The Approach of War 1938-1939

by Christopher G. Thorne

Recreates the diplomatic maneuvers which preceded the Nazi invasions of Austria and Czechoslovakia

Genres: World War II

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

A specialist in the Pacific War, Christopher Guy Thorne, DLitt, MA, FBA, was Professor of International Relations at the University of Sussex.

Reviews

[stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

first, it is important to note that christopher thorne is one of the world's greatest historians, and it's an absolute travesty that things like iris chang's The Rape of Nanking are translated into multiple languanges and can be found anywhere, while thorne's books are depressingly out of print. (they can still be found, though, and are SO worth it.)

the thing that thorne does better than anyone else is put the war into a context that makes sense, that is world-wide. more than any other war, and possibly uniquely, WWII was a moment when the world united on a particular division - things were able to be black and white in a way that wasn't possible with WWI - despite the fact that the war was basically an extension of the prior one. (okay, again, arguable, but beside the point.)

in this book, thorne takes the world scene in 1939, and he shows you exactly why every country made the choices they did when they did. it's not perfect, but it's eloquent, and it really is world-wide. all too often we forget the japanese were a serious threat to the US, because we get tied up in memories of the holocaust and blaming hitler (since the americans "rehabilitated" hirohito, there was no japanese "hitler" after the war to demonize).

it's just, it's history done the way it should be. it's brilliant, hard to put down, concise, and spot-on. definitely one of the best things to ever come out of WWII academia.

[A. A. Kerr · Rating 2 out of 5]

An important and educational review of the (mostly British) diplomatic blunders leading up to the war, but unfortunately a chore to work through. The author's writing approaches gratuitous verbosity, obstructing the book's accessibility. Those already familiar with the study of pre-war diplomacy will find this book insightful; newcomers will not. I recommend reading this work *after* one has already taken in, say, "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" by W. L. Shirer. That classic is much more approachable and almost as comprehensive.

[Mark Singer · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Thorne's own words this book "does not claim to analyse all the causes of the Second World War" but is rather "essentially a study of the diplomatic activity of the last two years of the so-called peace". Early in the book he gives a nuanced description of the push-button phrase "appeasement" without resorting to name-calling and histrionics. Thorne is at his best when he explains why the diplomats and leaders thought the way that they did, especially the British and French, with whom the book has its focus. I would recommend this to anyone interested in the events leading up to the War.