There was a lot of deep apprehension about the Nazis at the time, but also, within living memory, a war which killed some 15% of the military-age men of the entire continent because no one knew when to back down. Poland searched desperately for friends, France attempted to make anti-German alliances of deterrence with the Sovs and Britain; even the isolationist US regarded the pro-German Bund, Silver Shirts, and America First movements as absurdities.
The thing is that the only cure for fascism is to break fascism - utterly. No half-measures. So all of that was pointless in the end.
There was a lot of deep apprehension about the Nazis at the time, but also, within living memory, a war which killed some 15% of the military-age men of the entire continent because no one knew when to back down. Poland searched desperately for friends, France attempted to make anti-German alliances of deterrence with the Sovs and Britain; even the isolationist US regarded the pro-German Bund, Silver Shirts, and America First movements as absurdities.
The thing is that the only cure for fascism is to break fascism - utterly. No half-measures. So all of that was pointless in the end.
Fascists only speak one language: their own blood.
I wish we would have learned that lesson. It is why current events are so frightening. We aren’t breaking it.