parody of the writing of the book would be: "England said that, but France wouldn't go along with it because they we're allied with Poland, but the Soviets we're also interested in alliance with Poland, which deeply disturbed Italy, who then petitioned England to change their mind and give Germany one more chance..." Taylor sometimes shows a very dry, subtle wit as he covers the actions of diplomats who desperately seek peace, but keep moving inexorably closer to war. Taylor also does not cover how Russia and the US got into the war and why Germany declared war on them, giving the reader the sense that the book is incomplete. He mentions that Hitler was unethical, wicked, antisemitic, and not a man of his word, but he generally de-emphasizes the psychological examination of Hitler.

Taylor thinks that war came out of the mistakes made at the treaty of Versailles and it began because these problems were not solved. He also states that the origins the second world war had not been sufficiently studied and his book fills the gap in the research on WWII. It is a good book for studying diplomacy and the grievances of Germany over the Versailles treaty. Hitler's racist doctrines and how they affected the war are really not the focus of the book--and this probably a deficit. Taylor says that Mein Kamph was merely violent talk that many leaders have engaged in historically, but have not acted on.

AJ P Taylor is one of the master historians of the European era and this book is one of the clear reasons why. Taylor analyzes the data available at the time and clearly and concisely traces the reasons for the outbreak of the Second World War. Starting with the Treaty of Versailles and moving up through the new diplomatic outlook created from Locarno. The failure of the Locarno system becomes evident in the disastrous disarmament talks and the four power pact by Mussolini. Germany's rise to power as an aggressor coupled with the timidity and stupidity at times of Great Britain and France allowed anarchy to slip into war. Italy's reliance as a stable power was a huge miscalculation by the allies of Great Britain and France as Italy went to war in Ethiopia. The expanding and remilitarization of Germany caused more contention among the powers and the aloofness of the Soviet Union and United States forced Europe to deal with their own problems leading to war. Overall this is an excellent interpretation of the war and one that is truly a timeless classic. Highly recommend for those who wish to know more about why the war started.