Amateur Historian Fré Morel is ferm in his statement that the ‘First World War’ never took place. He does not say that Europe wasn’t spoild with blood in the 20th century, Morel says that he can proof that the ‘humanslaughtery’ as the ‘First World War’ was called, was in fact part of a much larger conflict.
One big War!
The ‘First Wolrd War’ is – in the eyes of Morel – not a separate, solitaire war, an conviction that grows by the years Morel does his research. In his opinion it is more correct to speak of the 31-years World-War of the 20th century. A war that was ignited in 1914 and ended in 1945, broken up between 1918 till 1939 by a ‘peace’ in the form of a 21 year armistice.
Political Act of Revanche
The 1919 Treaty of Versailles was never a ‘peace treaty’ and loud comments came from everywhere. John Maynard Keynes, economist and one of the most capable Britisch advisers in the peace negotiations, decided to resign three weeks before the Treaty of Versailles was be signed, because he could not identify him selves with the content. In his eyes the treaty was nothing less then a vindicators dictate, a political act of revanche with no changes of recovery for Europe.
No duarable peace
William C. Bullitt, member of the American commission for the peace negotiations came to the same conclusions as Keynes. On May 17th 1919 he wrote a letter to president Wilson and resigned. He let him know that he was disappointed in the presidents leadership. He – just as million of other (world) citizens – put their faith in him, expecting the president would only take a durable, just and respectful peace for good enough, as mentioned in the 14-point plan.
Notes in the Marge
The French marschalk Foch (member of the French High Command) noted after the treaty was signed that it ‘was only a armistice for 20 years’, and sadly – he proved perfectly right.
Churchill’s “second thirty years war”
Several English historians described both world-wars not as seperate wars, the called them together “a new Thirty Years War”. The former English Prime-minister Winston Churchill also called the two wars as a “second thirty years war”, as he wrote to Stalin on February 20th 1944.
John Mayor’s “thirty years war”
John Major, the former English Prime-minister was of the same opinion. On May 8th 1995 when he held a speech in Bonn – Germany – to remember the overtrough of the Nazi-gouvernement he said:
“Fifty years ago Europe saw the end of the Thirty Years War 1914-1945…(which) left a Europe in ruins just as the other Thirty Years War did three centuries before.”