Results 1 to 30 of 78

Thread: What if the 20th of July 1944 Hitler has been "terminated"

Hybrid View

Previous Post Previous Post   Next Post Next Post
  1. #1
    TexMec Senior Member Louis VI the Fat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Saint Antoine
    Posts
    9,935

    Default Re: What if the 20th of July 1944 Hitler has been "terminated"

    Quote Originally Posted by PanzerJaeger View Post
    This all seems to be based more in narrative than history, Louis.
    I shall have to get back to you about those horses.


    As for the rest, there is a narrative indeed. Like you, my interest is in dispelling myths based in ancient contemporary propaganda.

    Europe's most advanced country and largest power twice suffered disastrous defeat in war, despite not unfavourable circumstances. Regardless, this Germany has become synonymous with fantastic overachievement.

    Something doesn't add up about that.


    Adrian summed up one of the myths I'm up against with his statement: 'Germany took on half the world and nearly won'. Me, I'd say that by the time half the world indeed started fighting, Germany was effortlessly defeated.
    I'd rather say that Germany could pick off a handful of smaller opponents one by one, and the very first time it took on somebody roughly its own size it suffered devastating defeat in a period measured not in years, but months. Some achievement for a Reich as large as France and Britain combined.

    The scale of the staggeringly poor performance becomes even more clear when one considers that Germany was supported by half of Europe, whereas the Soviet Union was a second world newly industrialising agragrian country run by a madman who had killed his officer corps, had decimated its restless population with mass starvation the decade before, and had let himself be taken by complete surprise. Far from military overachievement, Nazi Germany deserves the title of 'worst military performance in modern history'.
    Anything unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
    Texan by birth, woodpecker by the grace of God
    I would be the voice of your conscience if you had one - Brenus
    Bt why woulf we uy lsn'y Staraft - Fragony
    Not everything
    blue and underlined is a link


  2. #2
    is not a senior Member Meneldil's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    France
    Posts
    3,074

    Default Re: What if the 20th of July 1944 Hitler has been "terminated"

    Quote Originally Posted by Louis VI the Fat View Post
    I'd rather say that Germany could pick off a handful of smaller opponents one by one, and the very first time it took on somebody roughly its own size it suffered devastating defeat in a period measured not in years, but months. Some achievement for a Reich as large as France and Britain combined.

    The scale of the staggeringly poor performance becomes even more clear when one considers that Germany was supported by half of Europe, whereas the Soviet Union was a second world newly industrialising agragrian country run by a madman who had killed his officer corps, had decimated its restless population with mass starvation the decade before, and had let himself be taken by complete surprise. Far from military overachievement, Nazi Germany deserves the title of 'worst military performance in modern history'.
    While I'm not too found of the "Germany was sooo badass" mindset, I don't think saying they outrightly sucked is correct. In 1939, France was widely regarded as having the most impressive military in the western world, and USSR wasn't far behind (if only thanks to the available manpower). On that respect alone, Germany did well: France and her 'mighty' (but outdated) army was trampled in a few months, and the SU would have suffered an even more crushing defeat if it weren't for the sheer size of the country.

  3. #3
    Pleasing the Fates Senior Member A Nerd's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2001
    Location
    Living in the past
    Posts
    3,508

    Default Re: What if the 20th of July 1944 Hitler has been "terminated"

    A two front war when the west was still rather volitile didn't help either. Instigation of war with a neutral US and a passive USSR were very foolish decisions indeed. Though circumstance may have made them inevitable before the west was realatively stabilized.
    Silence is beautiful

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Single Sign On provided by vBSSO