Originally posted by DOR
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The coming battle between West and China + Russia.... the conflict of 21st century
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"There is never enough time to do or say all the things that we would wish. The thing is to try to do as much as you can in the time that you have. Remember Scrooge, time is short, and suddenly, you're not there any more." -Ghost of Christmas Present, Scrooge
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Originally posted by Officer of Engineers View PostFrance was not going to spend a million lives keeping what belonged to the Germans, not after the mad rush into WWI.
Originally posted by Officer of Engineers View PostFor all practical purposes, the Czechs were alone. There was no way to give them the help that they needed. They were going to lose the Sudetenland one way or the other. What was going to change if we encouraged them to fight was that they would die inflicting a mortal wound onto the German war machine.
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Originally posted by snapper View PostI can sympathise with French feelings at the time of the Ruhr occupation - nobody wanted another war and I can understand why. My point is they could have stopped the larger war by stamping on it at the start - when they had the ability (overwhelmingly) to do so. Deterrence works.
Originally posted by snapper View PostNot according to the memoirs of the British leaders at the time or the putative Czech - Polish alliance that was discussed prior to Chamberlain's visit to Munich according to FCO records. Churchill believed Czechoslovakia defensible - even with Muscovite support if need be. I wasn't around evidently so must abide by the accounts of those who were and understood the day to day situation. Simple fact is that the FCO made a total hash of it, sorry as I am to admit it.
The only two armies ready to fight the Sudetenland were the Germans and the Czechs. No one else could have rushed enough troops to Czechoslovakia in time, not even the Poles.Chimo
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Originally posted by Officer of Engineers View Post
The only two armies ready to fight the Sudetenland were the Germans and the Czechs. No one else could have rushed enough troops to Czechoslovakia in time, not even the Poles.
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Originally posted by Officer of Engineers View PostThe point was that you had to fight a small war to prevent the big one. Since no one can see the future, the French can be forgiven not to want to bleed for nothing.
Originally posted by Officer of Engineers View PostThe Germans could only take the Sudetenland through a Pyrrhic victory. It was that tough. The Germans would have been bled white taking it but taking it was never in doubt.
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Originally posted by zraver View PostIf the UK could have gotten the Czechs other neighbors to ally, or at least commit to not intervening, and France to commit to a real offense, the narrow frontage would have all but cancelled any German superiority in man power leading to a protracted war giving France time to mobilize.
Originally posted by snapper View PostI will take the small war every time.
Originally posted by snapper View PostAnd left the western door wide open; lose.
The truth was no one was ready to come to the Czech defence. The battle would have been over before the British finished mobilizing and even then, it would be an inferior force to what the Germans had field.
In hindsight, the Czechs should have fought. They would have lost but they would have killed the Wehrmacht but they didn't have hindsight and they've made a very understandable decision.
As for Chamberlain, he was not a soldier and he didn't like the odds. Churchill was a soldier. But to Chamberlain's credit, he did start a re-armament program that the Germans could not match.Last edited by Officer of Engineers; 22 May 16,, 22:02.Chimo
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Originally posted by snapper View PostI will take the small war every time.
Imagine, you fight/invade Germany in 1938, to save and to protect minority German citizens and possibly other Europeans from being slaughtered in concentration camps. You sold this to the public. You won a bloody war and removed a mad man from power. But then you find no evidence of any concentration camps or even plans to exterminate the jews and the slavs and other "untermensch."
It's not an enviable position to be in."Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.
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Originally posted by Officer of Engineers View PostYou're asking way too much from war weary France.
Originally posted by Officer of Engineers View PostIt was small in comparison to WWII but it was a commitment of over a million men by both sides. I will forgive the French for not wanting to bleed 100,000 men.
Originally posted by Officer of Engineers View PostYou're reading this from hindsight. The Czechs can be forgiven for not wanting to lose over 300,000 men in a futile defence that no one was going to come to their rescue, at least not in time.Originally posted by gunnut View PostUnfortunately if the small war prevented a big one, then no one would know there would be a big one. And everyone would accuse you of being a "warmonger," a "war criminal," and "invading a sovereign nation under false pretenses."
My general point though is that wars - major wars - are caused more by mistakes - often by 'wishful thinking' ("my last territorial claim in Europe" etc) that encourages the war monger to think he (never been a she) can get away with it. Sure sometimes it will require a person to have the courage of their own convictions... and what? It is right that a person do so.Last edited by snapper; 23 May 16,, 22:48.
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Originally posted by snapper View PostThat ended up in a larger war...
Originally posted by snapper View PostThere would almost certainly have been no conflict had the Ruhr occupation been forcefully opposed.
Originally posted by snapper View PostAll history is seen in hindsight but that does not mean we cannot lessons from past mistakes.
Originally posted by snapper View PostMy general point though is that wars - major wars - are caused more by mistakes - often by 'wishful thinking' ("my last territorial claim in Europe" etc) that encourages the war monger to think he (never been a she) can get away with it. Sure sometimes it will require a person to have the courage of their own convictions... and what? It is right that a person do so.Chimo
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Going back to the original topic, I can't see China directly challenging the USN but I can see China taking on one of the little guys (Vietnam or the Philippines) to establish her claims. Beating the crap out of Vietnam might persuade others not to get beat up ... or at least, not worth the hassle.Chimo
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Among the many reasons for China's invasion of Vietnam in 1979 was that the PLA had no military experience beyond small skirmishes since 1962, and nothing really significant since Korea. Deng Xiaoping had sufficient reasons to test his army's capabilities, including, concern about possible Soviet naval bases at Cam Ran Bay, Vietnamese domination of Cambodia and Laos, and the disrespectful treatment of ethnic Chinese in Vietnam by a mere client state.
Today, it is the navy and air force that haven't had any real combat experience in too long. Any foe the US would feel compelled to back up would be a poor sparring partner. So, too, would any foe capable of handing your forces their heads on a platter, so it won't be Japan. That leaves Vietnam, since the navy isn't really going to be tested in a battle with Burma or Mongolia.
Now that the US intends to supply Vietnam with weapons, and both sides hope to sign the TPP, the prospects of a clash between China and Vietnam are rising.Trust me?
I'm an economist!
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a bit off topic but...
The Muscovites were insane to insist of supporting Serbia and the Germans equally insane to match it by insisting on their support of Austro Hungary, Bismark would never have been so insane. No reason it could not have remained just another Balkan War.
they saw 1913-1917 as their only reasonable chance of breaking the Entente before it was too late. they were pretty much right about that, by the way. everything else was just an excuse.
there's less wishful thinking than you'd imagine.There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "My ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."- Isaac Asimov
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