Comment 52720

By Shempatolla (registered) - website | Posted December 07, 2010 at 00:27:39

Stalin was not really on the west's mind I'm sorry to say. The Soviet Union was still somewhat of a mystery to the west. Communism was viewed as more of a social threat than any fear of a RED WAVE coming out of Moscow. In Spain, both the Germans and Soviets used the civil war there as a testing ground for new weapons and tactics. The Soviets had an ideological interest in exporting their beliefs but were not prepared to enter a war over it. Chamberlain's and Dalardiers reticence to deal with Hitler and Mussolini was based more on their belief that both of the dictators had limited aims and would soon be satisfied. They did nothing when Mussolini invaded Abyssinia (Ethiopia and Eritrea) in 1934.

1936 : In violation of the Treaty of Versailles (which ended WWI) Hitler remilitarizes the Rhineland which borders France. The French Army does nothing, protests at the League of Nations (UN) fall on deaf ears.(Sound familiar ?)

March 1938: Hitler, now emboldened orchestrates the Anschluss. The annexation of Austria into The Third Reich. (Another Treaty violation) Again, Chamberlain and Dalardier do nothing.

August 1938: Hitler now foments unrest in ethnically German Sudaten region in Czecheslovakia. He demands these lands be ceded to Germany or he threatens war. The Munich Conference is convened. Basically what transpires here is Chamerlain, Dalardier and Hitler carve up Czecheslovakia so they don't have to go to war. Chamberlain returns to Britain proclaiming "Peace in Our Time.

Early 1939. Hitler starts making demands of Poland over the open city of Danzig (Gdansk). Chamberlain and Lord Halifax sign a treaty with Poland guaranteeing their independence should Hitler become an aggressor. In private they urge the Poles to give up Gdansk.

August 23,1939. The Molotov -Von Ribbentrop Agreement is signed between Germany and the Soviet Union which is a Non Aggression Pact. which also agrees to divide Poland in two. This was done in secret unknown to Britain or France.

September 1, 1939 Hitler invades Poland. On September 3 Britain and France declare war on Germany and do exactly nothing.

"The Sitzkrieg" is a term coined by Churchill to describe the period on the continent after the fall of Poland when there was no fighting going on AT ALL NEVER MIND THE NON EXISTENT EASTERN FRONT but a state of war existed. This lasted until the spring of 1940 when Hitler turned west and invaded and over ran France, culminating in the evacuation at Dunkirk of the British Army and what remained of the French Army.

November 1940: Neville Chamberlain dies, depressed and distraught.

Germany and the Soviet Union are still technically allies at this time. A fact that is not altered until the summer of 1941 when Hitler does another 180 and invades Russia.

@nobrainer

who is a warmonger? Where in anything I have said, have I advocated war? I am a veteran who has served my country. I am very aware of what is at stake in conflict. My position is that if you don't want to fight in one, the best way to make sure that happens is prepare for one. And unfortuneately sometimes you have to walk the walk. History as you can see is repleat with examples of what happens when we ignore this lesson.

As for crimes against humanity... are you as vocal about Kim Jong Il starving his people so that he can build nuclear weapons? Or how about Karadzic's genocide in the Balkans? The "ethnic cleansing " of Kosovo? Or how about Ol' Saddam using chemical weapons to massacre 37000 people? Or do you reserve your disdain and judgement only when there are Stars and Stripes or a Maple Leaf involved in the fighting?

I did not intend this thread to become a historical or philosophical debate, it doesn't really have much to do with Hamilton. I'm happy to any time any where with any one. But I would rather Ryan have his site used for its intended purpose.

Comment edited by Shempatolla on 2010-12-06 23:37:41

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