> is at least as much about a nationalist myth of pushback against Germany as a virile and potent competing empire as about fighting the immoral horrors... Pri

> is at least as much about a nationalist myth of pushback against Germany as a virile and potent competing empire as about fighting the immoral horrors... Primary sources are the best for these kinds of questions. “The truth about hitler” (1935) by Churchill provides a good summary of his thinking well before the war broke out. Everything about Germany at the time was alarming. It’s baffling how no one took it seriously. A militarized dictatorship is a clear threat of another war - which is exactly what happened. Compared to democracies, there is infinitely more danger as an aggressor in conflict. The decision comes down to one man and opposition is silenced. He also mentions the anti-Semitic views which were already clear in Mein Kampf to everyone. This was not the primary reason of course as peace and security in Europe was always paramount, but if Germany wanted to be anti-Semitic itself all the Jews could leave instead of being hunted down over Europe by a single invading nation and left nowhere to hide which would have left options rather than war. All in all the idea of “pushback against a competing empire” doesn’t seem to play in my reading of things at all. https://archive.org/stream/W.S.ChurchillTheTruthAboutHitler193538/W.S.Churchill%20-%20The%20Truth%20About%20Hitler%201935-38_djvu.txt https://archive.org/stream/W.S.ChurchillTheTruthAboutHitler1...