WWII question

[donquixote99]

Originally Posted by merrylander

He was elected partly because Clemanceau had demanded such reparations that it, along with the depression destroyed the German economy. Ask any stamp collector about the German stamps of the period, surcrged with astonomical numbers. You could get your wages in a wheelbarrow and by the time you got to market it would barely buy a loaf of bread. My neighbour back in quebec told me how he and his buddies worked on a farm just for the food.

America was looking inward and in Britain no one wanted war and there were even some who thought the destruction of the Jews was a good thing. And we got war only because Britain (and Near as I recall France) had a pact with Poland.

Because France was on good terms withBelgium the Maginot line ended at the France Belgium border so they simply swept around it.

In those days military intelligence was an oxymoron hence Dieppe and the loss of so many Canadians. It was supposed to be a sandy beach instead theit tanks faced a pebbled beach and a three foot seawall and so they were slaughtered.

All in all it was a bloody mess and we only won by destroying tthe factories Ruhr valley dam and cutting off fuel supplies.

I continue to argue it accords him unwarranted legitimacy to say he was 'elected.' The Nazi's popularity had peaked and they lost seats in the last Reichstag election before Hitler was appointed Chancellor. Hitler was in despair over his fading prospects before von Papen handed him power.

I would call the passage of the Enabling Act, that gave the Chancellor dictatorial powers, a virtual coup, with the Reichstag lined with stormtroopers and the Nazis howling for blood if the act failed.