But by bringing into a U.S. alliance lands once part of the czars' empire, we are rubbing Moscow's nose in its Cold War defeat. After Berlin had agreed to an armistice based on Woodrow Wilson's 14 Points, the allies divided and dismembered Germany, placing millions of enraged Germans under foreign rule. Humiliated, Berlin turned east to conspire with V.I. Lenin. Overturning Versailles became the most popular plank of the Nazis' platform. The first seeds of the Hitler-Stalin pact were sown in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.
History repeats itself.
By moving NATO onto Russia's front porch, we have forced Moscow into the embrace of China. After our Cold War victory, our first foreign policy goal should have been to cement Russia to the West. Instead, we are declaring Moscow an enemy by making military allies of its nearest neighbors. Expanding NATO, we are told, will strengthen us. But not in 1,000 years has Eastern Europe known a half century without war.