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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LindyBill who wrote (16521)	1/16/2002 8:00:17 AM
From: KyrosL	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

>>a war that would have left us out, along with the rest of Europe. Hitler would have then won in Russia, and emerged a dominant world power. The thousand year Reich would have probably become a reality. Does this scenario appeal to you?

To: LindyBill who wrote (16521)	1/16/2002 8:19:34 AM
From: Ilaine	Respond to of 281500

>>If Britain and France had not declared war after the attack on Poland, Germany and Russia would have fought it out in the next few years.<< I've seen this argument before, and I think that it is not consistent with Hitler's understanding of the situation. Hitler knew that invading Poland would cause Britain and France to declare war on Germany. Shortly before invading Poland on September 1, 1939, Hitler told his officers that he had hoped to invade the west before invading Poland, but did not want Poland to be in a position of strength because he knew that Poland would declare war on Germany if he started war in the west. From documents used at the Nuremberg trials: >>On the 22nd August, 1939, there took place the important meeting of that day, to which reference has already been made. The Prosecution have put in evidence two unsigned captured documents which appear to be records made of this meeting by persons who were present. The first document is headed: " The Fuehrer's speech to the Commanders-in-Chief on the 22nd August, 1939 . . . " The purpose of the speech was to announce the decision to make war on Poland at once, and Hitler began by saying: " It was clear to me that a conflict with Poland had to come sooner or later. I had already made this decision in the Spring, but I thought that I would first turn against the West in a few years, and only afterwards against the East . . . I wanted to establish an acceptable relationship with Poland in order to fight first against the West. But this plan, which was agreeable to me, could not be executed since essential points have changed. It became clear to me that Poland would attack us in case of a conflict with the West." Hitler then went to to explain why he had decided that the most favourable moment had arrived for starting the war. "Now," said Hitler, " Poland is in the position in which I wanted her . . . I am only afraid that at the last moment some Schweinehund will make a proposal for mediation . . . A beginning has been made for the destruction of England's hegemony." << yale.edu