[lit-ideas] Re: European Vietnam?
- From: Donal McEvoy <donalmcevoyuk@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2011 01:40:58 +0000 (GMT)
--- On Sun, 13/2/11, Eric Yost <mr.eric.yost@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> On 2/13/2011 6:27 AM, Donal McEvoy wrote:
> > The effect of the Great War on the European mindset
> was doubtless momentous. The disillusion was surely
> realism.>
>
> Disillusion usually presents itself to us as realism,
> doesn't it? Even when it is not realism?
But also, and perhaps especially, when it is realism?
> From what I've read, combat strategies aside, millions dead
> bracketed somewhere, Europeans were also duped by the peace.
> Lloyd George and Clemenceau had political obligations to
> extract a harsh peace settlement and failed to create the
> conditions for a lasting peace, largely to satisfy their
> political needs at home.
This "duped by the peace" is another diet can of worms, and "the harsh peace
settlement" is hardly attributable to the disillusion with the moral
justification and competent waging of The Great War.
The disillusion did play in a role in shaping the stance of appeasement; and so
far as appeasement proved a mistaken and unrealistic stance, it may be
suggested that to the extent that the disillusion contributed to appeasement,
the disillusion helped produce a mistaken and unrealistic stance. But this
would not make the disillusion unrealistic. Certainly not as 'unrealistic' and
deluded as thinking The Great War was both a triumph of moral aims and of
military competence.
In any case, it is hard to get the balance right when dealing with potential
military enemies. And it would be possible to subscribe to the disillusionment
yet oppose appeasement. So the connection between the disillusionment and
appeasement is not straightforward. That there was marked reluctance to go to
war again after 'the war to end all wars' is surely understandable, even if
most (including most of the disillusioned) eventually accepted this had to be
done.
Donal
Saving Ho Chi Minh for another post
London
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