Soviet Fliers Denounce Lindbergh (10/11/38)

Microfiche-New York Times archives | 10/11/38 | Harold Denny

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

If you would like to be added to or deleted from the Real Time +/- 70 Years ping list, send me a freepmail.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

I know its late but I just got back from the UCSC library with a new batch of news. Oct. 11 was my starting point. I hoped to get through the end of the year but only got as far as Nov. 24. I had problems with the printer.

[ken21]

i like the pontiac ad.

in august 2008 not every pontiac dealer sold a pontiac.

[Ronin]

Ad me to the ping list, this is interesting, but Lindbergh WAS a NAZI sympathizer. Although I do think it was more misplaced German nationalism and not any particular love of NAZI ideology.

[muawiyah]

While Lindberg had his own personal demons to deal with (one of which was being a Nazi sympathizer), the "Soviet Fliers" very shortly afterward found themselves serving on behalf of a country that was signatory to the Hitler/Stalin Pact!

At least Lindberg wasn't an actual ally of the Nazis!

[Homer_J_Simpson]

WITHIN TEN DAYS of affixing his signature to the Munich Agreement— before even the peaceful military occupation of the Sudetenland had been completed—Adolf Hitler got off an urgent top-secret message to General Keitel, Chief of OKW.

1. What reinforcements are necessary in the present situation to break all Czech resistance in Bohemia and Moravia?
2. How much time is required for the regrouping or moving up of new forces?
3. How much time will be required for the same purpose if it is executed after the intended demobilization and return measures?
4. How much time would be required to achieve the state of readiness of October I?

Keitel shot back to the Fuehrer on October 11 a telegram giving detailed answers. Not much time and not very many reinforcements would be necessary. There were already twenty-four divisions, including three armored and four motorized, in the Sudeten area. "OKW believes," Keitel stated, "that it would be possible to commence operations without reinforcements, in view of the present signs of weakness in Czech resistance."

Thus assured, Hitler communicated his thoughts to his military chiefs ten days later.

TOP SECRET Berlin, October 21, 1938
The future tasks for the armed forces and the preparations for the conduct of war resulting from these tasks will be laid down by me in a later directive.

Until this directive comes into force the armed forces must be prepared at all times for the following eventualities:

1. The securing of the frontiers of Germany.
2. The liquidation of the remainder of Czechoslovakia.
3. The occupation of the Memel district.

Memel, a Baltic port of some forty thousand inhabitants, had been lost by Germany to Lithuania after Versailles. Since Lithuania was smaller and weaker than Austria and Czechoslovakia, the seizure of the town presented no problem to the Wehrmacht and in this directive Hitler merely mentioned that it would be "annexed." As for Czechoslovakia:

It must be possible to smash at any time the remainder of Czechoslovakia if her policy should become hostile toward Germany.

The preparations to be made by the armed forces for this contingency will be considerably smaller in extent than those for "Green"; they must, however, guarantee a considerably higher state of preparedness since planned mobilization measures have been dispensed with. The organization, order of battle and state of readiness of the units earmarked for that purpose are in peacetime to be so arranged for a surprise assault that Czechoslovakia herself will be deprived of all possibility of organized resistance. The object is the swift occupation of Bohemia and Moravia and the cutting off of Slovakia.

William L. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, pp. 428-429

[Ronin]

Quite true.

What IS it about the Russians? I really can’t figure those people out. They should be our natural allies against Islamofascim, but they seem to forget they are much closer to the Muslim hordes than we are.

Does Putie really think he can buy off those freaks forever?

[BroJoeK]

"At least Lindberg wasn't an actual ally of the Nazis!"

Lindbergh's views reflected those of many Americans & Brits at the time -- a sometimes grudging admiration for Hitler's successes in restoring Germany's power and pride, plus an absolute determination not to get sucked into another seemingly senseless European war.

But like nearly all other America Firsters, when war finally came to America, Lindbergh signed up and served loyally, IIRC.

Lindbergh and America First

[muawiyah]

Would you believe a long deferred "white liberal guilt"? The Russians commited genocide when they took and erradicated many parts of today's country that was formerly occupied by Turks (and other Uralic-Altaic language speakers).

[CougarGA7]

Limburgh’s apologetic attitude towards the Nazi’s is one of the real unfortunate things in history. It tarnishes the reputation of who otherwise is a good man. My personal take on it by just going over his speeches and such was that he was just so adamatly against war in general that he was (like Chamberlain) willing to do anything to avoid it.