Re: There will always be What Ifs...

Posted by Gee LP (A) on August 29, 2005 at 19:14:34

In Reply to: There are always some What If's... posted by Victor Khomenko on August 29, 2005 at 18:12:27:

Victor, in one of my history textbooks, several pages from a German soldier's diary are reprinted. The soldier was fighting at Stalingrad and at first thought they would all be home for parades and honors by Christmas. A few entries later he is cursing the resisters and asking why they are sacrificing themselves for something that they will obviously lose. A few more entries later...well, I'm sure you know how it ends...the soldier is waiting for capture and imprisonment...and that's if he is lucky.

But the Russians had to resist. As you have pointed out before, they had no choice. All they had to look forward to if the Nazis succeeded was slaughter and total, abject enslavement. Hitler had made that quite clear.

Your comments about American entertainment stereotypes of the "buffoonish" Nazis led me to ask my wife a question: Did her father enjoy programs like "Hogan's Heroes"? (He was a POW at Stalag Luft III). Unfortunately, she could not remember, and he was very tight-lipped about his experiences in the war. She and her brothers knew he had served, knew he had been a POW, but never thought to ask him about it...even when watching "The Great Escape" on TV (the events of which took place before he arrived at Stalag Luft III)!

The history we are losing from simply not knowing to ask is amazing.

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - :Downfall" - the Hitler's final days - Victor Khomenko 12:45:56 08/28/05 (16)

Films like that should not be analyzed using standard movies measures - Corndog71 09:35:10 08/30/05 (0)

A very phony portrait of the man: I don't know if - tinear 17:56:05 08/29/05 (1)

Re: A very phony portrait of the man: I don't know if - jamesgarvin 16:11:55 08/30/05 (0)

Re: 2 quick points to make... - Gee LP 13:49:09 08/29/05 (3)

There are always some What If's... - Victor Khomenko 18:12:27 08/29/05 (2)

Re: There will always be What Ifs... - Gee LP 19:14:34 08/29/05 (1)

Re: There will always be What Ifs... - Victor Khomenko 19:56:22 08/29/05 (0)

Re: :Downfall" - the Hitler's final days - Auricle 13:15:41 08/29/05 (0)

Re: :Downfall" - the Hitler's final days - jamesgarvin 12:45:44 08/29/05 (3)

Re: :Downfall" - the Hitler's final days - Victor Khomenko 13:31:58 08/29/05 (2)

Re: :Downfall" - the Hitler's final days - jamesgarvin 15:02:57 08/29/05 (1)

Re: :Downfall" - the Hitler's final days - Victor Khomenko 18:14:33 08/29/05 (0)

Re: :Downfall" - the Hitler's final days - patrickU 07:39:45 08/29/05 (1)

Re: :Downfall" - the Hitler's final days - Victor Khomenko 08:24:38 08/29/05 (0)

When you see people voluntarily dying with the fuhrer it has an impact . . . - mr grits 17:00:54 08/28/05 (1)

I think you've got it right - Victor Khomenko 06:35:45 08/29/05 (0)

Follow Ups

Re: There will always be What Ifs... - Gee LP 19:14:34 08/29/05 (1)

Re: There will always be What Ifs... - Victor Khomenko 19:56:22 08/29/05 (0)

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