tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post3376990655331676510..comments2024-03-29T07:51:11.714-07:00Comments on Chant du Départ: The Invasion of Poland, 1939OldAFSargehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-53877269125469438652020-09-07T07:03:02.416-07:002020-09-07T07:03:02.416-07:00When does any Commie steal less than he/she can?When does any Commie steal less than he/she can?OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-22001934215732512402020-09-07T07:02:26.177-07:002020-09-07T07:02:26.177-07:00I think most politicians suck, regardless of their...I think most politicians suck, regardless of their party affiliation. They may start out with good intentions but the perks of office tend to make them think that they are actually special and above their constituents.<br /><br />They're not.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-62356629459794960002020-09-07T07:00:20.609-07:002020-09-07T07:00:20.609-07:00They did indeed.They did indeed.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-13437887273890224032020-09-07T07:00:01.063-07:002020-09-07T07:00:01.063-07:00Ah, the what-ifs of history, always fun to specula...Ah, the what-ifs of history, always fun to speculate and wonder...OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-17452172152229475342020-09-06T23:26:28.523-07:002020-09-06T23:26:28.523-07:00The Soviets would've grabbed every bit allowed...The Soviets would've grabbed every bit allowed of them by the Molotov-Ribbentrop Treaty before Germany "seriously, convincingly gave up." Which would've been at the very least, every bit as much as the treaty allowed and then as much more as the Soviets could hold onto in the talks afterward. Why would <i>anyone</i> think that Stalin, of all people, would've settled for anything less than he could've grabbed? At the very least, he'd have held on to at least what he'd agreed with with Hitler....Larryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13296988746956477216noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-7703823366239936342020-09-06T23:17:43.558-07:002020-09-06T23:17:43.558-07:00One of the things I do admire about George W. Bush...One of the things I do admire about George W. Bush is his refusal to back down and support hate crime legislation in Texas in the aftermath of the dragging death of James Byrd, Jr. After all, two of the three men guilty were executed and the other sentenced to death. "What more do you want?" There are a lot fewer governors today with those cojones. Kristi Noem of South Dakota seems to have more balls than nearly all of them. I've lost a lot of respect for Greg Abbot (R-TX) because of his support for statewide lockdowns and restrictions due to Covid19. He may be in a "medical"/"science" bubble regarding the true threat (even being admitted by the CDC now, several weeks after it was no longer 'epidemic' status in the US), but that doesn't excuse his letting himself exist in such a bubble. His background isn't medicine or epidemiology by any means, but, "Come one, man!" to quote Joe of the "Slow Joe and the Hoe" 2020 campaign...Larryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13296988746956477216noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-50079128607186716372020-09-06T23:06:30.026-07:002020-09-06T23:06:30.026-07:00Canada and Australia punched well above their weig...Canada and Australia punched well above their weight class in both parts of the Great War.Larryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13296988746956477216noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-83909689950719420742020-09-06T23:04:06.094-07:002020-09-06T23:04:06.094-07:00If instead of taking troops from the right wing to...If instead of taking troops from the right wing to reinforce the left wing, Helmuth von Moltke the Lesser had had the guts to have the left wing gradually retreat in front the 'irrestible' <i>attaque à outrance</i> of the French right, they could've lured the French 50 more miles deeper into Germany before making their equally irresistible stand with many machine guns and (for the time) very powerful corps heavy artillery. That would really take nerves, but no more than leaving Prussia defended by only by the 8th Army. What it would've done is focus French attention even more on the "successful" battle on the their right and leave those units that much farther into German territory with that much farther to march back to railheads to be redeployed the emergency developing on their left. A bit like Hannibal suckering Gaius Ternto Varro into driving farther and farther into trying to break Hannibal's center while only putting his legions deeper and deeper into a trap. Schieffen really would've liked to have pulled off a double envelopment like Cannae, but knew he had nowhere near the troops to pull that off. Moltke the Fool seemed to think he might, and when the French had battered themselves senseless against German firepower, he acceded to the demands of his left wing commanders to be let off the leash. Whereupon they battered themselves bloody against the France's many excellent soixante-quinze field guns.<br /><br />The two corps the Germans shipped to Prussia arrived too late to take part in the Battle of Tannenburg, so there was really no military point to taking them off the right wing. It was mostly political due to many Prussian Junker's estates going up in flames and the 8th Army's commander, the useless Prittwitz sowing panic.