Centre for the Study of the Causes of the War
Encyclopedia
The Centre for the Study of the Causes of the War (in German: Zentralstelle zur Erforschung der Kriegschuldfrage) was a pseudo-historical think-tank based in Berlin, secretly funded by the German government, whose sole purpose was to disseminate the official government position that Germany was the victim of Allied aggression in 1914, and hence the alleged moral invalidity of the Versailles Treaty. Of the many provisions in the treaty, one of the most important and controversial required Germany to accept sole responsibility for causing the war and, under the terms of articles 231–248 (later known as the War Guilt clauses
), to disarm, make substantial territorial concessions
and pay reparations
to certain countries that had formed the Entente
powers.
The Centre was founded in 1921 under a Swiss doctor, Ernst von Sauerbeck, and from 1923 headed by a former völkisch
activist, Major Alfred von Wegerer.
The Centre was part of an official campaign by the Weimar Republic
and then the Third Reich to counter Allied charges of German war guilt, and suggest consequences. German Governments sought to organise materials from 1914 onwards to counter questions on origins of the war. The key elements of German effort were War Guilt Section of Foreign Ministry (Kriegsschuldreferat), Working Committee of German Associations (Arbeitsausschuss Deutscher Verbände), the Centre for the Study of the Causes of the War (Zentralstelle zur Erforschung der Kriegschuldfrage) and a Parliamentary Committee of Enquiry (Untersuchungsausschuss), and used sympathetic writers and translators, and the watering down of the more-controversial memoirs. The Kriegsschuldreferat was established in the Foreign Ministry in Dec-1918-Jan-1919 under von Bülow ("ardent nationalist and zealous bureaucrat"). Its primary task was to prepare the case before the Versailles Conference against the Allied charge that Germany and Austria-Hungary were solely responsible for the war. Van Bülow instructed Hans Freytag, the later head of the Kriegsschuldreferat, to lock up all documents "in case the entente should demand them" 'as they apparently had the right to do under article 230 of the Versailles Treaty', so "they could be got out of the way easily". Documents were divided into "defence" and "offence".
On 7 May 1919, the Allies presented the proposed accord, and on 28 May 1919 Germany published Deutsches Weissbuch claiming that Germany had conducted a defensive war. On 16 June 1919, Clemenceau
, the French president, presented an ultimatum to Germany--if it did not accept the peace treaty, war would recommence--and on 28 June 1919 Germany accepted the Versailles Treaty. The immediate need to refute war guilt was replaced by a long-term project agreed by Cabinet on 21 July 1919 to shift attention from war guilt to a debate about European affairs since 1870, helped by Dutch and British papers excerpting from Kautsky on 10 December 1919. This project had three editors: Mendelssohn-Bartoldy, Lepsius, and Thimme (Director) plus "special advisor" (some called him spin-doctor) to evaluate public reaction. The German Foreign Ministry directed the editors on how and what to publish and exercised a special veto. The result was 40 volumes of "Die Grosse Politik der Europäischen Kabinette" 1922-7, which became the standard work of reference for the German view of World War I
. After publication, the Foreign Ministry decided that no further documents were to be made available.
To disseminate the governments official position, several "independent" bureaux and journals were established, and many writers were paid for articles of a refutational nature. Besides a wide range of effort to promote its position, works of sympathetic writers were translated into a number of languages and disseminated at government expense, and visits by such writers were also paid for. As part of this effort, the Centre for the Study of the Causes of the War (Zentralstelle zur Erforschung der Kriegschuldfrage (ZEK)) was founded in 1921 under a Swiss doctor, Ernst von Sauerbeck, and from 1923 under Alfred von Wegerer.
Harry Elmer Barnes
, an American, who between World War I and World War II
was a well-known anti-war
writer, a leader in the historical revisionism movement and later to become a Holocaust denier, and from 1924 onwards worked closely with Centre for the Study of the Causes of the War. The Centre provided Barnes with research material, made funds available to him, translated his writings into other languages, and funded his trip to Germany in 1926. During Barnes's 1926 trip to Germany he received a most friendly welcome for his efforts as Barnes described it in "seeking to clear Germany of the dishonour and fraud of the war-guilt clause of the Treaty of Versailles".
Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles
Article 231, commonly known as the "Guilt Clause" or the "War Guilt Clause", is the first article in Part VIII, "Reparations" of the Treaty of Versailles. Apart from "Article 231", there is no title for this article in the treaty itself...
