How the hell did we ever win the war?
- Thread starter bluebell
- Start date
- Location
- LINCOLNSHIRE/KENYA
If France Kept Fighting: How World War II Might Have Gone Very Differently
Paris did have another option in 1940.
nationalinterest.org
- Location
- Beragh, Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Was there not French plan to establish a redoubt in Brittany to maintain at least a presence in Metropolitan France?
- Location
- LINCOLNSHIRE/KENYA
No I don’t think so. I think that they didn’t want a repeat of World War 1 so surrender was the easiest option. A million French soldiers went to Germany as labour and didn’t return until 1945.
Campbell
Member
- Location
- Herefordshire
My father was a regular soldier in the The Rifle Brigade before, during and after WW2. He would occasionally mention episodes from his war service, but his peacetime service life before the war, were his glory years, touring the Med, Palestine and the Far East with all your like minded mates and getting paid for it!! He saw action with the 8th army in North Africa and the battle of Tobruck, the burying of tons of supplies as they advanced but were never needed [he knew where all the petrol and bully beef was]. Then D-Day+2 Gold Beach, but clearly remembered the terrible casualties the American's had on their landing beaches. Moving on to the bitterly cold Ardennes Campaign where as an RSM he was mentioned in dispatches.
As to the original question. Maybe the RAF and the Battle of Britain was a major turning point. The enemy fighters had to come to us, so they could not stay around too long, we had superior aircraft and could build and replace them faster than the Germans [and what an incredible achievement that was] we also had plenty of selfless young men lining up to get in a seat. The German high command could not sustain their losses so decided that taking on the Russians was a better option at the time.
As to the original question. Maybe the RAF and the Battle of Britain was a major turning point. The enemy fighters had to come to us, so they could not stay around too long, we had superior aircraft and could build and replace them faster than the Germans [and what an incredible achievement that was] we also had plenty of selfless young men lining up to get in a seat. The German high command could not sustain their losses so decided that taking on the Russians was a better option at the time.
- Location
- Limousin
Yes, there was talk of it as there was French North Africa, but events were moving too quick and the government then moved to Bordeaux in the final days.
- Location
- Bay of Plenty NZ
And the Russians!
beefandsleep
Member
- Location
- Staffordshire
f**k off with that talk, they did nothing of the sort.
Exfarmer
Member
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds
The Russians ? Have you not read any history?
The second world war kicked off because of the invasion of Poland.
And who invaded Poland?
A certain A. Hitler and his sidekick a certain J. Stalin!
Thanking Russia for their help in WW2 is like thanking an arsonist for helping put the fire out
TheTallGuy
Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire
In that case, since the UK failed to prevent the annexation of Austria and was a signatory to the Munich agreement, we are guilty of starting the war since that gave Hitler the nod. Or maybe France for failing to halt the remilitarisation of the Rhineland, or for the humiliation of Versailles that gave rise to the power vacuum that allowed Hitler to become popular. Or maybe it was all down to the Franz Ferdinand....
Of course it doesn't matter that the millions of Russian dead had little choice in the invasion of Poland....
M-J-G
Member
Course they didn't, we'd have been fine without them, they were just holding us back.
Exfarmer
Member
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds
The Annexation of Austria was with mutual agreement of the Austrian people, what had that to do with us?
We know that the treaty of Versaille was a prime cause of WW2 that was mainly the French to blame.
So if we do not blame Russia for the invasion of Poland, perhaps we should also forgive Hitler for his little foibles.
You really need to read up on your history!
- Location
- Fife
To answer the question, the war was won by brave men of all nationalities who closed with and destroyed the enemy at the point of a bayonet.
Edit
Such men still exist in the British military today. Should our national existence be threatened by war again, I'm sure many more would be found among the current civilian population.
Edit
Such men still exist in the British military today. Should our national existence be threatened by war again, I'm sure many more would be found among the current civilian population.
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TheTallGuy
Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire
Maybe it is you who should read up on your history... the Anschluss happened before the plebiscite/referendum was held - do you really think that Hitler would have held the vote if the result was not already known? Besides which, both the treaties of St. Germain and Versailles prohibited Austria from joining with Germany. By not holding Germany to account early on, the League of Nations & in particular France & Britain allowed Hitler to grow his power base.
I have no love for the Soviet Government, especially Stalin, but I do have great respect for the soldiers and conscripts who laid down their lives in battling against a common enemy. A huge number of men, women and even children who had no say in the invasion of Poland.
very, very, easy for us, the vast majority of which never had anything todo with the war, or military, me included ? looking back at the war now , we know the outcome? all the mistakes have been well documented ? a little like watching again the tape of the 1966 world cup ? but for those who lived through it like my parents, imagine you are a sheltered boy just left school, next thing you have your call up papers, the same thing that saddens me is seeing today the same young people, little more than boys and girls who will still join up to possibly fight and die or have terrible injuries, soon forgotten heroes who take their own lives daily, from mental torments ? the thing that most angers me is we seem as a nation to bend over backwards to help people and nations, many who want to do us harm, but the very people who have done soon much for our country ? and this goes way back to the first world war, homes for heros ?
- Location
- Boroughbridge, york
Does anyone win a war? At best you finish with less devastation than the other guys.
- Location
- Limousin
Probably depends on the war. But if the UK had been beaten and occupied by the Nazis a lot more would have been at stake than just additional devastation.
- Location
- Boroughbridge, york
True but it could be a classed as not defeated,rather than won
76masseyman
Member
- Location
- Lincolncestershire
Popped over to Woodhall Spa this morning as today marks 78 years since 617 Squadron took off from RAF Scampton to attack the huge dams in the Rhur Valley.
At the top of the large memorial it reads “They died for your freedom”.
As we sat in the sunshine with a coffee and a bite to eat, it felt great to be out after the recent Covid lockdown, so what it felt like for folk once the war ended, I can only imagine.
I for one am eternally grateful to all allied service personnel, who fought in whichever war, in whatever way, on whoever’s soil, sea or airspace.
At the top of the large memorial it reads “They died for your freedom”.
As we sat in the sunshine with a coffee and a bite to eat, it felt great to be out after the recent Covid lockdown, so what it felt like for folk once the war ended, I can only imagine.
I for one am eternally grateful to all allied service personnel, who fought in whichever war, in whatever way, on whoever’s soil, sea or airspace.
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