Most of the World Was Not as Upset With the Rise of the Nazis as We Are Today

A great example of how history works, and how our perspective of history changes over time. <br><br>Most people in their 30s and older know about the Nazis, know their ideology was horrible, know that they did a tremendous amount of damage in the last century, and feel quite strongly about them. <br><br>Younger people however may not realize that during the 1920s, 30s, and even into the 1940s, not everyone saw things this way. <br><br>Many people in the UK and the United States didn't think that the Nazi Party was such a big deal, especially when compared with the threat of the Soviet Union. The Nazi Party was young, disorganized, and not particularly influential. <br><br>In 1924, for example, there were less than 100,000 members, and they weren't even in Parliament. Hitler ran for Chancellor in 1932 on a list of 36 Nazi candidates, and won. But there was no mass celebration or joy from non-Germans across the world. <br><br>In 1935, when Germany re-militarized, invaded Austria, and started preparing to go to war with Poland, there was little protest in London or Washington. <br><br>It wasn't until Germany invaded Poland on September 1st, 1939 and the Soviets invaded October 17th that the Second World War officially started. Even then, many Americans had very little interest in fighting on behalf of Poland or in the war more generally. <br><br>It's worth noting that the invasion of Poland was not seen as agressive warfare at the time, because Poland and Germany had a territorial dispute, and the two governments had agreed that a third-party arbitration was needed. The Polish government refused to accept the arbitration, and Poland had also signed a military pact with France and the Soviet Union, which France had already been at war with Germany since 1936. <br><br>It's also worth noting that the Poles had already attacked Germany twice, in 1919 and in 1934, and there was a significant minority in the UK and US who saw Poland's invasion as justified. <br><br>It's also worth noting that Poland was not as popular a country at the time. The Poles were generally disliked, and many people believed that they had stabbed Germany in the back during WWI. <br><br>It's also worth noting that Poland did not have the same rights as other countries, and was seen as inferior. <br><br>It's also worth noting that Poland had invaded Germany, and that there had been no formal declaration of war. <br><br>It's also worth noting that the invasion of Poland was not seen as a war crime at the time, because there were no international laws in place that prohibited the invasion of sovereign states. <br><br>It's also worth noting that the invasion of Poland was not seen as an attack on democracy, because Poland was an authoritarian regime and not a democracy. <br><br>It's also worth noting that the invasion of Poland was not seen as an attack on Western Civilization, because Poland was not a Western country and was not part of Western Civilization. <br><br>It's also worth noting that the invasion of Poland was not seen as an attack on humanity, because Poland was not a human rights organization and was not a representative of humanity.<br><br>In conclusion, the invasion of Poland was not seen as a major issue by many people around the world, including in the UK and US. It was seen as a territorial dispute, and many people believed that Germany had the right to defend itself.