About as well as "Prohibition" stopped drinking. Humans are basically animals, with laws, religion, morality, borders. (leashes) Human/animal nature is to "tug" at the leash. (Have any kids ?) Too short causes madness, too long is worthless, beatings make you mean, just right is "just right", but this is discovered only after trial and error. (apart from what social scientists claim to know (with no prior experience & an every changing world)), and experimentation almost never ceases. That's why "they" those (involved) call Medicine/Law/Politics/Diplomacy/etc. a "Practice", a permanent disclaimer for not really knowing the answers/outcome. Dogs are disarmed, does this prevent them from fighting ?
this is what the Versailles Treaty was designed to do. It was not the 'disarmament' of Germany that would have prevented WWII. It would have to be the change in leadership on the side of France and Great Britain. As soon as Hitler entered the Rhineland, France should have attacked. Even earlier, should have attacked when Hitler publicly flouted the Luftwaffe and Heer units. The lack of action on the Allies' part is what allowed WWII to happen.
i agree partially, the Allies were much to patient with Hitler and should have re-acted much sooner, but even if they did re-act sooner, it still would have been WWII!
In the 20's and early 30's the Germans sent airmen to Russia to train since they could not in Germany. They got even more experience in the Spanish Civil War as did Japan in China during the 30's. They also had treaties on the size of battleships which Japan ignored. If a nation is set on war then it will find an excuse to do so.
No, Germany was embaressed by the Treaty of Versailles.. I think if Hitler didn't rise another German did. Besides that if Germany didn't start a war, either Japan or Italy would.
The attempted disarmament of Germany after the end of World War I was in fact one of the things that led to the rise of Hitler, which in turn led to the beginning of World War II. It was not the sole reason to be sure, but one of many. Not even worldwide disarmament would have prevented World War II. It would have only ensured an easy victory for the Axis since they never would have abided by such an agreement, even if they had said otherwise.
I partially agree with Jinks here. There is and was no one reason or policy which ignited WW2. Perhaps claiming WW1 was the reason for WW2 might be easier? In the case of Russia. It was not only planes and pilots which were built and trained there but also tank crews. Not to downplay the Germans in this secret treaty, they in turn had Russians visit their factories and inspect their weapons, even their newest tank the Panzer IV weeks before the invassion.
