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Objective: discuss the importance of Mannerheim's cigarette while meeting with Hitler in 1944
Merits: its relevance to the victory of the West over the Communist Bloc in 1991/2.
I like to think the victory in the Cold War had one father, and his sons finished the work - Mannerheim of Finland. In 1944, Hitler was still in control over most of his conquests, and on paper, it wasn't at that point clear whether he could revive the German war machine and win a negotiated peace (a real possibility if he could split the western Allies and Soviets, as was attempted.
Mannerheim lit a cigarette when Hitler came to visit Finland - a clever ploy to gauge whether Hitler was working from a position of weakness or strength. Hitler, an avid anti-smoking proponent (his anti-smoking regulations in Germany were ahead of their time - even ahead of the modern US policies), said nothing. Mannerheim thus knew that Hitler was in a position of weakeness.
Finland, a liberal democracy, negotiated a very favorable piece in 1944. If this had not happened, there are two routes into western Europe:
1) From Eastern Europe
2) through Finland, Sweden, Denmark
So, did Mannerheim's cigarette save Europe from Stalin? Mannerheim sure did what was in the best interest of the rest of the Western democracies and the way they thought the world should be organized. An interesting thought.
http://www.worldaffairsboard.com/sta...d-fathers.html
Objective: discuss the importance of Mannerheim's cigarette while meeting with Hitler in 1944
Merits: its relevance to the victory of the West over the Communist Bloc in 1991/2.
I like to think the victory in the Cold War had one father, and his sons finished the work - Mannerheim of Finland. In 1944, Hitler was still in control over most of his conquests, and on paper, it wasn't at that point clear whether he could revive the German war machine and win a negotiated peace (a real possibility if he could split the western Allies and Soviets, as was attempted.
Mannerheim lit a cigarette when Hitler came to visit Finland - a clever ploy to gauge whether Hitler was working from a position of weakness or strength. Hitler, an avid anti-smoking proponent (his anti-smoking regulations in Germany were ahead of their time - even ahead of the modern US policies), said nothing. Mannerheim thus knew that Hitler was in a position of weakeness.
Finland, a liberal democracy, negotiated a very favorable piece in 1944. If this had not happened, there are two routes into western Europe:
1) From Eastern Europe
2) through Finland, Sweden, Denmark
So, did Mannerheim's cigarette save Europe from Stalin? Mannerheim sure did what was in the best interest of the rest of the Western democracies and the way they thought the world should be organized. An interesting thought.
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