Regime change may not be for the better

WHEN World War I, also known as the Great War, ended on Nov 11, 1918 the mood among members of the liberal elites in the political and literary salons of London, Paris and New York was quite upbeat.

It was true that the First World War - one of the deadliest conflicts in history, having lasted for more than four years and inflicted death and destruction across Europe and the Middle East - resulted in the deaths of more than nine million combatants and seven million civilians, including many young Brits, French and Germans.

But the war also led to the collapse of the oppressive regimes that had ruled the German, Russian, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires that were blamed for pursuing aggressive policies that ignited the costly and bloody wars.