The Great War: Its End and Effects, Lecture by Prof Margaret MacMillan

22 January 2019, “How far did the Versailles Treaty make Peace?”, Professor Margaret MacMillan, Warden of St Antony’s College, Oxford. The lecture was sponsored by Christ Church Cathedral and the McDonald Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Life, Oxford.

[@firstal3799]

McMillan is the best historian of the period between the 2 great wars I have cone across

[@danlowe8022]

Very knowledgeable and a great speaker. I’ve listened to all her podcasts twice.

[@brianpollard4350]

Professor MacMillan's incisive assessment of the Treaty of Versailles brings welcome clarity to a subject most often given to confusingly similar analyses.

[@alvin8391]

What a pity we do not hear more from Prof Macmillan about the USA, especially since the turn of the 21st century, at the start its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and now, its threat of war with China and Russia! Her insights should be highly valuable.

[@here_we_go_again2571]

A truly intelligent person does not babble on about something they know nothing about! Professor MacMillian is an expert regarding WW1. Her specialty is NOT late 20th century/early 21st century history. She knows her limitations .... Do YOU know YOUR limitations?

[@terencenxumalo1159]

good work

[@orglancs]

Let's remember all this when it comes to making peace after the Russians' war against Ukraine.

[@JKold]

great point.

[@michaelplunkett8059]

Once they return to original borders and return prisoners, sanctions can drop. It will take a new govt in Russia to move forward.

[@robertmoore6149]

The reason for WWII was lack of enforcement of Versailles. Germany could not wage war with 100k men, no subs, tanks, or planes. The public relations disaster of French occupation of the Ruhr made any future intervention distasteful. So while the Great Depression did harm Britain and France, it harmed Germany as well. It was lack of resolve that imperiled the peace.

[@user-btmbangalore]

Treaties can not bring peace, but an fair intent can. The Versailles treaty of 1919 seemed to blame Germany alone. It was made to pay unprecedented reparations. No other country in history of mankind was so disproportionately penalised. It however did pay most of it. It was later asked to pay more than originally agreed. Germans did not see civilized neighbours but ever hungry greedy masters. It was being made to err on purpose. World War 1 hoped to establish firm hierarchies. A kind of G7 that excluded germany, astro hungary and some other europeans. Germany was a bit late to join the industrial world. Many calculated including Germany would make it even more powerful. Germany was an industrial power unlike others, it was a socialist success, it left many baffled. Germany still is an socialist industrial success. Others don't want it. People are different, not everyone wants a humble life. They are fighting a successful alternate system but will always paint a whole different picture!

[@languerouge5385]

France paid unprecedented reparations in 1871 much more than Germany after 1918, Germany paid a small amount of what it should have paid in the end. And why Germany would not paid for the destruction of french infrastructure in the north east ? When France was occupied in 1871, it has to paid enormous reparations and it has to paid for its occupation. And don't forget the humiliation of the birth of the new german reich in Versailles. Yes, in Versailles. So yes the Versailles treaty of 1919 was not that harsh if you take into account all these elements.

[@EquipteHarry]

Hernandez Ronald Miller Richard Young Robert

[@here_we_go_again2571]

The problem with criticizing the Versailles treaty is that we have the benefit of looking backward in history. Ms. MacMilliam explains the situation in 1919. I still have questions about the run-up to WW1 that still (despite watching many lectures and reading many books) confound me. Logically .... Why did Germany think it could be or needed to be a sea power? Germany and Britain were on good terms for decades! Germany had very few overseas colonies. The British fleet was essentially guarding the world's sea lanes and by extension the globalism that allowed for overseas colonies to be profitible for the European countries of France and Germany. I suppose that we can blame Kaiser Willy (Wilhelm ii) He was a huge pain in the prat for everyone, not just Edward vii. However, I have a sneaky suspicion that at least two of the causes for WW1 were 1.) The Franco-Prussian War .... The blame for this war can be place on France ...... (with empress Eugenie holding part of that blame, among others). 2.) The unification of the German kingdoms into an empire. ...... (That is too much power placed in too few hands) The Ottoman empire may have been the "sick man of Europe" but the Austria-Hungary empire was certainly on the decline. Franz Joseph was certainly not looking forward to changes within the empire. His gaze was fixed on the past. The Austrian-Hungarian empire's heir, Franz Ferdinand, had already realized that granting Hungary special status within the empire was not a way to "win friends and influence people" in the other countries. He wouldn't have been in Sarajevo on that fateful day; if the situation there had not been problematic and he was trying to smooth ruffled feathers within the empire's countries (in particular Bosnia, whose citizens wanted independence).

[@asinner9096]

So, the Great Depression is the cause of the real catastrophe.. the man made disaster of the mega rich, which ultimately became even more richer. Seems like the story is not that different from our times, isn't it?

[@markprange2430]

"The" cause?

[@justthink4169]

After hearing her statements in regard of the Ukraine war, her credibility is completely destroyed for me.

[@davidluck1678]

Margaret MacMillan is the granddaughter of Lloyd George, one of the 3 principal architects - along with Clemanceau and Woodrow Wilson - of the Versailles Diktat, that paved the way to World War part 2. Nothing she says is to be taken seriously, except as another artifact of the Victors' Version.

[@jezalb2710]

I will though

[@MrRedcarpet02]

you obviously don't watch or red. She doesn't give their official line except in disagreeing with it

[@davidtrindle6473]

Germans love to blame others and hate to take responsibility for anything.

[@languerouge5385]

The versailles dikat is an an argument from nazi fan to justify the barbary

[@cenid2011]

Professor MacMillan is an academically trained historian with institutional affiliation. She is subject to peer review. Her work passes scrutiny. Obviously her genealogy is irrelevant to her painstaking analyses. It would be stupid to connect them.

[@BB-vq2zv]

VIVA ORBÁN VIKTOR PRIMEMINISTER ! VIVA HUNGARIA !!!

[@RobertHearn-hu2br]

Typical Canadian PC of history and how one sided Canada has always been. They skate over documents like the Treaty of Versailles not showing the full impact it was to German ,Italian,Japanese,Austrian ,Hungary etc. She forgets to mention , The English naval blockade which starved thousands of Germans. She forgets to mention the Rothchilds involvement with Churchill,the bribe for the Balfour Agreement. Remember Canada how many natives you butchered while your glory days of the crown. Their is no such thing as being half pregnant so tell the whole story and quite cherry picking history for your Banker and English colleagues.😃

[@aon10003]

This person is totally unaware of the definierat starvation of Germans both during and after the war. Both ww1 and ww2. Its a little late in the game to stop incompetent prata of the history.

[@halwarner3326]

She is well regarded historian. You are a nobody.

[@kloschuessel773]

@@halwarner3326 she is. She is also a descendant of loyd george and a brit whos ancestors fought in wwI. She displays a strong bias from time to time and its clear that she justifies both versaille and britain entering wwI with often very weak on hole riddled arguments. As can be seen in another videon on youtube, a debate, on whether or not britain should have stayed out.