Figure 1.--The totalitarian powers (German, Japanese, and Soviet) had convinced their people that their leaders were the progressive forces of history and able to secure a utopian future. Many were willing to commit mass murder on a vast scale to secure that future as well as to establish vast colonial empires. Italy was one of those totalitarian powers, but Mussolini was less successful in indoctrinating his people. The totalitarian powers acquired enormous military power. And the Germans essentially invented modern warfare. Thus when Hitler and Stalin launched the War by invading Poland. the very future of Western civilization was in doubt. America at the time, the only power capable, of resisting the democracies and confronting the totalitarians was largely unarmed.

World War II was the defining moment of the 20th century if not of all Western civilization. The stakes of the War were enormous. And because of feckless policies adopted by socialist and pacifist voters in the democracies, it was possible that the totalitarian powers might win the war. Had the totalitarians won, their virulent nationalistic policies and brutal treatment of conquered populations--including genocide and enslavement--would have brought about a new dark age in human history. Churchill at the darkest point of the War explained the stakes to the British people, "Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science." We find that this is a future that most people in the Third World do not appreciate. NAZI policies in the occupied East showed what Hitler had in mind for the future. And Japanese and Soviet atrocities were also grim. European colonial administrations have a dark history of their own. By the 1930s, however, the worst abuses of the Europeans had past. Colonial spokesmen seeking independence were hounded, but for the most part within limits allowed to speak and promote their goal of independence. Many were allowed to pursue educations in the west. Varying degrees of a free press were allowed. The democracies in short a society which were beginning to allow home rule and would not accept mass murder to hold their colonies. What the totalitarian powers had in mind was very different--mass murder and the creation of Helot-like slave populations. Along with World War I, World War II was the great watershed of 20th-century geopolitical history. Germany was devastated. France was reduced to an occupied country. Britain was bankrupted and unable to retain control of its colonies. The War marked the shift of world power from the states of Western Europe to the Soviet Union and America. The Soviet Union was, however, one of the totalitarian powers that launched the War as a NAZI ally. Thus World War II merged into the Cold War. The Soviet Union seized Eastern Europe. America rose as the dominate world power. It was the American industrial powerhouse and the massive Russian ground force on the Eastern front that crushed the Germans. After the German surrender (1945), it was American power that prevented the Russians from seizing Western Europe.

Defining Moment

World War II was the defining moment of the 20th century if not of all Western civilization. The stakes of the War were enormous. In one brief violent flash, it was possible that all the historic advances of freedom, political (democracy) and economic (capitalism) freedom could be lost in an orgy of horrific violence. Trends that evolved over millennia were suddenly being reversed with the threat of a horrible dystopian future--all because the democracies failed to confront evil. It would have been the complete reversal of hard-won gains and the return to barbarism. Not widely understood is how close we came to losing Western Civilization. Had the totalitarian powers won, their virulent nationalistic policies and brutal treatment of conquered populations (including genocide and enslavement) would have brought about a new dark age in human history. Churchill at a decisive point of the War explained the stakes to the British people, "Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science."

Perilous Time

We here people say that the NAZIs had no chance of winning World War II and fundamentally reversing the seep of Western Civilization. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hitler in fact came perilously close to winning the War with the help as Churchill put it of 'perverted science'. the idea that the NAZIs could mo have worn has become wide spread because of the catastrophic end for Germany. But that does not mean that the NAZIs could not have won the War. The British War Cabinet came very close to seeking peace with Hitler. Without Churchill, they would have. Stalin had a train waiting to abandon Moscow. Any army that can get to Moscow in 5 months and destroy entire Soviet armies can not be said to have no time of winning the War. If the Soviet Union had collapsed, the War would have had a very different trajectory. But this was only part if the story. When the NAZIs and Soviets signed an alliance (August 1939), the totalitarian powers (Germany, Soviet Union, Japan, and Italy) possessed the predominance of world military power. At the time the United States Army was tiny, smaller than the Portuguese Army, still had horses and lacked almost all modern weaponry. The War ended as it did only because the totalitarians made war on each other--Hitler's massive Barbarossa invasion of the Soviet Union (June 1941).

Appeasement and Isolationism

Because of feckless policies adopted by socialist and pacifist voters in the democracies, it was possible that the totalitarian powers might win the war. Appeasement band isolationism were widely popular. Britain as a matter of policy did not match German rearmament. And virtually ignored Soviet and Japanese military spending. France based it defense on the Maginot Line.--basically a World War I concept. The United States cut defense spending to the bon, especially appropriations for the U.S. Army. The result was that the democracies did not have the ability or will to resist totalitarian military assault. And the counties of Eastern and Central Europe did not have the ability to resist German and Soviet aggression. The one country that had a modern military, democratic Czechoslovakia, was abandoned by Britain and France because of fear of war and military weakness.

