The origins of the Second World War continue to be examined and debated.
Publications of books and articles abound. Dr. Roy Strausbaugh will provide an
overview of the events leading to the outbreak of war in Europe on September 1,
1939 and some of the interpretations and historical perspectives that have been
considered since the end of the war. With a brief review of the Versailles Peace
terms, and the new Europe after the war in the 1920s, the principal focus will
be on the diplomatic issues and conflicts of the 1930s that led to the German
invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, as well as the policies and equivocation
of Britain and France in responding to Germany's and Italy's diplomatic and
military activities during that decade.
– Roy Strausbaugh, Ph.D., D.Hu.
Roy Strausbaugh, Ph.D., D.Hu., served in the U.S. Navy and graduated from the Navy School of Music before going on to earn his doctoral degree from Case Western Reserve University in Modern European History, with his dissertation focused on German reparation payments and British policy at and after the Versailles Peace Conference. His career in higher education began at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in 1966, where he rose to the rank of tenured full professor and subsequently served as a dean and associate vice president until his retirement in 1993. Soon thereafter, he received an appointment at Mercyhurst University and served as a member of the faculty and as dean on several occasions over twenty years. For his lifetime of service in higher education, Thiel College granted him a doctorate in humanities, honoris causa. His civic involvement includes serving as the founding president of the Flagship Niagara League. He is currently Vice President of the Erie County Historical Society and the President of Meals on Wheels, Erie.