While that whole violent era between 1875 and 1965 was notably and horribly selfish, surprisingly, this was actually incidental to its main thrust.
Hubris, not selfishness, was its key characteristic.
It simply convinced itself that the deep structure of Reality was easily reduced to something quite simple and quite predictable, particularly compared to the apparent surface complexity of Reality.
If it was then simple to pick the one and only most correct way to proceed in all aspects of life - and that way forward was dead easy to manage as well - why bother with other peoples who might offer (obviously erroneous) alternative solutions to each problem?
Other people, worse, who consider all possible solutions to be iffy at best and requiring many allies & employees to be even a little successful !
If Austria, Czechoslovia, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway et al had nothing to offer that wasn't second-rate to your own completely right and fully adequate solutions, why then bother to go to their defence ?
Neutrality - the default position for 90% of the world in September 1939 - was not just bystander-at-a-bullying-session selfishness in fancy dress, it was hubris in tails ....
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