Appeasement, the causes of world war 1 and the versailles treaty

Comparing sanctions on Russia to the Versaille Treaty is ridiculous and spoiled an otherwise excellent analysis.

WOW WOW !!!
HISTORY IS SO SO IMPORTANT AND MORE !!!

The Versailles Treaty was considerably more generous than the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk that the Germans imposed on Russia!

Who among the political leaders studies and understands history? They know how to reach the highest office, by and through populism, inciting emotions against the internal and the external opponent, real or imaginary, to justify their actions.
The often used "appeasement" is a justification for armament, and in the end regime change. This is "we want eight and we won't wait" in new clothes.
Then and now, those in charge think they are in control, like chess players having planned each move till the end. But politics is different, especially if each of the known, but more over the unknown players, have their own perception of the world, their own agenda. What we could see in the past 20 years, in Eastern Europe, as well as the Near and Far East, is ignorance and blunder the stubborn resistance to learn that politics is more than blackmail, regime change and missile and air strikes.

On the 27 of June 1914 Britain the Empire in control, after November 1918 the foundations were shattered. Winning the war, did not mean winning the peace, or restoring the "Ancient Regime", it even made it more difficult. The nation was deeply in debt, the resources exhausted, the myth of White invincibility gone with growing consequences, an avalanche of new problems, be it ideologies, social issues or new country emerged.

Since then, the upper-class has fought to preserve as much of their pre-war privileges at home, but also abroad. Just look at Brexit, the Asia-Pacific Alliance, the poodle marching into Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria, this yearning for "East of Aden" and importance.
Where ever the British created or entered a conflict, it did not lead to the planned or desired objective, not there and not home.

Well the First world war in comparison today is a vastly different landscape. Back then alliances were pretty fickle and often more nebulous especially Compared to NATO. There was no U.N back then either or nuclear weapons of course. When the war started it wasn't clear if the British Empire would even get involved directly as the catalyst of entering the war was Germany's invasion of Belgium who's neutrality Britain had guaranteed. Secondly Italy was actually in an alliance with Austria/Hungary and Germany but when the war started decided not to join in until 1915 and even then they switched sides to the Entente. Finally the world back then was far more unstable and blood thirsty. Almost every major power back then was for war and wanted it as it was the last chapter on the era of colonial expansion and many saw one another as rivals and for almost a thousand years the usual way to solve grievances was through combat and war. However what none of them anticipated was how much warfare had changed and was going to due to advances in technology. Germany saw Russia's growing economy as a threat and wanted to end that as quickly as possible, France wanted Alsace-Lorraine back after loosing it in a previous conflict from Germany, Italy wanted parts of the Austro-Hungarian empire which it believed to have rights to and Austria/Hungary had revolutionaries who wanted independence from the empire finally the Ottoman Empire was a shadow of its former self and wanted a war against Russia to take some land back especially in Crimea and to restore itself back as the superpower it once was.

If you go to Croatia/former Yugoslavia no-one thinks a shooting in Sarajevo started WWI. The event isn't recognised. Just something i found out travelling there for six years. They more remember the Navy protecting Tito for later governing under Communism.

Weimar inflation comes immediately to mind as both Second World War precurse and apt analogy today's economic savagery, self inflicted and wrought martial sanctions swirled terror vortex. China, central planned asinine collective; Russia, chaotic tryranny beset imposed Western sanctions. And the supposedly capitalist United States wrestling Leftist socialism profligacy and simultaneous ultra inflatory US Treasury printing press dollar manufacture. All madness. The transcendant appears to our higher discernment but relegated back down Serbian transit supply, American dollar velocity stilled by consumer debt, Sahm's rule, and the US Army 155mm howitzer's phenomenal accuracy.

Our leaders seem to be stuck the 1930’s. Every other leader that they don’t like is considered to be another Hitler or Stalin.
Russia is still thought to be like the communist USSR, the only bloc that could rival Western powers. The USSR broke up in 1992 and Russia is now a capitalist country. It is much smaller than the USSR was and has no ambitions to spread communism round the world.

WW1 is what I would call the first industrial war and the first war where both sides had access to machine guns. Generals were trained in obsolete 19th century style warfare. Lines were more widely stretched. Making communication and coordinating strategies harder, as walkie-talkies hadn't been invented yet.

Speaking from Vatican City yesterday, Pope Francis called out Israeli 'terrorism' in its attacks on innocent Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip. “I continue to receive very serious and painful news from Gaza. Unarmed civilians are subjected to bombings and shootings… It’s war, it’s terrorism,' he said before calling on the congregation to prayer for peace.

It always strikes me that some of the most virulent anti-immigrant sentiments emanate from some of the most loyal and patriotic poppy-wearers. They're remembering the war dead – those who fought and died for our freedoms… and to defeat nationalist ideologies. There's an irony in there which cannot be understated. Hypocrisy writ large.