A Reply to Lord Vansittart on the German Problem.” By Victor Gollancz. Published by Victor Gollancz, Limited, London, 1942 – First Edition. Original dust jacket, all complete.
Victor Gollancz’s response to the views of Robert Vansittart, a British diplomat who advocated for a harsh approach toward Germany following World War II. Vansittart regarded all Germans as individual components of a nation collectively responsible for Nazi crimes and called for punishing Germany as a whole, asserting that there was no distinction between a “German” and a “Nazi” in the context of the nation’s war crimes. He proposed that Britain should occupy all of Germany, conscript a large German workforce to rebuild the destruction caused by Germany, and ultimately construct fortifications in the countries Germany had attacked for their benefit. He further suggested ensuring that Germany’s essential supplies would remain dependent on overseas trade. In response, Gollancz argues that it is essential to separate the Nazi regime from the German people, contending that many Germans did not support the Nazis and were themselves victims. He further asserts that if Nazism is to be eradicated, it must be done by encouraging Germany’s internal democratic forces rather than suppressing the nation from the outside. Instead of focusing on the punishment of Germany after the war, he insists that efforts should be directed toward winning the war itself. German fascism, he argues, is a manifestation of a broader European phenomenon, shaped within a wider global context beyond Germany’s borders, and should be addressed accordingly. The eradication of fascism does not depend on the destruction of the German nation, he maintains.
The book sparked public debate in Britain during World War II, questioning the totalitarian nature of waging war against the German nation as a whole.
168 [2] pages. Hardcover with original dust jacket. Complete and intact. Good – Very Good condition.