), to disarm, make substantial territorial concessions
Concession (territory)
In international law, a concession is a territory within a country that is administered by an entity other than the state which holds sovereignty over it. This is usually a colonizing power, or at least mandated by one, as in the case of colonial chartered companies.Usually, it is conceded, that...
and pay reparations
World War I reparations
World War I reparations refers to the payments and transfers of property and equipment that Germany was forced to make under the Treaty of Versailles following its defeat during World War I...
to certain countries that had formed the Entente
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
powers.
The Centre was founded in 1921 under a Swiss doctor, Ernst von Sauerbeck, and from 1923 headed by a former völkisch
Völkisch movement
The volkisch movement is the German interpretation of the populist movement, with a romantic focus on folklore and the "organic"...
activist, Major Alfred von Wegerer.
The Centre was part of an official campaign by the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
and then the Third Reich to counter Allied charges of German war guilt, and suggest consequences. German Governments sought to organise materials from 1914 onwards to counter questions on origins of the war. The key elements of German effort were War Guilt Section of Foreign Ministry (Kriegsschuldreferat), Working Committee of German Associations (Arbeitsausschuss Deutscher Verbände), the Centre for the Study of the Causes of the War (Zentralstelle zur Erforschung der Kriegschuldfrage) and a Parliamentary Committee of Enquiry (Untersuchungsausschuss), and used sympathetic writers and translators, and the watering down of the more-controversial memoirs. The Kriegsschuldreferat was established in the Foreign Ministry in Dec-1918-Jan-1919 under von Bülow ("ardent nationalist and zealous bureaucrat"). Its primary task was to prepare the case before the Versailles Conference against the Allied charge that Germany and Austria-Hungary were solely responsible for the war. Van Bülow instructed Hans Freytag, the later head of the Kriegsschuldreferat, to lock up all documents "in case the entente should demand them" 'as they apparently had the right to do under article 230 of the Versailles Treaty', so "they could be got out of the way easily". Documents were divided into "defence" and "offence".
On 7 May 1919, the Allies presented the proposed accord, and on 28 May 1919 Germany published Deutsches Weissbuch claiming that Germany had conducted a defensive war. On 16 June 1919, Clemenceau
Clemenceau
Clemenceau may refer to:* Georges Clemenceau , French physician, journalist and statesman* Clemenceau , a French aircraft carrier* Mount Clemenceau, a mountain in the Canadian Rockies...
, the French president, presented an ultimatum to Germany--if it did not accept the peace treaty, war would recommence--and on 28 June 1919 Germany accepted the Versailles Treaty. The immediate need to refute war guilt was replaced by a long-term project agreed by Cabinet on 21 July 1919 to shift attention from war guilt to a debate about European affairs since 1870, helped by Dutch and British papers excerpting from Kautsky on 10 December 1919. This project had three editors: Mendelssohn-Bartoldy, Lepsius, and Thimme (Director) plus "special advisor" (some called him spin-doctor) to evaluate public reaction. The German Foreign Ministry directed the editors on how and what to publish and exercised a special veto. The result was 40 volumes of "Die Grosse Politik der Europäischen Kabinette" 1922-7, which became the standard work of reference for the German view of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. After publication, the Foreign Ministry decided that no further documents were to be made available.
To disseminate the governments official position, several "independent" bureaux and journals were established, and many writers were paid for articles of a refutational nature. Besides a wide range of effort to promote its position, works of sympathetic writers were translated into a number of languages and disseminated at government expense, and visits by such writers were also paid for. As part of this effort, the Centre for the Study of the Causes of the War (Zentralstelle zur Erforschung der Kriegschuldfrage (ZEK)) was founded in 1921 under a Swiss doctor, Ernst von Sauerbeck, and from 1923 under Alfred von Wegerer.
Harry Elmer Barnes
Harry Elmer Barnes
Harry Elmer Barnes was a prominent American historian in the 20th century. A "progressive who had some classical liberal impulses," he was associated for virtually his entire career with Columbia University.-Early career:...
, an American, who between World War I and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was a well-known anti-war
Anti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
writer, a leader in the historical revisionism movement and later to become a Holocaust denier, and from 1924 onwards worked closely with Centre for the Study of the Causes of the War. The Centre provided Barnes with research material, made funds available to him, translated his writings into other languages, and funded his trip to Germany in 1926. During Barnes's 1926 trip to Germany he received a most friendly welcome for his efforts as Barnes described it in "seeking to clear Germany of the dishonour and fraud of the war-guilt clause of the Treaty of Versailles".