England or Russia

He obviously did not read history nor listen to the generals.....NEVER have a war on 2 fronts, or ignore the Russian, General Winter....

 

Yes, it was a fatal mistake.

 

He had no business taking on Russia. Napoleon's failure taught him nothing.

 

When Hitler initiated Operation Barbaroosa----members of the German High Command left the planning meeting----

THINKING-----(but not verbalizing----not even among themselves for fear of being met by a 7.62mm bullet----or knowing the feel of a new Hemp rope around one's neck)---



WHAT AN IDIOT!!!!


:type::type::type:

 

True. That was his goal.

I believe there was at least two big factors influencing Hitler to invade when he did.

1. He knew that Russia was growing stronger militarily.
2.He also feared they would attack the German forces when it was stronger.
3. Success in other theaters may have given him a feeling of invincibility.

Fortunately he did not have the equipment to mount a cross-channel attack. I believe he gave up on trying such an invasion after the Blitz ... which Germany lost in that they did not bring England to its knees.

Or would Japan gone after him. Good plot for a novel.

 

I've always wondered what Japan was thinking in terms on an endgame. They had to have known at some point that they were siding with a lunatic in an untenable relationship.

 

Yes, he fell victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is never get involved in a land war in Asia, but only slightly less well know is this: never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line.

 

After the successful invasion of China, they had their rear end handed to them by Russia, and were forced to sign a pact with them. They turned to the Pacific after that, and let Germany worry about Russia.

They were led by a madman themselves. Already involved in a war when WWII broke out. Their goal was to conquer China's resources and labor force.

 

Claiming Emperor Hirohito to be a "madman" is a bit of a stretch. Yes, the Japanese committed atrocities during the war, especially the destruction of Nanjing in 1937. But they were also a nation with a rapidly growing population, held in check by limited natural resources. After the Iwakura Mission and the Meiji restoration, Japan began building industrially. Japan went from a feudal society to a completely industrialized one over the course of about 60-70 years. No other nation grew that quickly, and it left them sorely lacking resources.

Hirohito marshalled the Japanese armed forces, under several leaders, like Admiral Yamamoto, who attacked Pearl Harbor. He feared the already industrialized world turning to keep the Japanese from ascending. It was, in a way, a preemptive strike, but it led to disastrous results for Japan. That said, the Japanese embraced a sense of total war, not allowing for surrender. But it was extremely thought out and orderly. Nothing "madman" about it.

The same goes for Hitler in Germany and Mussolini in Italy. None of these were "madmen." They were highly intelligent, and it cost the world greatly to defeat them.

 

Awesome!! I love that movie!! :thumbs: