Lessons Learned: Hitler’s Rearmament of Germany

A new installment of “Lessons Learned” is now out. This week I discuss Adolf Hitler’s announcement on March 16, 1935, that he would rearm Germany in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. In the video, I discuss the difficulty of recognizing when to confront an aggressive and expansionist state. Here’s a question to consider: what are the tell-tale signs that a country can only be confronted and not accommodated? I encourage you to weigh in with your answer in the comments section below.

I hope you enjoy the video.

If you are interested in learning more about Hitler and German rearmament, here are some books worth reading:

Edward W. Bennett. German Rearmament and the West, 1932-1933. (1979)

Joseph Maiolo. Cry Havoc: How the Arms Race Drove the World to War, 1931-1941. (2010)

Zara Steiner. The Triumph of the Dark: European International History, 1933-1939. (2011)

Barton Whaley. Covert German Rearmament, 1919-1939: Deception and Misperception. (1984)