Rival Plans, Rival Goals

Why do governments come up with “peace” plans? Let me suggest a few answers.

—Because the forces of one side have achieved such superiority that they can dictate terms to the adversary. Such was the case at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, when the Allies dictated their terms to the defeated Germans. The Potsdam Conference in 1945 was different in kind, in that only the victors were present.