The most cold-blooded history lesson yet read by any U.S. scholar was delivered last week to a group of teachers by an eminent member of the University of Chicago faculty. Professor Bernadotte Schmitt told them that history showed that western civilization would not be safe until the German people were crushed on their own soil.
The group, gathered in Indianapolis for the 21st annual meeting of the National Council for the Social Studies (teachers of geography, economics, history, etc.), had spent three days pondering how to produce better citizens and a better world. They had heard their president, George Peabody College's Professor Fremont P. Wirth, and Harvard's Professor Howard E. Wilson accuse them of teaching history to little or no purpose. Then Professor Schmitt let loose. Said he:
"It is really intolerable that the world should be plunged into war every 25 years by Germany. . . . The first essential is the complete and overwhelming military defeat of Germany, to be accomplished if possible on German soil. . . . The German people have not experienced war on their territory since 1866, except for a short Russian invasion of East Prussia in 1914. They need to be made aware of the horrors of war.
"During the wars of Louis XIV and Napoleon, the French were regarded almost as the Germans are today. After France had been invaded and defeated and punished in 1814, in 1815 and in 1870-71, the French people ceased to be aggressive and dangerous. ... It is at least possible to hope that after similar experiences the Germans may get over their militaristic propensities.
"Germany should be reduced to that agricultural economy which she will impose on conquered Europe if she can. This would mean a reduced standard of living, and I doubt not a reduction in the German population. Since there are only 45 million Britons, 45 million Italians, 40 million Frenchmen and 30 million Poles, as opposed to 80 million Germans, the equilibrium of Europe would be more stable if there were only 50 million Germans.
"I am aware that this sounds horrendous and unChristian. But ... I do not see why [Germany] should not take some of her own medicine. . . ."