It was a horrific treaty that in every way contributed to WW2.

I understand that it was Clemenceau (French PM) was the primary impetus for the punishing demands placed upon Germany and Austro-Hungary.

Hey pugs, could you cite some sources?

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There can be no bystanders in the battle for survival. Anyone who will not fight by your side is an enemy you must crush.

We are at war with forces too terrible to comprehend. We cannot afford mercy for any of its victims too weak to take the correct course. Mercy destroys us; it weakens us and saps our resolve. Put aside all such thoughts. They are not worthy of those in the service of country.

Im researching the period for a game I'm writing doing a lot of reading, last two on this area -

(1) The economics of World War I / edited by Stephen Broadberry and Mark Harrison.

(2) American "reparations" to Germany, 1919-33 : implications for the Third-World debt crisis / Stephen
(Princeton, N.J. : International Finance Section, Dept. of Economics,Princeton University, c1988.)

1. English speaking peoples generally choose not to show any undue signs of respect for Kaiser Wilhelm. I'd be one of them. Indeed, calling him "Kaiser" is the height of politeness given that I'd prefer to just refer to him as that fat old arrogant German bastard.

2. Emperor in English means one is above the rank of King and has Kings who pay hommage. Given that Britain is a monarchy, to assert that Kaiser Wilhelm is an Emperor is to assert that he outranks the British monarch. This is categorically rejected by English speaking peoples.

Indeed, Kaiser is close enough to Caesar for it to sound almost insulting. This is appropriate.

Btw, the Czars of Imperial Russia are always referred to as "Czar" and never by any other title. Same reasons.

Cool, thanks. What sort of game? If you don't mind my asking.

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There can be no bystanders in the battle for survival. Anyone who will not fight by your side is an enemy you must crush.

We are at war with forces too terrible to comprehend. We cannot afford mercy for any of its victims too weak to take the correct course. Mercy destroys us; it weakens us and saps our resolve. Put aside all such thoughts. They are not worthy of those in the service of country.

Well, not all English speaking peoples.

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There can be no bystanders in the battle for survival. Anyone who will not fight by your side is an enemy you must crush.

We are at war with forces too terrible to comprehend. We cannot afford mercy for any of its victims too weak to take the correct course. Mercy destroys us; it weakens us and saps our resolve. Put aside all such thoughts. They are not worthy of those in the service of country.

I once read about a German who visited Britain in the first decade of the 20th century. He was a bit startled when he realized that the toast given "to the Emperor" was to the British monarch, since he was Emperor of India, and not to the German Emperor.

There were four kingdoms inside the German Empire: Baden, Bavaria, Prussia, and Württemberg. Thus, the monarch of the federation had to have a higher rank. Given the German history of being a "Roman" Empire, the title Emperor was close at hand.

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President Josiah Bartlet: Sweden has a 100% literacy rate. 100%! How do they do that?
Leo McGarry: Maybe they don't and they can't add.

I don't doubt the origin or validity of the German title. I'm only explaining why us Anglos ain't going to call him Emperor!

Note to Thorhammer: "English speaking peoples" is an expression that the Brits have historically used to refer to themselves. Sir Winston Churchill's own history of Britain is entitled: "History of the English speaking peoples". I am definitely a 'Brit'.

That's tough to do when one pulls statements out of one's .......

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843rd Bomb Wing - Strategic Air Command
"Peace is our Profession"

"Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is Divine. . . . Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants.
" - James Wilson, U. S. Supreme Court Justice and Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution

Pbem,play over the web, downloadable graphical client sort of thing detailed historical simulator. Militrary, Economic, Social, Political simulator. Been working a while, I've got most of the data I need (I got al the various cenus, birth rate, death rate, marriages, km's railway, number of phones, cars, horses, catle livestock, number of acres under cultivation by crop, prices, wage indexes, movement of ships, tonnage built, gold reserves, movemnet of bullion, script issues by banks, deposits on reserve, I got vast amouns of data ) Wrting the Militrary engine was pretty straight forward, the social and political I got strong ideas and got a handle, economics is one I;m reseraching heavily now,by the 30's most european trade was in kind, the germans sold some figters for some soy beans (few fighters lot of soy bean)

the word emporer is from the latin root Imperator.....kaiser czar etc. was a throw back to "caesar"...

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No individual can plan his own existence in their view.

So the state planners must arrogate to themselves the right to manipulate any sector of the economic system if the good of “society” or the “general welfare” is paramount.

Ipso- if the rights of the individual get in the way, the rights of the individual must be sublimated.

The Road to Serfdom
FA Hayek (interpretation)

Still, Kaiser means exactly the same as Emperor, even though the two words have different origins. It is just like u-boat and submarine, "under water boat" and "submarine boat".

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President Josiah Bartlet: Sweden has a 100% literacy rate. 100%! How do they do that?
Leo McGarry: Maybe they don't and they can't add.

Oh man,

Kaiser is a resort to the holy roman empire, which sees themselves since Karl der Große as an direct successor pf the ancient roman Empire. Each Kaiser tries to keep this excessive quantity in mind.

Too bad there aren't any German Emperors these days.

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President Josiah Bartlet: Sweden has a 100% literacy rate. 100%! How do they do that?
Leo McGarry: Maybe they don't and they can't add.