Third World Awareness

We find that this is a future that most people in the Third World do not appreciate. Thanks to the internet we have been able to discuss these issues with people all over the world. And our Website is visited by huge numbers of people in virtually every country, including many non-English speaking countries. NAZI policies in the occupied East showed what Hitler had in mind for the future. And Japanese and Soviet atrocities were also grim. European colonial administrations have a dark history of their own. By the 1930s, however, the worst abuses of the Europeans had past. And none even approached the murderous actions of the NAZIs and Japanese militarists. Colonial spokesmen seeking independence were hounded, but for the most part within limits allowed to speak and promote their goal of independence. Many were allowed to pursue educations in the west. Varying degrees of a free press were allowed. The democracies in short a society which were beginning to allow home rule and would not accept mass murder to hold their colonies. What the totalitarian powers had in mind was very different--mass murder and the creation of Helot-like slave populations.

Socialism/Totalitarianism

There is a general misconception taught in Western post World War II historiography. Fascism, especially Nazism in general have commonly been depicted as right-wing capitalism. Nothing could be further from the truth. Capitalism requires the respect of individual civil rights (especially property rights and free speech) as well as a functioning legal system protecting both human and property rights. In fact Fascism was a type of Socialism. It is not accident that the NAZI Party was the National SOCIALIST Workers Party. No capitalist political party would have chosen that name. And if you study NAZI Germany you will find that they were the mirror image of the Soviet Union (the Union of Soviet SOCIALIST Republics). That is why they both had secret police, concentration camps, slave labor, political murders, seizure of private property, state control of the media, suppression of free speech, rigged elections, massive military spending, atheism campaigns, politization of education, attacks on the family, and other major features. The primary difference between the NAZIs and Soviets was racism--especially Hitler's anti-Jewish and Roma mania. Liberal politicians often place the Communists and NAZIs on opposite ends of the political spectrum. This is a flawed assessment, an attempt by Marxist/Socialist-influence authors to disassociate themselves from the NAZIs. When in fact both were types of Socialism. A more reasoned political spectrum has totalitarian on one end and liberal democracies on the other. [Ebenstein] Liberal democracies have nothing in common with totalitarian dictatorships like the NAZIs and Soviets. It is important to note that liberal democracies allow or promote capitalism as well as other economic theories. The prosperity of the economy depends on the degree to which capitalism was fostered. It is a major reason why the United States became so successful. We can also see this with the Asian Tigers Socialism only exists in totalitarian states. Totalitarianism requires state control and the economy is so important to any country. This explains why virtually all of the 50 or so Communist/Socialist states like the Soviet Union have failed. Socialism unlike capitalism destroys wealth rather than create it. Notice that the only successful Communist country so far is China, but only because it has allowed a Capitalist sector to operate. Also important to recognize is that there is a difference between socialism and the welfare states. European countries have come to recognize that the only countries that can afford generous welfare programs like state health care systems are countries with core capitalist economies. Countries that have attempted to construct socialist economies, like the Soviet Union, inevitably fail.

Political Consequences

Along with World War I, World War II was the great watershed of 20th-century geopolitical history. Germany was devastated. France was reduced to an occupied country. Britain was bankrupted and unable to retain control of its colonies. The War marked the shift of world power from the states of Western Europe to the Soviet Union and America. The Soviet Union was, however, one of the totalitarian powers that launched the War as a NAZI ally. Thus World War II morphed into the Cold War. The Soviet Union achieved great prestige because of its role in destroying the NAZI tyranny. This mean that socialism gained great currency. The American economy boomed during and after the War. Th role of capitalism meaning he War in the West in destroying the Axis was not as widely recognized as he Soviet role, a fault which continues to this day. Also not fully understood is all the great minds which Hitler drove from Germany and enriched American society. Some than can be sen dramatically in Nobel Prize awards. As the former European colonies became independent, many new leaders had the idea that socialism was a superior economic system. Not to mention that state control created underrepresented avenues for graft and corruption. The result was the bright hopes of independence were not achieved by the adoption of socialist economies which inevitably failed. Only later would the Asian Tigers show the wealth generating power of capitalism. The Soviet Union seized Eastern Europe. America also rose as the dominate world power. It was the American industrial powerhouse and the massive Russian ground force on the Eastern front that crushed the Germans. After the German surrender (1945), it was American power that prevented the Russians from seizing Western Europe.

Sources

Ebenstein, William. Today's Isms: Communism, Fascism, Socialism, and Communism (Prentice Hall: 1964), 248p. There are many editions of the Ebenstein book. The one I read was was the Fourth Edition (1964). We notice a recent edition adding Libertarianism. One reviewer cuts to the quick in 2020. "This book should be required reading for anyone who is interested in or who discusses politics. It was required reading 50 years ago in college classrooms and a recent second reading was as useful as the first time. It is as timely today as it ever was.

Created: 5:55 PM 7/14/2015
Spell checked: 6:36 PM 11/22/2021
Last updated: 6:36 PM 11/22/2021