[Leaning Right]

World War II started largely because the Soviet Union had had assured Hitler that the two powers could partner up to divide Poland.

One just as correctly could say World War II started largely because Britain and France had had assured Hitler that he could illegally occupy the Sudetenland without interference from them.

Oh, and one more thing. Replacing "the Sudetenland" with "the Rhineland" in the above statement would also give a true statement. So it's a bit disingenuous to blame it all on the Soviet Union (ugh, it hurt to type that).

[mj1234]

valid points-

I always wondered if the war in Europe started
just 2 years later- with Germany able to actually
have 300 submarines AT sea all the time-
if their Army was outfitted close to 10 million-
if they Actually helped to train the Italians-

would they have won?

[hinckley buzzard]

When Hitler "remilitarized" the Rhineland, the German army was little more than a militia. France had the largest and best supplied military in Europe. If they had so willed, France could have easily kicked the Germans back out of Rhineland with no problem. That they chose not to act, led Hitler to realize the "western democracies" would go to great lengths not fight another war. He was right for a long time, proving the well known adage that weakness invites aggression.