I can appreciate your view on this, but disagree with most of your conclusions.

Brexit would not have happened without many different groups with very different reasons. The racist/xenophobics have taken the headlines, but the mass of middle england had grown tired of the Brussels Dictatorship. The UK fought almost alone for years in the 1940’s to oppose another European dictator. To hand it all back is unthinkable. It’s because of these multiple groups that have nothing in common except wanting to leave the EU that no clear strategy for what to do next was possible.

Any follow on to leave the EU will not come from France or Italy, but would come from Denmark, The Netherlands and some of the recent joiners from eastern Europe — small countries with a strong identity who want real free trads and a lack of government interference in business.

The only valid reasons to remain were fear and uncertainty, which have a short term impact on the markets and business confidence.

As to the previous wars in Europe, the conditions that caused them should be gone for good, The 1st world war had been brewing for years and was nothing but a power struggle within the royal families of most of europe — who were all related to each other, and was only possible because of the lack or true democracy and the class system.

The 2nd world war came about because of the frustration of Germany over the conditions forced on them by the rest of the world, which opened peoples ears to Hitler’s message.

Actually, the conditions for another war in Europe do exis — but they are 100% because of the current state of the EU. The EU needs to reform, become democratic and concentrate on trade and not on social engineering. Had Cameron’s requests been given any attention at the start of the year, Brexit would never have happened — yes, the racists ans xenophobics would still have voted for it, but middle england would’t have.

BTW: The single market is NOT a free trade area at all. It is an insular protectionist body answerable to none, charging high tariffs for all members, not on the value of goods, but on the size of the hosts economy — the public pay through collective tax. that’s right, the public are paying up front to enable the banks to make larger profits. The proceeds from these tariffs are then used to prop up inefficient, dysfunctional companies, farmers, etc in countries with a disaster of an economy. This is very close to comunism in concept.

The real difference between 1939 and now is that the populations of most countries are well educated and have access to many sources of information, rather than just believing everything their ruler told them without question.