It was quite the mess. Lots of incompetence and stupidity all around--and the end state basically set the stage for the reprise 20ish years later.
But it is hard to see how the ending could have gone differently/more thoughtfully given the events and costs of the war. The reality is without the entry of the US into the war, Germany had a high probability of what passed for victory--and that almost suddenly (and surprisingly) turned into defeat.
Yeah, what they got was war now AND war later. What a tragic story that had such consequences for Europe that still resonate.
It was quite the mess. Lots of incompetence and stupidity all around--and the end state basically set the stage for the reprise 20ish years later.
But it is hard to see how the ending could have gone differently/more thoughtfully given the events and costs of the war. The reality is without the entry of the US into the war, Germany had a high probability of what passed for victory--and that almost suddenly (and surprisingly) turned into defeat.