Thread: Is this true?
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Old 26-10-2008, 10:27 PM   #5 (permalink)
phylo_roadking
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But yes, there is probably some grain of truth in the fact that if the allies would have stood up to Hitler at some earlier point, like the re occuption of the rhineland, or the annex of the Sudatland then Hitler popularity would have had a blow it would not have recovered from. Even to have struck quickly right after Poland. Sadly its consiened to the 'what ifs bucket'.
They were certainly depleted far more than they planned on. The prolonged heavy fighting in front of Warsaw was unexpected after they had punctured the Polish front line.

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What about Russia, They invaded Poland too. Should we have started war with them? Theorectically France enter the war on Polands side, should have declared war on Russia too. Hitler no doubt knew this and knew France would never dare, plus if they did he wins anyway, he wanted war with Russia. Its just a mess.
Actually - they planned to! The original plans for actions in Scandanavia were to occupy Norway - just incidently cutting off the iron ore route out through narvik - occupy the Swedish ore fields at Gallivare, and THEN move on into Finalnd to assist the Finns against the Russians! But as we know from events, it took SO long to get agreement on action in Norway, that the Finns had reached an armistice with the Russians in the meantime...

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The other two problems is that (IMHO) the allies where in no postion to fight a war, Even a stand up Queensbury rules no Blitzkreig type stuff, not even a year later and more importantly there was no will to fight one, which is probably the most important
The French - as in command of the joint Western Allies military forces - didn't plan on an invasion of Germany until 1941 at the earliest. It was reckoned that it would take this long for forces to be built up to their late WWI levels for the expected hard slog.

However - IIRC the Allies DID move a naval force into the Skaggerak in 1939! Okay - it wasn't big - I THINK three French destroyers that later linked up with a number of Polish exile units.
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