Fairer treaties can change a war without preventing it

A more equitable settlement after the First World War would not automatically have prevented another war. Treaty design can still change the sides, timing, and character of later conflicts. If a settlement destroys less infrastructure and permits more balanced rearmament, dictatorships must reach a higher threshold before they are willing to attack. That altered balance can delay aggression, split one large war into separate conflicts, or change which states join each coalition. Treaties shape strategic choices through the conditions they create, rather than turning war on or off like a switch.