The Renaissance Discovery of Classical Antiquity Book

Simply put a terrific book and accounting of History to Belgium in which now nearly 100 years since the conclusion of this war. This History is important and facts within this book cannot be ignored - Herbert Hoover and the Commission for the Relief of Belgium (CRB) played at the time a vital role in feeding a Nation and one in which is now lost to History in that Hoover negotiated the ability with waring nations of Europe prior to the United States involvement and Declaration of War in 1917. As Hoover, himself later wrote, "The knowledge that we would have to go on for four years, to find a billion dollars, to transport five million tons of concentrated food, to administer rationing, novel relief organization, which went by the name of the Commission for Relief in Belgium (CRB), possessed some of the attributes of a government. It had its own flag, it negotiated "treaties" with the warring European powers, and its leaders parleyed regularly with diplomats and cabinet ministers in several countries. It even had a "pirate" leader in Hoover, who enjoyed price controls, agricultural production, to contend with combatant governments and with world shortages of food and ships, was mercifully hidden from us." Hoover is more times often lost to History than what he should be credited with - the Colorado Compact of 1922 is but one other example that occurred later and one to which the Upper and Lower Basin States of the American South West can thank for the current ability and access and infrastructure to water. Former President Theodore Roosevelt also got involved and this lends to the overall credibility of the book in question and summarization of relief that went to a Nation in desperate need of assistance. America at the time proved her capabilities (then) and for future financial and food provisions going forward. Hind Sight is 20/20 - the war to end all wars was the war to become the Grandfather of all of them for the 20th Century - it could even be argued that the 1917 Balfour Declaration led to the unrest we have today in the Middle East. Ho Chi Minh even attempted to gain an audience in the 1919 Paris Peace Conference to which he was denied; the Japanese dignitaries were also denied an audience and territories in the north of the equator in the Pacific rim owned by Germany were transferred to Japan; many in part that belonged to China. The Racial Equality Clause as proposed by Japan was thwarted and prevented from being included in the final draft.

President Wilson time and again attempted to counter emotion with sound judgement, but did so in a manner that to this day makes him look religiously pompous without having concern for the victims. Clemenceau once commented during the Paris Peace Conference that "God was satisfied with 10 commandments - Wilson gave us 14." This was also followed by another statement of Clemenceau in reference to President Wilson's personal attempt to remove emotion from the process in which he (Clemenceau) stated that "Nothing is done without emotion. Was not Jesus Christ driven by passion on the day when he drove the merchants from the temple?" This biblical reference of Clemenceau was used against President Wilson in which three of the "big four" at the Peace Conference were quite literally tired of all the religious aspects that Wilson was attempting to embed for his personal beliefs to the outcome. The world would have to learn later following a war that would begin 20 years later.

The author spent much time researching the effects of the destruction of Belgium which began at the outset of the war - Belgium's neutrality was raped and the title of this book is wholly appropriate. This war and destruction to Belgium and France certainly laid the ground work of what would occur two decades later; only during the next war it would be much worse and nations including Poland would be raped in whole different and excruciating manner. The references in the last chapter to the events that occurred, the politics that played out in 1919 and the hind sight effect of the Second World War cannot be ignored. I enjoyed this book and the historical essence of the time was captured well and clear.