Connor Beatty

SS-20 Period 3
October 19th 2016
World War I Response
The need to assign blame to a nation for the results of a war seems to stem from a
national interest of power. If nations involved in a war were only focused on a successful
recovery from the travesty of war, there would be no blame assigned. War is a complex matter
and does usually not have one clear instigator. No one nation deserves to have the burden of
responsibility for the lost lives of millions. The film: “All quiet on the Western Front” illustrates
the inhumanity of war nicely by demonstrating the contending feelings of national loyalty and
the instinct to help other humans. If national leaders considered this aspect of war, there would
be less instances of blaming entire nations for periods of mass killing and destruction. Because
nations are typically thinking about the long-term future of their country’s national interests,
more often than not, they attempt to place the blame of war on another nation to facilitate the
timely recovery of their own nation. When an alliance between countries exists, it can be a very
straight forward decision to blame an opposing nation, causing them to suffer economically .

A feeling of collective hatred for an opposing nation can also bring about the decision to place
blame. In this way, nationalistic feelings can heavily influence a decision about post-war
negotiations. Because these negations are international affairs, it is clear how a country’s
foreign policy can be influenced, or even be completely determined by its’ national interests .