Toward the Catastrophe of Armistice

The Institute of World Politics

About the lecture: Buoyed by the victory in the east sealed by the Treaty of Brest Litovsk in March 1918, Germany and her allies scrambled to transfer their forces to deliver a decisive blow on the Western front. Unfortunately for them the United States came to the rescue. America's intervention reversed the fortunes of war. By August 1918, the Second Reich suffered its first serious reversal. In September, Germany was retreating in the west and collapsing at home, where mutiny and revolution pushed Berlin to its knees. The Germans thus sought an armistice. Against the advice of the American military leaders, who called for an unconditional surrender, the rest of the Allied, in particular liberal prime minister David Lloyd George, agreed. This was a lethal mistake. By failing to defeat Germany decisively, the Armistice paved the way to the Second World War. About the speaker: Dr. Chodakiewicz currently serves as a Professor of History at The Institute of World Politics, where he holds the Kosciuszko Chair of Polish Studies. He also leads IWP’s Center for Intermarium Studies. At IWP, Dr. Chodakiewicz teaches courses on Contemporary Politics and Diplomacy, Geography and Strategy, Mass Murder Prevention in Failed and Failing States, and Russian Politics and Foreign Policy.He was formerly an assistant professor of history of the Kosciuszko Chair in Polish Studies at the Miller Center of Public Affairs at University of Virginia. He also served as a visiting professor of history at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.