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To: Kaslin
Interesting article. I agree with the premiss that appeasement does not work.

However, one error that I see:

...Nazi Generals Keitel and Jodl testified that Hitler’s regime could surely have been toppled had the English and the French moved quickly to invade Germany after they declared war on September 3, 1939. Attacking Poland, the Germans had few divisions defending their western borders.

Invaded with what? Great Britain and France had no forces with which to invade Germany, and no amphibious assault shipping with which to deliver them. After WWI, large standing armies were eliminated, and raising them would have been difficult in a world depressed economic climate. Only after the threat from Germany appeared existential did Great Britain decide they had to rearm.

Additionally, the Germans had developed their doctrine of Blitzkreig during the Spanish civil war. Everyone else was way behind integrating mechanized infantry, armor, artillery and close air support. In 1939, no other country in the world, except Germany, knew how to do this. There were small scale experiments in the U.S., some interest in GB, and France, and some professional doctrine development in the Soviet Union, but those generals were purged by Stalin.

Bottom line: Great Britain and France did not have the forces, doctrine, or equipment to successfully invade Germany in 1939 and all professional armies in the world knew this fact.

5 posted on 04/28/2012 7:26:06 AM PDT by OldCorps
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To: OldCorps
I read where the Maginot Line protected Germany as much as it did France. Rather than attack Germany, the French mindset, was to hunker down in the forts, no matter what opportunities presented itself, and slaughter the Germans when they attacked. However, there was a slight glitch in their plans. And, as you mentioned, the French didn't have the Blitskreig concept and wastefully used their superior tanks in penny-packet attacks against the Germans.

As far at Netanyahu’s statement of “We know, and others know. And we share what we know with others.”, I believe it translates to "We have the coordinates".

9 posted on 04/28/2012 9:32:49 AM PDT by Oatka (This is America. Assimilate or evaporate.)
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