Was World War II Worth It?

[Asian-American]

Interesting article:

Was WWII Worth It?
For Stalin, yes

by Patrick J. Buchanan

In the Bush vs. Putin debate on World War II, Putin had far the more difficult assignment. Defending Russia's record in the "Great Patriotic War," the Russian president declared, "Our people not only defended their homeland, they liberated 11 European countries."

Those countries are, presumably: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Finland.

[ . . . ]

Complete article at http://www.antiwar.com/pat/?articleid=5899

[john8pies]

This reminds me of one of those tongue-in -cheek articles in magazines like Private Eye, where after putting "liberated" (those 11 countries), the editor will then put in brackets, `er, ENSLAVED, surely?`!

[pbobryk]

There is no question that Russians fought the war of life and death. They did win and yes the drove Nazis from those 11 countries as a citizon of one of them i can assure you that Ruskies didnt liberate they eslaved them.

[Scrat]

So, you were enslaved by the evil commies. Hmmm.

Considering what I have seen in my travels in that part of the world and what I know of the Cold War era I think that you have just as much to be thankful for as you do things to regret. Care to debate it?

[pbobryk]

Lets debate. i dont know where are u going with this, but i think there is more to regret than be thankful for.

[Scrat]

I am not going to disagree with you that there are not things to regret. The aftermath of WWII and the coldwar has little to show but regret in the eyes of common people. All people of Europe have their regrets in the last century. Mostly brought on by themselves.

First off the article that was posted is garbage. If you want to discuss that I will be on it like a pitbull in heat.

Why do you think that the Warsaw Pact existed to begin with? Why was it created?

[pbobryk]

i didnt post any articles. and yes warsaw Pact had only been created to conter Nato. But would that be necessery if Western Powers kept their word and didnt puss out at the beginning of the WW2.? Lets back track for a minute. On the eve of invasion of Poland Germany had 16 divisions defanding their western frontier . At that time Frace had over a 100 division ether on the borders or not that far from them. They could go thru Germany like hot knife thru butter. yet they didnt and within the year they were deafited within 6 mere weeks. so my friend only indecision of the allies cosed the creation of the Warsaw Pact and Cold War.

[gmc]

The question rather assumes that war was what all parties wanted and had clear goals and objectives in mind. The reality was very different and a lot more complicated than shall we have a war or shall we not bother.

posted by pbobryk

But would that be necessery if Western Powers kept their word and didnt puss out at the beginning of the WW2.?

Easy to say an judge in hindsight but bear in mind the western powers had almost lost a generation in ww1, no one in their right mind wanted another war, there was no way a blind appeal to patriotism was going to get people to fight, it was a last resort when all else had failed. Many were concerned about bolshevism and Germany was seen by some as a bulwark against communism. Hitlet got a lot of support in surprising places to begin with.

Germany and Russia would have come to blows at some point in the future. When roosevelt, churchill and Stalin were having their meeting the assumption was that the russians would conqueor more of germany than they actually did. It was only at wars end that "Uncle Joe" as the americans called him became the baddie.

I always reckon that the second atomic bomb was dropped as much for the sake of the Russians, to make them think the americans had plenty more, as anything else. To have continued on and to fight the russians who were so shortly before our allies just wasn't on, by the time it became clear what was happening most of the allies had demobbed their armies. There just was not the public support for further conflict.

[pbobryk]

i think your a missing the point here .its true that wwi was still fresh memory but westen powers such as Britain or France had noillusions especially after anexation of Czechslovakia by Hitler.

[Scrat]

I agree that WWII was caused by the western powers. They say that WWII was was just the second phase of WWI. There is much blame to go around in all respects.

Why do you say that the people of the old Warsaw pact nations were enslaved?