WW2 politics, and leading up to the War and beyond...

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

"We"? It's really irritating to see you use 'we' when you express opinions like this. Stick with 'I' please.

I agree.

I sense more Hitler apologetics here, "what about Stalin??" Presumably, Stalin was worse because when he starved people, he had iron-clad plans that never failed, and so he can't say that he was unprepared.

Do people not know what the Hitdawg had in store for Slavs? If things had gone his way, they were next after the Jews; he viewed Slavs as inferior (racially, of course), and was going to rid himself of them to make way for Lebensraum. It was detailed in Mein Kampf, and semi-enacted with the Bararossa Plan with regard to his genocidal strategies. Wiping Slavs out entirely to secure German dominance in Eastern Europe was his most likely course of action.

Stlain, Stalin, Stalin!! Dude. Stalin was an amateur compared to what Hitler was actually doing and going to do.

- Doc

[huckelberry]

Markk, I am unsure how much to say of my father's experience. I do not think he would be comfortable with hero. He indured what had to be. Railsplitters yes, he was in the company that first attacked Lindern. Platoons made separate advances, the first making into the target. My father was in the second which did not. After getting shot up he was picked up by German soldiers, a matter perhaps more painful than the bullets. He has said that German doctor was professional and good. Of German guards he remembers their fear as they heard the approach of Russian artillery.

[Markk]

Markk, I am unsure how much to say of my father's experience. I do not think he would be comfortable with hero. He indured what had to be. Railsplitters yes, he was in the company that first attacked Lindern. Platoons made separate advances, the first making into the target. My father was in the second which did not. After getting shot up he was picked up by German soldiers, a matter perhaps more painful than the bullets. He has said that German doctor was professional and good. Of German guards he remembers their fear as they heard the approach of Russian artillery.

My father was late into the war in the pacific because of his age, he wanted to join early with his buddies but my grandmother would not sign permissions for that, so he did not get in until late 44.

He joined the Navy and was on a cargo ship as a radar operator. His battle station was a fire hose. But to me he was a hero, as were all the served.

Too me it sounds like your father was a true combat hero, and it also sounds like the war did not end for him that day, but stayed with him the rest of his life.

I have read a many biographical books and accounts from true combat heroes, whether decorated or not, and they never consider themselves a hero, and struggle with why they survived and the "person next to them did not." Flags or our Fathers" is a good book on this. The movie is also good but nothing like the book.

The Russian Juggernaut was nothing to take lightly. As they were pushing army group center out of Belorussia in 44, the Russian artillery had 400 guns per mile on the line, in parts of their advancement. It is hard to even image what it would have been like to be on the wrong end of that. Stalin's organ included.

[Markk]

I agree.

I sense more Hitler apologetics here, "what about Stalin??" Presumably, Stalin was worse because when he starved people, he had iron-clad plans that never failed, and so he can't say that he was unprepared.

Do people not know what the Hitdawg had in store for Slavs? If things had gone his way, they were next after the Jews; he viewed Slavs as inferior (racially, of course), and was going to rid himself of them to make way for Lebensraum. It was detailed in Mein Kampf, and semi-enacted with the Bararossa Plan with regard to his genocidal strategies. Wiping Slavs out entirely to secure German dominance in Eastern Europe was his most likely course of action.

Stlain, Stalin, Stalin!! Dude. Stalin was an amateur compared to what Hitler was actually doing and going to do.

- Doc

I would suggest further reading.

Both Hitler and Stalin were equally sadistic, although in different ways.

As an example Stalin in his purges against religion in the 30's, what he did is unspeakable. When he went through the Ukraine and starved out the peasants they are not even sure how many died, estimates range from 3 to 10 million, fact is no one really knows. Who villages and towns just gone.

His purge against religion and those that opposed him is hard to even read or listen to. His henchman went through the churches and killed and tortured the religious leaders and killed tens of thousands of them. They raped women of about any age, and nailed them to doors and walls.

He and Hitler were monsters, and yet what they did does not compare to what Mao did, combined.

I certainly can't argue that Hitler would have done and did do, but I can't argue what Stalin would have done and did do either.