Who Started the Second World War?

Future of Freedom Foundation ^ | November 1991 | Richard M. Ebeling

[yarddog]

Those definitions are incredibly concise and accurate. I am completely serious too.

[JOE43270]

I don't care who started it OUR GUYS finished it. God Bless America.

[yarddog]

Truman was anything but honest. He was a member of the Pendergast gang in Missouri. Also a former Klansman.

When he was president he actively aided Lyndon Johnson in stealing a Senate seat.

[Jim Noble]

Especially considering what he had done in Austria one year earlier

The Austrians fell all over themselves to welcome their beloved Hitler.

[The Fop]

I never go anywhere without my Marxist Dictionary, especially Greenwich Village. I need it to ask people directions, or where the nearest McDonalds is.

McDonalds: 1. The root of all evil. 2. An eating establishment that serves beef patties made from the flesh of Palestinian children slaughtered by Zionists in Jenin.

[Wisconsin155]

I was a little off on the timing. You do realize I was referring to the sinking of US naval river boats in China. My point was that hostilities predated Pearl. We were antagonizing each other for several years. The Flying Tigers for example. The actual event that triggered the sanctions was, ironically enough, Japanese occupation of Vichy French Indo China. Or as it is known today, Vietnam

As for picking two stupid fights, your opinion. We could probably of ignored Europe. But then would Stalin of swept all the way to the Atlantic? Or would Germany of figured out the bomb? I do think do to our economic interests in China at the time, and the Philippine islands being as strategic as they are, that conflict with Japan was inevitable.

[TheForceOfOne]

Kilroy! He was always first.

[Burr5]

No. Stalin would obviously have gotten his ass kicked and Communism would have been over. What would Germany have been after Hitler's death? That's the interesting question.

[BobS]

"Who Started the Second World War?"

A bunch of people after the First World War. Demanding reparations from countries that were thought to cause the WWI over time created a victimhood mentality against other nations that wanted reparations. They found leaders that said F-U and expanded industrial output and military strength. Russia was a victim of both wars. A bunch of people there around 1916 decided it was time to govern that country with the most sense they could. Wrong choice there and a civil war and Sovietism came about.

After the League of Nations was founded, Germany became a prosperious country and denied any more reperations payments. They said screw you and the League of Nations folded in the 1930's. Wasn't the League of Nations in Toulouse, or Lyon, France? I don't remember or need to- let's send the UN there.

My point is that the seeds of wars are planted many years earlier in time.

Today is Cinco da(de) Maya(u). I'm joining a little celebration with Mexican friends. In the 1860's the Mexican Army defeated the French Army. I give full support for Mexicans who are against the French. The stupid part is that most Mexicans, like most AmAIRicans, think this date is about where people come from, instead of kicking France out of a country. They don't teach history down there either. That's why I like to date women from Brazil. Good colleges, and the languages are equally hard to learn if you speak the other one. And we are Faith-believing countries 15 hours apart.

[Doctor Stochastic]

In that case, one could say that the Battle of Puebla (it's still Cinco de Mayo in this time zone) showed up France as being weaker than under Napoleon I.

[rlmorel]

BWAAAHAAAAAHAA!

Beat me to it, damn it!

[rasblue]

Serbians. They start most wars in Europe.

[Doctor Stochastic]

I hadn't read your comment when I posted.

[F.J. Mitchell]

I thought about saying that, but then realized that someone already had.

In my opinion , it had to be Tom DeLay.

[BobS]

"I hadn't read your comment when I posted."

That's fine, we're have a little dinner here instead of going out because it's raining again. And I don't have to work tomorrow because it was done the last 2 weeks. They have to, though.

[F.J. Mitchell]

Yuk! I was convinced those burgers was rat flesh, I'll eat else where in the future.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

The Austrians fell all over themselves to welcome their beloved Hitler.

The Austrian Jews were none too happy about the Anschluss.

[ppaul]

After Poland had been overrun, she managed to establish a government-in-exile, armed forces and an intelligence service outside Poland, contributing substantially to the Allied effort throughout the war. Poland never made a general surrender and was the only German-occupied country which did not produce a puppet government that collaborated with the Nazis.

[Gorjus]

In that case, one could say that the Battle of Puebla (it's still Cinco de Mayo in this time zone) showed up France as being weaker than under Napoleon I.

Okay, at least if Hitler/Tojo knew about it. Anything that adds to the 'we can get away with it' calculation contributes to aggression. Despite all the wishful thiking of appeasing liberals, the history of humanity has shown that strength is the best and only reliable deterrent to war. Of course, that's only been known since Marcus Aurelius.

Your example does point out a case that demonstrates real strength is a matter of will, not just of mechanisms. Fanatic determination can overcome a shortage of conventional combat power. Which leads to the second root cause for war - a feeling that there is nothing to lose.

I think it's interesting that the United States has been the most magnanimous nation in victory of any civilization in history (with the notable exception of our internal war against the American aborigines, and - though demeaning - even there the reservation 'solution' represents a value in billions of current dollars given to the defeated enemy). That can be a weakness, too, because it leads to the 'nothing to lose' decision as parodied in, "The Mouse That Roared." It's a careful balance that we certainly haven't always gotten right, though I believe we've done pretty well overall.

[fso301]

I have always wondered why the UK and France declared war on Germany for the invasion of Poland and did not declare war on the USSR when they were in league with the Nazi and also invaded and murdered in Poland.

Simply to drive a wedge between the Germans and Russians.