The British Empire and United States had enormous but politically fragmented power, and both wanted to avoid another European war. France faced mass death, wounds, and social trauma, while British leaders became determined never to repeat the conflict. Universal weakness did not guarantee rational restraint because fear and perceived opportunity could instead make states aggressive. Similar antiwar policies therefore emerged from very different experiences of casualties, distance, mobilization, and political memory.
Chapter · 9:26-15:24
How First World War trauma shaped disarmament
British, American, and French memories of the First World War encouraged leaders to equate weaker armed forces with safety, despite different national experiences.