YHAOS,
As ever, thank you for your thoughtful observations.
Hitler's politics of genocide were documented in Mein Kampf from the mid 20's. His rise to power through the extensive use of the Brown Shirts created a widely reported reign of terror. His special hatred for the Jews was well known. What I ought to have said was that world leaders who knew how to read the tea leaves understood clearly where all this was going.
To be sure there were ostriches in France, GB and the US who thought it would all just go away. Roosevelt and his administration do not appear to be among them. Churchill certainly was not nor was DeGaul. Tragically, it took at least 5 years for their voices to be heard.
Your observation that war is not necessarily a last resort is well placed. Much ado is made of diplomacy to avoid war. Once war has been declared by one side, as with Germany's Munich crisis, failure to respond accordingly is weakness and leads to defeat.
As with the declaration of war by Muslim extremism much bloodshed could have been avoided if Pres Carter had protected American territory and lives in Iran when the US embassy was assaulted by a mob. The ensuing year of cowardice created a terrorist movement that we are finally waging war against 20 years later.
When trouble comes uninvited through the door an overwhelming response will always halt its advance. Tyrants are never as strong at the beginning as they are after their victims have given them unqualified victory. Put another way, once war has begun war must be the first response of those under attack.
Your points are well taken. Churchill, of course, was the man. He had the Nazi’s number from the get-go. De Gaulle, I know little about at the time under discussion. Of, course, during much of this time De Gaulle was an obscure Colonel, and who pays any attention to an obscure French Colonel. I’m not surprised, however, to hear that he had Hitler’s number, much like Churchill. I did not know that before the commencement of hostilities, De Gaulle was known for anything other than writing a well-regarded manual on tank tactics.
Your points on Carter and our dealing with terrorists, again are well taken, and I appreciate your support.
Back to Churchill one more time: at some point early on in the war, say the spring of 1940 just before he became PM, I wonder if even Churchill really understood the full magnitude of the horrors we would uncover in Germany in the spring of 1945. I don’t think anyone did; even Churchill.