– William Shakespeare, “Julius Caesar,” Act III, Scene 1

We never learn.

Yesterday was the anniversary of the day in 1938 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt wrote to German Chancellor Adolf Hitler, reiterating his earlier plea to find a peaceful resolution to the ongoing dispute over the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia.

Germany had been harboring resentment of its treatment under the Treaty of Versailles since the end of World War I, some 20 years earlier. Part of that treaty involved giving the Sudetenland — a territory believed by Hitler to be inherently German — to Czechoslovakia. And Hitler wanted it back, reasoning that it was rightfully his.

But he assured Roosevelt that he too wanted to avoid another war in Europe. Roosevelt, though pleased to hear Hitler’s assurances, was not naive; and in his letter of September 27th, he wrote of his desire that “negotiations [between Germany and Czechoslovakia] be continued until a peaceful settlement is found.” [“This Day in History,” History.com, September 26, 2026.]

He added a further inducement, saying that “ . . . should you agree to a solution in this peaceful manner I am convinced that hundreds of millions throughout the world would recognize your action as an outstanding historic service to all humanity.” [Id.]

On March 15, 1939, Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia. Six months later, he did the same to Poland, and World War II had begun. The dogs of war had been let slip, and the war Hitler promised not to start would rage for six years.

(Coincidentally, it was on March 15, 44 B.C., that Julius Caesar was stabbed to death in the Roman Senate, leading to Shakespeare’s coining of the phrases “let slip the dogs of war” and “beware the Ides of March”in his telling of the story. But I digress.)

*. *. *

Fast forward to February 2022. Vladimir Putin’s “routine military exercises” are massed near the border of Ukraine. The West has warned Putin against an invasion of its neighbor, and he has assured the world that he has no such action in mind. Some in the West believe him, or want to. Others, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, are not so naive.

On February 24, 2022, Putin invaded Ukraine. What he first said would never happen, and then promised would be a quick “special military operation” to retrieve what he believes to be a rightful part of Russia, is now nearing the end of its fifth year.

Sound familiar?

But that’s not the end of it. Because, just as Hitler didn’t stop at Czechoslovakia, Putin is not satisfied with whatever portions of Ukraine he may be able to hold onto. He has already begun a hybrid war against Europe, engaging in acts of sabotage, cyber attacks, incursions into NATO airspace, election interference, and old-fashioned spying tactics, while blithely maintaining his total innocence.

But the people of Europe are not sitting idly by. They, their parents and their grandparents have lived through two world wars and numerous smaller conflicts, and they know the sound of dogs barking. They are preparing for the worst.

Does Vladimir Putin have the means to expand his war beyond Ukraine? It’s questionable, particularly with Ukraine striking back at Russia’s oil refineries and other strategic targets, the economy suffering, and the number of Russian military casualties growing exponentially by the day.

And will the Russian people stand for an extension of a war they are already sick of? Perhaps not. But when has that ever stopped a tyrant from doing as he pleased?

So, while Western leaders continue urging Putin to engage in serious peace negotiations — just as Roosevelt did with Hitler — the world holds its collective breath.

Stay tuned.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
9/28/26