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Long held grudges in artifical Yugoslavia, another blunder created the the Peace to end all peace at Versailles after WWI.. The best book on the subject I have read is Wartime by Milovan Djilas. Prescient Bismarck said in the 1880s, “Some damn foolish thing in the Balkans will start the next general European war.”
hen I taught A.P. European History 1973-87, one of the exam questions was: The Thirty Years War. Was it religious or dynastic?
So many wars filled with countless “audacious” raids that succeeded. Three come quickly to mind: Entebbe, rescue of POWs in the Philippines during WWII, and Skorzeny snatching Mussolini. One could write a thick book.
Back in the early 70s, the U.S. History Book at the high school where I taught had this question:Jefferson admired John Locke. Hamilton admired Julius Caesar. What does this say about the two men?Forget most of today's highschoolers except the A.P.'ers — can most undergrads handle it today?
“Slop man” in 17th century Spain at autos de fe and bullfights. The Romans in the days of the empire had defecatoriums.
Alas, I could not get enough volume to hear it clearly. Bismarck had some great acerbic comments I'd like to have heard:A Bavarian is a cross between an Austrian and a man.Regarding Italy's imperialist ambitions — The Italians, such large appetites, such poor teeth.
Industrial “Wage Slaves” including small children became more profitable to hire than to purchase agricultural slaves at auctions, house servants included.
Religion, -isms, “way of life” may be better for stirring the masses to aggressive war instead of overt greed for land, resources, and in the old days slaves and dynastic aggrandizement. Revenge also works. Of course if the country is attacked no better reason can be given for going to war. A self-defense pre-emptive strike can work too if sold to the population about the inevitability.Some “tribes” that became nations or are wannabee independent nations use religion as self-identity.
Some Napoleon quotations I remember:”It is better to be the eater than the eaten.””Shit in silk stockings.” A reference to Talleyrand.Off topic — Mirabeau said of Talleyrand: “He would sell his soul for a pile of dung, and be right to do so.” One may apply that to certain contemporary politicians as well.
