David L. Hoggan (1923-1988), a American historian, ruined his promising career when he published this book on then-available public records in the UK and Europe in 1961 under the title "Der erzwungene Krieg." Some consider him to be the father of Revisionist History, and some more as the father of "holocaust Deniars." That the publishers' headquarter were fire-bombed by the Jewish Anti-Defense League while this work was under production is testament enough to its incendiary content. But sifting through these ashes, one does not sense that Hoggan was some sort of neo-nazi and Hitler defender. Instead, he focuses his flashlight in a clear beam on what was going at the diplomatic level in the years before World II. If Hoggan succeeded in nothing else, he succeed in shedding light on the travesty of the Treaty of Versailles and its ultimate consequenses.

Hoggan does not focus on Nazi philosophy, but merely the antagonistic diplomacy of the all the forces arrayed against Germany leading up to World War II. It is a remarkable piece of research, though perhaps more than a bit biased in favor of one set of beligerants than the other. One senses while reading this book that too much of what Germany was doing at the same time is greatly white-washed, or better put, simply ignored altogether. Then again, Hoggan did not have access to Third Reich archives (and the UK and US, and the USSR for that matter) that have only recently been made public. In that sense, Hoggan goes out on a large limb with this book.

The examination of the German foreign policy toward the former Soviet Union during this period is extremely illuminating. There were no innocent parties involved in this story. This no light reading, but serious students of history will greatly appreciate the sheer triumph of the will that went into creating it. ( )