"There would have been no Second World War in 1939."

True - sort of. It would have started earlier... yet still after Japan invaded China - when WWII really started. If you think that Japan's first step in implementing the Greater SouthEast Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere had nothing to do with accelerating timelines in Europe, I'm afraid the Euro-Centric bias is showing.

I somethimes think the lot of you are as blinkered as you are charging Hartmann as being. He is presenting an editorial/argument and supporting it with historical examples - a standard move in logic and debate. You counter that by other historical examples or pointing out error in the supporting evidence. He is NOT attempting, in this case, to write a fair and accurate historical account.

As far as the League of Nations not acting, it had no authority to act. Nowhere in its charter was there any authorization of force.