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Headlines That Never Happened: Germany’s Loss and Its Lasting Echoes…
October 20, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
In April of 1918, a newspaper playfully speculated on what the headlines might have looked like if Germany had won World War I. A century later, we know the opposite outcome set in motion consequences far greater than most could have imagined. Germany’s defeat, and the way the Allies handled it, reshaped not just Europe but the modern world.
The Ripple Effects of Germany’s World War I Defeat
The Treaty of Versailles (1919) imposed heavy reparations, territorial losses, and strict military limits on Germany. Instead of securing peace, these terms humiliated the nation and destabilized its young democracy. The resentment they bred became fertile ground for Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, leading to World War II and the Holocaust.
Europe’s New Order
Britain and France emerged victorious but weakened, while the United States stepped into global leadership. Versailles became a cautionary tale: punish a nation too harshly, and you may guarantee the next war. After World War II, the Allies took the opposite approach—rebuilding Germany through the Marshall Plan and anchoring it in NATO and the European Union. Today, Germany’s central role in both reflects that strategy.
Jews and the Holocaust
Germany’s turmoil fueled dangerous scapegoating. Conspiracy theories like the “stab-in-the-back” myth cast Jews as traitors, intensifying antisemitism that Nazi propaganda later weaponized. The Holocaust destroyed European Jewry and gave new urgency to the Zionist movement, leading to the founding of Israel in 1948.
Redrawing the Middle East
The collapse of Germany’s ally, the Ottoman Empire, allowed Britain and France to carve up the Middle East. Mandates in Iraq, Syria, and Palestine ignored ethnic and religious realities. Britain’s contradictory promises to Jews and Arabs in Palestine set the stage for the enduring Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Lasting Echoes
The “war to end all wars” did not end conflict—it reshaped it. From NATO and the EU to Israel’s creation and Middle Eastern instability, the ripple effects of Germany’s defeat still define our world.
While the two photos above show The Liberty Blast with a dateline of April 29, 1920, this newspaper with “fictious reporting” was actually printed on April 20, 1918 “in the hope that in some small way it may serve to awaken in the hearts & minds of those who read it a realization of those horrors of a great world war, so far from and yet to near to American shores, American life, and American people…”.
What if Germany won World War I ?
October 6, 2025 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
Some of the more intriguing newspapers are “futuristic” editions, those printed with a dateline 50 or 75 years in the future, filled with reports of what editors presumed life would be like at that time. They always prove to be very interesting reading.
We recently came upon a “what if” newspaper. Although we’ve had a few, including use of the atomic bomb on American cities, or end-of-the-world scenarios, this issue of “The Liberty Blast” (shown below) is printed as if Germany had won World War I. Although the dateline reads “April 29, 1920”, the editorial on page 2 notes that it was published on April 29, 1918, before World War I had come to an end.
The reporting is fascinating. See the many photos for what the editors thought could have happened. The page 2 editorial in this edition–the first any only of this title–was meant to: “…awaken in the hearts and minds of those who read it a realization of those horrors of a great world war…near to American shores…”.
An interesting issue to read. One of the many treasures to be discovered in the pursuit of this fascinating hobby!
Bad Luck vs. Fate – The Sullivan Brothers…
October 13, 2023 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Today is Friday – more specifically, Friday the 13th. I’m not superstitious or a fatalist, and I’m not quite sure what I think about “the luck of the Irish”, and even if it does exist on some level, whether or not Irish-Americans have it (or is it washed away in the salt water of Atlantic during transit. Quite honestly, I try to limit my exposure to bad news. However, a few weeks ago one of our staff brought me a 1943 newspaper containing an article regarding the dreadful story of the Sullivan Brothers during WWII. While the event was immortalized in the movie “The Fighting Sullivans”, and inspired drama “Saving Private Ryan”, there is no better way to capture this horrible moment than reading it as it was reported in 1943. A clip of the article is shown below, and more may be viewed through the link: Five Sullivan Brothers Killed in WWII Action. Was it fate, bad luck (of the Irish?), or something entirely different? Regardless, one thing is for certain, it was horribly tragic!
