bornwith

I have wondered if Wilson and the Allies had thoroughly beaten Germany instead just sending the Germans back to Germany with their heads held high that WWII might not of happened.

Leccy

Wilson was part of the Allied camp.

There are lots of what ifs but the two I see most common are

Actually defeating the German Army in the field which would probably have happened in 1919 due to the exhaustion of manpower and resources and allied superiority.

Less harsh armistice conditions which were largely dictated by the French.

Edratman

While it is impossible to either prove or disprove your premise, I would say that there is a very strong possibility that you are correct.

I have long held the opinion that America avoided a rematch of the Civil War because it did last four years and in the end Federal armies totally dominated the rebel forces and devasted much of the territory. Add in the large percentage of Southern deserters over the final year of the conflict and the southern people must have had a very strong aversion to a Round 2.

pikeshot1600

That was why the Second World War was a replay of the first in Europe.

Ideologies changed, but the geopolitics did not (that rarely does).

bartieboy

We can all go ahead and blame the French for the bad terms of the armistice but let's not forget that France suffered immensely, 71% of its drafted men were casualties to the war, this includes KIA, WIA and MIA, let's consider the immense and intentional destruction of French industry and housing in the occupied territories. Now should the French pay for the destruction of the Germans while it was in an incredibly deep debt? And by the way let's also keep in mind that in the end the French barely got any money from Germany and they ad to rebuild their country all by themselves (which was done at an incredible speed)

Lucius

Heads held high? By August of 1918 the German Army in the west was disintegrating, going home. They had had enough. Green re-enforcements were jeered as "strike-breakers." By the beginning of November, the Soldiers Soviets were electing their own officers and manning check-points on the bridges to make sure all the traffic was one-way east.

So, yes, they had their heads held high in the sense that they had taken matters into their own hands and refused to re-enter the meat-grinder.

Poly

The rise of the Nazis was in part because of the fact that the Germans heads were not held high - they were defeated and the terms of the peace were humiliating.

Besides the Germans basically surrendered in November 1918. How can you keep fighting if the other side quits as Germany did?

redFusilier

The German army was defeated, the idea that it wasn't was a creation of Nazi propaganda, the stab in the back legend.

Qymaen

If they gave up that doesn't stop Foch, Pershing, and the British guy, from marching into Germany. It just means less casualties.

diddyriddick

I would agree. In fact, one of the beliefs on the part of the allies in WWII was to thump the Germans so badly that there wouldn't be an attitude of "they-never-beat-us-in-the-field" ca. 1965.