Rheinland

　　I wrote about the border between Germany and Belgium in March 13th's entry. This area is called the Rheinland. Does the Rheinland ring a bell with you? The Rheinland, which is German, is the western region of Germany and is located on the border with Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. The area is a major hub of the economy and industries now.
　　Seeing the area from another point of view, the Rheinland was one of the important stages of history. Since the defeat in world war I, Germany had been burdened with astronomical reparations by the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler, who gained power in the chaos in the wake of the war, was trying to rebuild his country to become one of the superpowers again. The German Army made an entry into the Rheinland, which was the demilitarized zone then, in March in 1936, violating the Treaty of Versailles. At that time, other European nations went easy on this incident. In retrospect, this tolerance ended in leading to world war II.
　　The present invasion of China into islands in the South China Sea seems to be just like Hitler's occupation of the Rheinland. Hitler mentioned in later years that he had felt uneasy while he was staying in the Rheinland, because the army didn't have enough military strength then. China is now watching the reaction of other nations, while jabbing at other countries. I think it's high time to attack China, before Xi Jinping becomes Hitler. I'm expecting things from the new U.S. president who will replace Mr. Obama who was not able to do anything for global security.

(Vocabulary)
a major hub (文化・活動などの）一大中心地
reparation （敗戦国が払う）賠償金.
the Treaty of Versailles　ヴェルサイユ条約