‘It's 1938 all over again'. ‘X, Y, Z, (insert name of latest Official Bad Guy ) is the New Hitler' ‘Appeasement won't work- we have to take action!'
Sounds familiar? These phrases have been Neocon mantras for nearly 20 years now. The great irony is that what they're saying is true. We are at a ‘1938 moment' Appeasement won't work. We do need to take action. Against the NeoCons themselves.
Back in 2003, I warned in the New Statesman that the illegal invasion of Iraq wouldn't be ‘the war to end all wars' but would be followed by threats to Libya and Syria.
‘Whitehall Knows Best' or the Art of Taking Britain to War
And look what happened. The Regime Changers never went away- and now, thanks to them we are perilously close to World War Three. To avoid it we desperately need to learn the lessons of the 1930s.
Hitler was emboldened because of the ease with which he achieved his earlier ambitions. In March 1936 he sent German troops in to recapture the de-militarised Rhineland.
“The actual move was a staggering example of Hitler's strong nerve”, writes historian A.J.P Taylor in his book ‘The Origins of the Second World War' “Germany had literally no forces available for war. Hitler assured his protesting generals he would withdraw his token force at the first sign of French action.”
But there was no French action. The Fuhrer moved on to the next territory on his ‘To Do' list. Britain and France acquiesced as Austria was incorporated into the Third…
