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2004-04-02 -Short Attention Span Theater-

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Posted by Steve from Relto 2004-04-02 12:17:27 PM|| || Front Page|| [11133 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 ..Actually, a strong case can be made that when war finally did break out, Hitler had taken better advantage of the breathing space than Chamberlain did.
Hitler's war production people had the Skoda works back up and running in a month or so, and they were mpumping out weapons and trucks for the Wehrmacht almost to the end of the war. Chamberlain didn't do all that much more to prepare - when the war finally started, the Gloster Gladiator - a fabric covered biplane - was still the most numerous fighter in the RAF's Fighter Command. Had Hitler attacked the UK directly just six months earlier - say March of 1940 - his Bf109s would have faced obsolete biplanes backed up by literally just a few early Hurricanes and fewer than a dozen Spitfires.
What the breathing space really did do was give the UK's military commanders a chance to plan for what they knew was coming. The political leadership stayed appeasement oriented until the outbreak of war, and even then was planning to do things like give aid to the Finns against the Soviets - while Poland was being crushed and France menaced. If Hitler had had second thoughts on invading Norway (which is when Chamberlain was finally forced out), he may very well have found a British government willing to negotiate after the French defeat.

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2004-04-02 2:21:27 PM|| 2004-04-02 2:21:27 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 "he may very well have found a British government willing to negotiate after the French defeat...."

Mike, even with Churchill at the helm it was a close-run thing. See Ten Days in May by John Lukacs. Halifax was still hinting around about "new and more generous terms" from Hitler.

Posted by Matt 2004-04-02 2:40:48 PM|| 2004-04-02 2:40:48 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 Sorry, it's "5 Days in London: May 1940" and the quote by Halifax (to the UPI after Dunkirk) referred to a "new and more generous offer."

Posted by Matt 2004-04-02 3:02:46 PM|| 2004-04-02 3:02:46 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 We've got to look to our past! The success of the Munich Conference should be like a beacon to all good hearted peopled. There..... see did the whole fucking thing without caps, is that enough for you redneck pandering freepers? Hell do you even know where Munich is?

I just don't know why I bother.

Posted by AntiGum 2004-04-02 5:09:08 PM|| 2004-04-02 5:09:08 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 We must remember also the history of demilitarsed territory of Renania, between France and Germany.
German troops occupied it in 1936 and France made nothing. At that time German was even worst in military terms.
Later in France the military success of Germany can be atributted of a society that thought about the modern war and another that commited suicide wanting to think that WW1 was the last. That explain the unexplainable treason to Poland , let to face alone the fate against Hitler while Allies had only a couple of German divisions in Western border.

Posted by Anonymous3991 2004-04-02 5:35:34 PM|| 2004-04-02 5:35:34 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 Yikes! AntiGum one thought1937-1939 HOMECHAIN.

Posted by Shipman 2004-04-02 8:05:51 PM|| 2004-04-02 8:05:51 PM|| Front Page Top

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