<br /><br />Now do I think the Schlieffen "Plan" could've worked? Probably not. The Germans simply encountered too much 'friction' in Belgium, both from the Belgians and the British. By the Battle of the Marne, exhausted German troops were often literally falling asleep on their feet from exhaustion. And yet, when the German commander on the spot realized he was facing superior numbers of fresh French troops massing for an attack, he concluded that their only possible means of winning was immediately attacking. And so they did. And despite everything, they were actually advancing in this huge spoiling attack. It required a <b>much</b> tougher and daring commander than Moltke. Someone who could ride herd on his very alpha male army commanders and force them to his vision instead of acceding to theirs and letting 1st and 2nd armies separate, for example. With additional troops, they could've covered those gaps and still been threatening to outflank the French. Sir John French, the stereotypical British cavalryman was already eying his retreat to the Channel ports as it was. Had the German right been stronger, he just might have taken it. If he had, the froggy French would've been up a creek that fall. Instead of the Germans falling back after the Marne, it might've been the French. Would've been enough for them to ask for terms? I doubt it, but the German territorial bargaining position would've been much stronger.<br /><br />However, Kaiser Wilhelm II was the real problem. All of Germany's real issues stemmed from him and his decisions, from firing Bismarck, naval arms race with Britain, appointing Moltke, and many others. The man really was a blustering fool far too much of the time. Had his brother lived, the entire history of the 20th Century might well be very different. Had Tsar Nicholas II never been because his elder brother lived, it might well be better, but Kaiser Wilhelm II really was the turd in the punchbowl.Larryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13296988746956477216noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-43361390204904999422020-09-02T04:37:44.500-07:002020-09-02T04:37:44.500-07:00That's how the British Cabinet has always seem...That's how the British Cabinet has always seemed to roll, much hand-wringing, wailing, gnashing of teeth, etc.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-11908966987820294542020-09-02T04:36:34.648-07:002020-09-02T04:36:34.648-07:00Good song!Good song!OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-4377944863943174442020-09-02T01:32:48.827-07:002020-09-02T01:32:48.827-07:00They almost did not come even in our timeline, aft...They almost did not come even in our timeline, after excessive hand-wringing in the Cabinet...Paweł Kasperekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17636249014878876718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-10183175303298627912020-09-01T19:25:49.543-07:002020-09-01T19:25:49.543-07:00Funny you mention Sabaton, I was thinking 40:1 whe...Funny you mention Sabaton, I was thinking 40:1 when I saw the post. LTC Fnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-88656946177888646772020-09-01T16:02:52.278-07:002020-09-01T16:02:52.278-07:00Problematic about Britain not coming in over Belgi...Problematic about Britain not coming in over Belgian neutrality.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-25184334070224586542020-09-01T16:01:48.957-07:002020-09-01T16:01:48.957-07:00Yup.Yup.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-77704761458213505952020-09-01T15:35:17.778-07:002020-09-01T15:35:17.778-07:00Germans railroad-shipped 2 entire corps from Weste...Germans railroad-shipped 2 entire corps from Western front to stop marauding Russians in Ostpreussen - which they did splednidly at Tannenberg under certain older chap called Hindenburg. This has left them a little low on troops on Marne, but not sure they would be enough. French 75mm modelle 1897 was just too ubiquitous and deadly firepower, apart from Paris taxis ferryinmg entire army to the frontline.<br />Only way Germans could have won would be to keep Brits neutral. Had they kept from naval arms race, thus explicitily not threatening the Empire, they could have signalled localized ambitions, restricted to keeping France and Russia in check, which UK could live with. Thus they could have possibly got away with Belgium shortcut, and saved themselves crusial stops at Mons and everywhere Brits delayed them. Even if their first blitzkrieg failed, France alone would be far easier to defeat than with UK support.<br />Quick war, even with small-scale defeat would also possibly saved Romanovs and made Russian history completely different, possibly becoming republiic later, or maybe parliamentary monarchy, but saving them horrors of Bolshevism.<br />Poland could have ended up as German protectorate, spending later years trying to get full indepenmdence like they did against Soviets post-ww2...<br />US would remain fully neutral. Possibly never going full superpower. Depending on if/when defeated powers got to WW2...<br />So many what ifs...