In 1945 French philosopher Alexandre Kojève submits his “Outline of a Doctrine of French policy,” to the French government. It proposed the formation of a Latin Empire as a buffer between the Slavo-Soviet and Anglo-Saxon Empires. This would consist of Italy, Spain, and France as their languages are derived from Latin, and more importantly are united by Catholicism. According to Kojève this empire would ensure peace for Europe because it would not be powerful enough to become “imperialistic,” but strong enough to “remove anybody’s temptation to attack it” (p.11). If there was conflict between the Slavo-Soviets and the Anglo-Saxons, it would ensure that there would be no fighting in Europe because of the Latin-Empire’s presence.
Germany was quickly assimilating with the Anglo-Saxon countries which made Kojève fearful. He believed that Germany would shine economically and reduce France’s status to a secondary power. He also emphasizes the importance of the Roman-Catholic church to the Latin Empire. The church would be a unifying factor, much like the Anglo-Saxons were unified by the Protestant church and the Slavo-Soviets by the Orthodox church.
Alexandre Kojève
If Kojève’s Latin Empire had been formed, what would have happened? I think there is a strong possibility that instead of preventing another war, it would have started one. France resented Germany what they had suffered at German hands, and it defined many of their reconstruction policies. They took French occupation children from their German mothers under the pretense that German mothers were unfit. Their real fear was that Germany would start World War III, and taking their children was the French attempt at crippling any potential uprising. They felt threatened by Germany which might have led them to go on the offensive. However, any conflict with Germany would not have lasted long since the Latin Empire could not withstand the militaries of the Allies or the Soviets.
I think that your assessment of what would have happened is incredibly logical. It makes sense that if this empire was allowed to grow, there would inevitably be a challenge to this power. If the principle was applied with the intensity with which Kojeve spoke, then there would have been a real need to challenge this power. In order for the other powers (particularly the US and the USSR) to maintain the claims that they desired to have, they would have needed to keep this Latin Empire from being able to gain any real traction. This kind of conquest that Kojeve presented was Napoleonic in nature, and history shows how that worked out.
I agree with you prediction that the creation of a Latin Empire would be led to another war. I think that the development of a Latin Empire would have allowed for the resentment and pettiness from centauries of battling European countries to continue. I think that a power shift away from this sphere was good for Europe because it forced them to fall into line and see each other as allies.
I also believe that if what he is saying played through then it would lead to a conflict that has a confusing start. It is an interesting analysis of the world after WWII and it shows that some people did not know what would happen after this war. It makes me wonder if America hadn’t taken the lead with the marshall plan, would something like this have occurred.