The author, Robert Gerwarth, argues that the end of World War One failed to bring about lasting peace. After the First World War, new regimes and wars sprung up throughout Central and Eastern Europe. Conflicts arouse amidst the turbulent political environment between nation-states and competing ideologies of the time. Radical fascist ideas found fertile ground that soon permeated throughout Europe.

As a German, Gerwarth is well versed in German history. He is keenly aware of the suffering and harsh sanctions imposed on the defeated states after the conclusion of World War One. Rather than ensuring peace, these severe sanctions compounded the turmoil, stirred up national sentiment for revenge, and gave root to extreme ideologies such as fascism and Nazism. This cocktail of volatile elements ultimately accelerated the outbreak of World War Two.

The Vanquished gives us a glimpse of the turbulent history of Europe between the two World Wars and analyzes the legacy of the First World War. It helps us to perceive with the benefit of hindsight, the problems of the world today.