this post was submitted on 18 Jun 2024
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submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
 

EDIT:

Context: This is an archived article from 1939 by "Foreign Affairs".

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/germany/1939-04-01/will-hitler-save-democracy

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[–] [email protected] 40 points 2 months ago (4 children)

I think I get the point they're trying to make, democracy had become complacent and Hitler gave it a common threat and enemy, but in retrospect... Didn't work out that great now, did it

[–] [email protected] 40 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

It's difficult to quantify, but I think there is a compelling argument to be made - just off of my head, WW2 led to:

  • the fall of German autocracy/restoration of German democracy (though Hitler did kinda break that one in the first place)
  • Italian and Japanese democracy
  • redistribution of wealth/power in Britain
  • the 4th french republic
  • alignment of the European democracies
  • establishment of the UN
[–] [email protected] 28 points 2 months ago
  • end of the British empire
  • eventual formation of the EU to replace the League of Nations

But also

  • invention of the nuclear bomb
  • by extension, escalation of the cold war
  • numerous coups against democratic leaders and proxy wars due to it
[–] [email protected] 20 points 2 months ago

Italian and Japanese democracy

And, albeit on a longer timeframe, Taiwanese and South Korean democracy.

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