They put it in print… the R.M.S. Carpathia…
February 22, 2021 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
On April 15, 1912, the R.M.S. Carpathia became the hero of the day by coming to the rescue of many of the survivors of the Titanic. For the next several stops it went is was met with cheering crowds of adoration. However, a mere half-dozen years later it met a German U-55 submarine, and it was not well-received. Three torpedoes later it joined the Titanic at the bottom of the sea. Sadly, unlike the Titanic, there were no survivors. How do we know? The July 20, 1918 Springfield Republican put it in print.
Snapshot 1918… President Wilson becomes the first U.S. President to…
December 13, 2018 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
The following snapshot comes from The New York Times dated December 14, 1918. This week marks the 100th anniversary of Woodrow Wilson becoming the 1st U.S. President to walk the shores of Europe while still in office. It is hard to believe it took 1 1/4 centuries for this to occur.
It ain’t over til’… The Traveler…
November 8, 2018 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Yesterday my travels took me to Los Angles, California, via the Los Angeles Record dated November 7, 1918. I found the big announcement “Peace! War Is Over”. “The allies and Germany signed an armistice at 11 o’clock this morning. Hostilities ceased at 2 o’clock this afternoon. the Americans took Sedan before the armistice became effective. Immediately upon the announcement by General Foch that the armistice terms were signed, orders were sent to all allied and German [field] commanders to stop fighting…”
This was a bit premature reporting as the the war would not officially end until four days later!
~The Traveler
The Traveler… they’ve got your number…
June 5, 2017 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
I journeyed today to New York City by means of the New York Tribune dated June 5, 1917. There I found the bold headline announce “10,000,000 Men Will Register To-day for Army of 625,000”. “The nation’s roll of honor of 10,000,000 names will be compiled to-day. Every man between the ages of 21 and 31, whether eligible for military service ore exempt, in each of the forty-eight states of the Union, is required by the selective draft law to go to the regular polling place in his election district and register his name, date of birth and such other information as authorities require…”. This was the beginning of the draft for World War I.
~The Traveler
The Traveler… marching off to war…
April 3, 2017 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today’s journey took me to New York City where I found The New York Times of April 3, 1917 had a dreadful headline… “President Calls For War Declaration, Stronger Navy, New Army of 500,000 Men, Full Co-Operation with German’s Foes”. “At 8:30 o’clock tonight the United States virtually made its entrance into the war. At that hour President Wilson appeared before a joint session of the senate and House and invited it to consider the fact that Germany had been making war upon us and to take action in recognition of that fact…”
Enough said.
~The Traveler
The Traveler… Zeppelin bombing… hidden in the city…
January 23, 2015 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today I traveled to New York City by the way of the New York Tribune (January 20, 1915). There I found the headline “Zeppelin Throws Bombs At Sandringham Palace; Airmen Brought Down.” This was the reporting of the first time that Great Britain had been bombed by zeppelins, attaching them at night. Sandringham was one of the royal residences.
Another article on the front page was of a witness to the death of a bride almost a year ago surrendered herself to authorities. They thought that she had fled to Europe, only to find that she had found it easy to hide within New York City itself!
~The Traveler
The Traveler… the beginning of war…
August 4, 2014 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today I traveled back to August 5, 1914 by the way of The Omaha Daily Bee Extra. There I found the banner headline announcing “Great Britain and Germany to War”. For the past few months, things have been unsettled in Europe, however in just the past few days it had now escalated after Germany had invaded the neutral countries of Belgium and Luxembourg as they were advancing towards France causing Great Britain to join in. Still at this point, “Neutrality of the United States in the great European war was formally proclaimed today by President Wilson…”. However we know that did not hold true as we joined the war in 1917.
~The Traveler