In Reply to: RE: Well, Stalin did defeat Hitler. Unlike him, Joe's designs on "world conquest" posted by Tom Brennan on June 24, 2007 at 12:26:48:
"Perhaps you think the Red Army should have stopped at the Russian borders and The United States should have lost a couple of million men beating the Germans in east Germany, Poland, the Baltic states, Hungary, and so on?"
No. I think that each of those countries were sovereign entities, and should have been treated as such. The U.S. liberated France and Italy, and did not treat those nations as satellites. And let's not forget that Stalin and Hitler entered a non-aggression treaty, whereby Stalin allowed Hitler to run roughshod over the eastern block countries, as long as Hitler did not invade the Soviet Union. Until Hitler broke the pact, Stalin was more than content to give those lands to Hitler. And now you essentially argue that Stalin should have been rewarded for interfering only after he was attacked, and then lost significantly more men than he would have had he stopped Hitler when Hitler first began his European tour? Nice.
"Truman gave Stalin nothing, those were lands taken by the Red Army at the cost huge casualties at the hands of the Germans."
So, the Soviet Union finally entering the fray, entitled them to subjugate those peoples? See above. They "took" those lands only because Hitler made the fatal mistake of attacking the Soviet Union. Apparently, you feel there is no difference between "liberation" and "occupation." Spoils of war, huh? Nice to read that educated people here defend a nation reducing people to pawns in chess. Bush seems to think the same way you do.
"And there wasn't a dmaned thing we could do about it either except fight ANOTHER war with the Soviets, a war we might very well have been whipped in."
Not true. While the Soviets had many ground forces, they did not have the Navy and Air Force that the U.S. had. Plus, they had no allies. Plus, and here is the big one, they did not have the atomic bomb at that time. Given no comparative Air Force to prevent the U.S. planes, I am not sure how they could have survived the drop. Stalin was no dummy. He knew what happened to Japan. Perhaps if Truman had send Stalin a picture of another bomb emblazened with Stalin's name on it, history may have been different. Who knows? But Truman seemed to have taken the same view you do, and as a result mnany more millions of people were stripped of their basic liberties and freedoms.
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Follow Ups
- RE: Well, Stalin did defeat Hitler. Unlike him, Joe's designs on "world conquest" - jamesgarvin 09:38:29 06/25/07 (26)
- "Apparently, you feel there is no difference between 'liberation' and 'occupation.'" Great line! nt - clarkjohnsen 08:08:03 06/26/07 (0)
- Soviet Army was much bigger than the Allied Army... - oscar 11:00:24 06/25/07 (24)
- RE: Soviet Army was much bigger than the Allied Army... - jamesgarvin 15:47:27 06/25/07 (16)
- RE: Soviet Army was much bigger than the Allied Army... - Tom Brennan 17:56:56 06/25/07 (15)
- when Harry Met Sally, oh sorry, I thought it was a film forum... Wnen Germany Met The USSR... - dave c 15:18:14 06/26/07 (0)
- Perhaps you should check your facts... - jamesgarvin 08:02:35 06/26/07 (13)
- You quoted the state of the Soviet Union in 1941. - oscar 08:31:50 06/27/07 (3)
- RE: You quoted the state of the Soviet Union in 1941. - jamesgarvin 10:08:51 06/27/07 (2)
- You need better sources than Wikipedia.... - oscar 10:47:03 06/27/07 (1)
- RE: You need better sources than Wikipedia.... - jamesgarvin 09:07:29 06/28/07 (0)
- RE: Perhaps you should check your facts... - Tom Brennan 11:37:16 06/26/07 (0)
- That would seem to answer the question... unless one challenges Wikipedia... nt - clarkjohnsen 08:19:12 06/26/07 (7)
- so Wikipedia is the unchallenged source of all historical knowledge? - groovenoter 22:49:57 06/26/07 (5)
- You are discussing a different issue.. - jamesgarvin 10:22:40 06/27/07 (4)
- Have you analyzed the available combat air power available to the Soviet Union vs. - oscar 15:50:09 06/27/07 (3)
- RE: Have you analyzed the available combat air power available to the Soviet Union vs. - jamesgarvin 08:58:05 06/28/07 (2)
- Beautiful post. Fact. Firmly establishes the original assertion. Reasoning. nt - clarkjohnsen 11:02:57 06/28/07 (0)
- There's that 1941 state of affairs compared to 1944 State of affairs. - oscar 09:55:22 06/28/07 (0)
- How dare anyone challenge he wisdom of the underpants of Wiki? - dave c 15:20:55 06/26/07 (0)
- The Atom Bomb wasn't ready yet - Tom Brennan 14:45:50 06/25/07 (6)
- RE: The Atom Bomb wasn't ready yet - jamesgarvin 15:39:27 06/25/07 (5)
- RE: The Atom Bomb wasn't ready yet - Tom Brennan 17:45:16 06/25/07 (4)
- RE: The Atom Bomb wasn't ready yet - jamesgarvin 07:54:22 06/26/07 (3)
- "I am curious as to what interest we had in fighting Germany." Good question. - clarkjohnsen 08:15:37 06/26/07 (2)
- An unanswered question too, so far. Who will go for it I wonder... nt - clarkjohnsen 09:27:49 06/27/07 (1)
- here is your starter for 10... - dave c 14:30:31 06/27/07 (0)