WWII question - Page 2

HarmanKardon · #11 06-07-2014, 06:50 AM

Two decades ago I found around a dozen bills from fall 1923 in the attic and I threw them away. I would not do that a second time.

merrylander · #12 06-07-2014, 07:15 AM

Here is some of the story

http://www.hobbizine.com/page0014.html

ebacon · #13 06-07-2014, 07:56 AM

I would have to agree with Oerets. If I put myself in the shoes of a 1920s/30s US citizen, I imagine that domestic economic issues would be at the forefront of my concerns. As for the politicians of the era, I don't know their motivations for what they did or did not do. A few things that I have thought about over the years include the newness of genetic and economic sciences at the time. On the genetic front we had comparisons of races as to who could run the fastest, jump the highest, etc. On the economic front we saw a movement away from a gold standard to a more centrally managed economy. Fascinations with those sciences may have led US politicians to sympathize with the barking monster.

A good number of Germans also were behind him. Their economic situation was so dire that they looked up to his strong leadership. When times are bad enough any plan out sounds good. U.S. politicians may have wanted to take a hands off approach and let the Germans fix things how they saw fit.

Having said that, I am no expert on the subject. Just thinking out loud based on my limited reading, TV watching, and tour of a concentration camp museum.

Pio1980 · #14 06-07-2014, 07:57 AM

Anti-semitism was fairly common everywhere tho not to the degree of AH and those that attached themselves to him thru their common prejudice. One only has to look at the shameful St Louis debacle to see the lack of sympathy, and even Justice Felix Frankfurter refused to believe the stories about Germany as being too outrageous for a "civilized" Western-oriented society. Henry Ford contributed to the horror with his rabid anti-semitism, adding to AHs propaganda armormentarium with his promotion and (re) publication of the fraudulent screed "The International Jew".

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

ebacon · #15 06-07-2014, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarmanKardon

Two decades ago I found around a dozen bills from fall 1923 in the attic and I threw them away. I would not do that a second time.

I still have some somewhere. I think they are 500,000 Reichsmark scheins. Need to dig them out.

During the 1970s even 5 DM was a lot of money for a kid. 500,000 DM was like being a millionaire.

merrylander · #16 06-07-2014, 08:05 AM

There were some stamps issued during the occupation and later by the newly formed government that are quite valuable, I have some but unfortunately not all.

HarmanKardon · #17 06-07-2014, 08:28 AM

Thanks for the link Rob. I am familiar with the layout of the stamps because I have a lot of letters together with the envelopes from my ancestors from that time, they looked pretty similar for decades.

Today we know that everything influences everything, everything is connected with everything concerning politics and economy. 75 years ago the situation was different but anyway the nations should have realized earlier that the destructive behaviour of the Third Reich was not just its own business but that some time it would threaten the whole world.

merrylander · #18 06-07-2014, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarmanKardon

Thanks for the link Rob. I am familiar with the layout of the stamps because I have a lot of letters together with the envelopes from my ancestors from that time, they looked pretty similar for decades.

Then I would drop in on a reputable stamp dealer and get an idea of their value

Today we know that everything influences everything, everything is connected with everything concerning politics and economy. 75 years ago the situation was different but anyway the nations should have realized earlier that the destructive behaviour of the Third Reich was not just its own business but that some time it would threaten the whole world.

Because it was easier to play osterich and bury their heads in the sand.

Dondilion · #19 06-07-2014, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarmanKardon

90 years ago the barking monster wrote his book "Mein Kampf". It was 1924, nine years before the beginning of his dictatorship. Everybody could read now about his two goals: extinction of the jews and world domination. Sensitive intellecuals like Hermann Hesse, Kurt Tucholsky and many others had a presentment of WWII already then and expressed their warnings in books and newspapers.

1933 the barking monster started his dictatorship and some five years later, around 1938 everybody who wanted to see it could see clearly what would happen pretty soon. 1939 the catastrophe begun by the ambush on Poland. 1940 France was next in line. And so on and on...

My question now: Why didn't intervene nations like the United States or Britain earlier in order to stop the massive insanity, this totally destructive war of conquest?

1 The French were greedy. Yes they had suffered the most but still their
reparation demand was over the top and brought ruination to post WW1
Germany. In such a climate Hitler had a sympathetic population.

2 There was a fear of the Bolsheviks by the ruling class in Germany and
Hitler endeared himself to that class by effectively countering the Bolsheviks in the streets with his Brown Shirts.

3 Anti Jewish rhetoric was always part of the European political and social
scene especially at times of economic hardship. The Jews were easy scapegoats not only because of religion but because of their heavy connection to banking.

4 There was a strong anti war feeling in both Britain and the US. More so in Britain than the US. Britain had lost a good portion of its young bright male
population who the was backbone of it officer corps and had led most of the
the field operations in WW1

Poems of Wilfred Owen give a taste of this anti war ethos.

5 There were influential people both in the US and Britain who were Nazis
or very sympathetic to their credo.
For example Duke of Windsor who had abdicated from the throne of England and who should have been charged as a Nazi spy.

And Charles Lindbergh who was our famous aviator.

merrylander · #20 06-07-2014, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dondilion

1 The French were greedy. Yes they had suffered the most but still their
reparation demand was over the top and brought ruination to post WW1
Germany. In such a climate Hitler had a sympathetic population.

2 There was a fear of the Bolsheviks by the ruling class in Germany and
Hitler endeared himself to that class by effectively countering the Bolsheviks in the streets with his Brown Shirts.

3 Anti Jewish rhetoric was always part of the European political and social
scene especially at times of economic hardship. The Jews were easy scapegoats not only because of religion but because of their heavy connection to banking.

4 There was a strong anti war feeling in both Britain and the US. More so in Britain than the US. Britain had lost a good portion of its young bright male
population who the was backbone of it officer corps and had led most of the
the field operations in WW1

Poems of Wilfred Owens give a taste of this anti war ethos.

There were influential people both in the US and Britain who were Nazis
or very sympathetic to their credo.
For example Duke of Windsor who had abdicated from the throne of England and who should have been charged as a Nazi spy.

And Charles Lindbergh who was our famous aviator.

I believe Henry Ford was in that camp as well.

One thing WW I did to Britain was break the thrall of the nobility, the recent TV series Downton Abbey shows some of this rebellion even by the sons and daughters of the upper class.