[geoschmo]

Originally posted by Thermodyne:
So, who started the war in the west? Had France and England let Poland go would Germany have turned west in 39 or 40? I think they would have kept going east. War would have come, but France and England would have had two years to prepare.

I don't think that would have been a good thing Thermo. They would have had two more years to for the appeasement factions within their governments to take hold as well. In the end they likely would have been no more ready for war, and possibly less so. Having to fight on two fronts was a major factor in Germany not being able to defeat either Russia or England. Being able to deal with those fights seperatly would have likely allowed them to defeat both. Russia would have been unable to hold them off without allied distraction in the west and direct aid. France and the rest of continental Europe would have fallen. And even if Germany still wasn't able to ultimatly defeat England because of the Channel, the RAF and US assistance, Germany not having to fight Russia would have made the allied liberation of Europe difficult if not impossible.

The world would have been a very different place if England and France had not had the courage to draw that line in the sand. So say they started the war if you want, but thank God they did.

Geoscmo

[ July 26, 2003, 00:25: Message edited by: geoschmo ]