'How War Came'...

..I hope the following will be of some relevance to any interested forum members�.

..Anybody wishing to investigate in detail the political and social mechanism�s that brought Europe to war in 1939 could probably not do much better than spend a great deal of well-spent time reading How War Came by Donald Cameron Watt(first published in Great Britain in 1989 by William Heinemann, new edition publish by Pimlico, 2001, London)�

�Watt�s professional background is masterly and experienced. In 1947, he served with the British Army in Austria and participated in the final stages of de-Nazification. In 1951, the author was a part of the Anglo-French and American historian team that edited the captured German diplomatic archives in preparation for their publication�In 1960-61, Watt held a Rockefeller Research Fellowship working on the United States public and private archives�.From 1981 to 1993, he was Professor of International History at the University of London�.suffice to say, the authors archive experience and skills are second to none..

�.this book is a masterly and extensive study of the policies brought into play by the then European powers and a comprehensive narrative and analysis of  how Great Britain finally declared war on Germany over the issue of Polish sovereignty�Watt provides a full background picture leading on from the end of the First World War, but the book really enters into its own when the author begins detailing Adolf Hitler�s entry into German politics and his plans for future war�the reader is practically given a full almost day-by-day account of the years 1938 and 1939 and right up to infamous broadcast that signalled Britain�s declaration of war on Nazi-Germany�

..this is certainly no book that panders to the simplicity of �appeasement was bad, and Britain acted out of self-interest� argument that many still seem to follow�believe me, there really was much, much more to what actually happen than that�.in fine detail, Watt unravels all the leading characters that played a role, and ties in their influence over all the other parties in the negotiations and diplomatic manoeuvrings that characterised the build-up to war�most, arguably, would still place Britain at the forefront of the period as the supreme �puppet master�, tugging and wrenching all of Europe�s strings in an effort to bring everyone in line with British desires and interests..�..however, Watt provides far-reaching information that clearly and credibly shows how all other nations were involved�.. a reader might be surprised for instance how much influence France and Italy really had on the outcome, or more controversially, how much those countries that eventually felt the wrath of the Nazi forces, in part, contributed to their own downfall�Finland, Sweden, Hungary, Norway, Holland, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Belgium, Greece, Yugoslavia, Japan, Czechoslovakia, the United States, even the Vatican all have a role in the story alongside the more familiar protagonists in Great Britain, Germany the Soviet Union and Poland�this really is no simple tome, the detail is fascinating and the reader will find themselves completely re-evaluating the period in question, constantly finding snippets of intriguing information on virtually every page, �I did not know that� is one phrase that I mumbled repeatedly throughout the book�it is difficult to summarise the book as it would probably take another one or two more readings for everything to provide a totally coherent picture in this readers mind!!!�..

....prior to reading this book all the way through, I had thought that I knew a little about the political background and policies leading up to British declaration of war against Germany in 1939, however, having completed How War Came, I now realise that in practical terms, I knew next to nothing about how the then European powers planned, plotted, intrigued, conspired and to either avert, or bring about, the onset of World War II�.

�..ultimately, How War Came is a damn fine book, well-balanced and written in an authoritative manner and superbly referenced throughout, not to mention a bibliography that will have you researching the subject still further for a very long time�if you are all interested in how war came, then, please, give this book the time and patience it deserves�

..all the best�

..AoO