History /
Poland and Britain started WW2 [356]
It's the 80th anniversary of VE Day this week with parades and celebrations. It wasn't the end of the war of course; that was still raging in the east however it's a time to reflect on those events. There are chilling parallels between the 30s and now and of course r*SSian imperialism is the big threat rather than German, though it's chilling to read about the levels of support there and in Hungary, Slovakia etc for r*SSia.
There's a good parallel. Putler is right now holding parades in Moscow and making maximalist demands, despite being on the back foot and not having good future prospects. The Germans in the last weeks and months of the third reich were much the same. Will things turn out in a similar way?
There's a good article (link below) about how deluded that regime and its helpers were.
At first, Chancellor Hitler really believed that there was still a chance, despite how unrealistic that was. There were even counteroffensives in late 1944 and he really did expect his generals whose troops were dead and ammunition depleted would be able to drive the So jets from Berlin.
Then, after his suicide, the Flensburg 'Government' of Donitz were actually making plans for the future. They genuinely believed they would be allowed to continue a Nazi administration post defeat. When it started to dawn on them that this could never happen they were even trying to negotiate a conditional surrender.
When Monty pointed out that they were in no position to request any conditions whatsoever the Nazi General that Donitz sent to Field Marshal Monty left in floods of tears.
They still couldn't accept their abject defeat and tried next to request surrender to the western Allies rather than the Soviets. This time the asked Eisenhower who also said no. Then they started trying to buy time for civilians to escape westwards from the Soviets. This of course was also unacceptable and Eisenhower told them that if they continued to delay, the western Allies would no longer accept their abject defeat surrender of German troops; they'd either be shot or sent back to the Soviet controlled areas.
Delusion, just as Putler in moscow is deluded that he had any possibility of winning, any chance that his demands will be met.
Poland was devastated by war last time and war in Europe is happening now with the aggressor threatening t make it a world war.
We should never forget those who gave their lives fighting fascism, never forget their sacrifices or the hardship on the home front.
The major powers let the Germans do the appalling things they did through complacency; they'd either could have been stopped several years before the war by robust military action when they were more vulnerable.
Should we act now more decisively against r*SSia or sit back hoping WW3 won't happen? Either way, Poland is in a geographically difficult position.
After the war, it was possible to show mercy to Germans and eventually allow them to re-establish a state; despite huge support for the nazis, some, even many, were good people and there were good things and good things in their society as well as bad. Harder to say the same about r*SSia. Besides, the zones of occupation were cripplingly expensive for decent people who'd challenged and defeated their aggression.
How true is that about r*SSia? President Wałęsa suggested reducing their population to around 40 million. That won't happen except by attrition and natural waste since two wrongs never make a right.
So what should we do?
The Third Reich's final days were marked by delusion, paranoia and despair as the Führer's regime crumbled, but even his successors didn't think the end had comethetimes.com/uk/history/article/im-not-giving-any-more-orders-how-hitler-and-the-nazis-fell-r3rltv578
The article is by the way a very interesting read.
