Were leaders in Britain and France so scarred by the carnage of World War I that they failed to stand up to Hitler as he began his march through Europe, thus providing the spark that would become World War II? Was Czechoslovakia abandoned by Britain and France, sacrificed in the face of Hitler's aggression? In The Road to War, historians Richard Overy and Andrew Wheatcroft piece together a globe fractured by war to show how conditions such as the lack of sophisticated intelligence-gathering techniques, limited communication, and events in the USSR and the Far East all conspired to forge a world of shifting alliances, and difficult decisions. --From publisher's description.

First published: London, Macmillan, 1989.

Introduction: 'Who will die for Danzig?' -- Germany -- Great Britain -- France -- Italy -- The Soviet Union -- Japan -- The United States -- Conclusion: 'A war of great proportions' -- Appendix: Comparative military expenditure and military strength.