<br />Paweł Kasperekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17636249014878876718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-15383721644050972592020-09-01T15:22:50.083-07:002020-09-01T15:22:50.083-07:00Keitel post bellum recollected that in 1939 they l...Keitel post bellum recollected that in 1939 they left 20-odd reserve divisions with barely any air cover and literally zero tanks guarding half-finished Westwall. <br />Had French moved in even half-mobilized Ruhrgebiet would be overran in 2 weeks, and German generals would have finished Hitler.<br />Then Stalin would probably held off his invasion of Poland...<br />Or bandwagoned against crumbling Germans. <br />Paweł Kasperekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17636249014878876718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-2604147308798044432020-09-01T12:30:42.806-07:002020-09-01T12:30:42.806-07:00One thing which Commies are good at, in fact one o...One thing which Commies are good at, in fact one of the few things (other than theft and murder) they're good at, is lying.<br /><br />Had France and Britain invaded Germany from the west in 1939, all bets would have been off, but I doubt Germany, nor Hitler, would have survived that.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-11295933676556008272020-09-01T11:59:29.167-07:002020-09-01T11:59:29.167-07:00Someone suggested in an historical "what if&q...Someone suggested in an historical "what if" - had Britain and France then invaded Germany on e the bulk of her forces were in Poland - how would it have ended? I was surprised how much the Nazis relied on horse and cart in their "Blitzkrieg". <br /><br />As someone who grew up during the cold war to hear the communists they never had a pact with Hitler; never invaded Poland. Williamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05720206407574457665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-610033521545394842020-09-01T10:42:39.431-07:002020-09-01T10:42:39.431-07:00Too many progressives in dire need of an ass kicki...Too many progressives in dire need of an ass kicking...OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-48301708495749764782020-09-01T10:41:45.216-07:002020-09-01T10:41:45.216-07:00The Nazis tried that in WWI, Zimmermann Telegram a...The Nazis tried that in WWI, Zimmermann Telegram and all that, didn't work out so well for the Huns.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-22642596966911404352020-09-01T10:40:24.683-07:002020-09-01T10:40:24.683-07:00Politics is human greed and graft writ large.Politics is human greed and graft writ large.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-80144310224442575782020-09-01T10:39:34.808-07:002020-09-01T10:39:34.808-07:00Not even a little.
More's the pity.Not even a little.<br /><br />More's the pity.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-29491594625817142842020-09-01T09:52:10.038-07:002020-09-01T09:52:10.038-07:00Lest we all look at that nasty little ambiguous la...Lest we all look at that nasty little ambiguous law passed in Russia that allows the state to charge whatever it wants regarding a subject, well...<br /><br />We here in the Free USA have 'hate crime legislation' which directly attacks the freedom of speech of one side of the political spectrum's fruits and nuts, while not being used against the other side of the political spectrum's fruits and nuts that do and say basically the exact same thing that the other side's Fs&Ns do and say.<br /><br />And that's not even getting into the whole Facebook and Twitter and other social media attacks against one side of the political spectrum's normals, while fully supporting such things as terrorism, murder-for-hire, socialism, yadayadayada.<br /><br />Sometimes I look at what's happening and just shake my head.Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-69197641735527769302020-09-01T09:48:08.545-07:002020-09-01T09:48:08.545-07:00Well, Australia was already 'at war' in Eu...Well, Australia was already 'at war' in Europe before Australia was at war with Japan. Same with New Zealand. <br /><br />You know, once you toss in Asia in all it's glory, the war situation really gets messed up. I mean, look at India. You have the British-semi-controlled India which supports somewhat the British, but at the same time there's a low-grade struggle against the British and then there's the rebellion and guerilla war financed by Nazi Germany on one side and the rebellion and guerilla war financed by the USSR on the other side and where were we exactly?<br /><br />And, of course, whose side are the Persians on? And the Arabs? And the nominal Turks? Errr...<br /><br />I mean, it seems so nice and neat from a 3 page section of a history textbook, but once you go down the rabbit-hole of RISK - WWII Edition, yikes! <br /><br />I think the only thing that didn't happen was Nazi Germany financing Mexican Bandits. Though I suspect there was some of that by our wonderful ally, the USSR...Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-36942180998921950492020-09-01T09:41:19.145-07:002020-09-01T09:41:19.145-07:00France and Britain's refusal to acknowledge tr...France and Britain's refusal to acknowledge treaties with Finland also eventually spelled doom to that poor country. What a spectacular switcheroo, USSR invades with Nazi Germany's concent, gets ass handed to it spectacularly, Finland gets minimal support from it's 'allies,' then a few years later, USSR invades again and the only place Finland can turn to for help is... Nazi Germany.<br /><br />World Politics? More like Whirled Politics. Makes my head dizzy.Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.com