World War 2

[orpheum]

Originally Posted by penfold Agree absolutely. If you compare the relative advancement in military equipment design between the British Forces and the German forces - planes, tanks - in '38 we would have lost as fast as France did in 1939-40. We had the designs on the board - and the prototypes built - but not with the squadrons. The first Spit joined the RAF in August 1938 and they were only delivered at the rate of one per week....there were more Hurricanes, but not many. In contrast, there were squadrons of Bf109's flown by pilots blooded in action over Spain....and as for the bombers.... Wittingly or not, the period between Munich and the end of the 'Phoney War' was just enough breathing space to get our defences prepared.

It is a known fact that there were a group of generals,including Canaris who had formed a group called the September Group.They had well advanced plans to stage a coup if Britain and France stood up to Hitler in September 1938.They even sent representatives to London to plead with the government to take a firm stand.Unfortunately they were ignoredIf it had succeeded Hitler would have been shot.Once spineless Chamberlain backed down they had no alternative but to disband their group.I commend for your reading on this "Killing Hitler".

[Wolfgang]

Don't worry, Tom Cruise will be along to educate us all soon.

[Fellwanderer]

Originally Posted by Wolfgang Don't worry, Tom Cruise will be along to educate us all soon.

Unfortunately, Wolfgang is probably right

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by orpheum It is a known fact that there were a group of generals,including Canaris who had formed a group called the September Group.They had well advanced plans to stage a coup if Britain and France stood up to Hitler in September 1938.They even sent representatives to London to plead with the government to take a firm stand.Unfortunately they were ignoredIf it had succeeded Hitler would have been shot.Once spineless Chamberlain backed down they had no alternative but to disband their group.I commend for your reading on this "Killing Hitler".

There were other plans to assassinate Hitler that were made by SOE during the war. These were generally dropped because it was thought to be better to fight the Nazis with him in charge, making mistakes, than to fight them led by professional soldiers.

Steve

[penfold]

And the plans Nazi generals had to overthrow Hitler - once they were losing - came to nought too, so I stand by what I said earlier....wittingly or not, Chamberlain bought us valuable time.

[Aaryk Noctivagus]

Originally Posted by penfold ...wittingly or not, Chamberlain bought us valuable time.

Its the heart that counts... and it appears Chamberlain's heart was in the wrong place, methinks.

[orpheum]

to quote a historian"under pressure from the ruthless the clueless combined with the spineless to acieve the worthless"
To me this says it all.

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by Aaryk Noctivagus Its the heart that counts... and it appears Chamberlain's heart was in the wrong place, methinks.

Why does youthinks that? Who knows what was in his heart?

Steve

[Harleybloke]

I still say we won cos we had Spike Milligan and they didn't!

[Wolfgang]

It is easy to judge these things retrospectively but to be fair Hitler had not actually done much wrong by 1938!

[batman]

Originally Posted by Wolfgang It is easy to judge these things retrospectively but to be fair Hitler had not actually done much wrong by 1938!

Apart from the odd bit of mass persecution and murder.

Bats.

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by Wolfgang It is easy to judge these things retrospectively but to be fair Hitler had not actually done much wrong by 1938!

Well, apart from the tactics used in his rise to power which although done within the letter of the law should have given warning of what was to come.
Then there was the Reichstag fire (1933) and the suspension of basic civil liberties, The Night of the Long Knives (1934) where he essentially murdered many of his opponents within the party. Then his many other acts leading up to Kristallnacht (1938).

Steve

[orpheum]

The Generals did not want to go to war in 1938 which is why they wanted rid of him.

[Aaryk Noctivagus]

Originally Posted by Steve Crook Why does youthinks that? Who knows what was in his heart?

I said 'methinks' because I can never know for sure

[Aaryk Noctivagus]

Originally Posted by Steve Crook Then there was the Reichstag fire (1933)...

I always wondered if it had twin towers!!!!!