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BRITISH TRY ANEW FOR SOVIET ACCORD (6/13/39)
Microfiche-New York Times archives, McHenry Library, U.C. Santa Cruz | 6/13/39 | Ferdinand Kuhn Jr., Pertinax

Posted on 06/13/2009 5:08:57 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson

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TOPICS: History
KEYWORDS: realtime
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1 posted on 06/13/2009 5:08:57 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
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To: fredhead; r9etb; PzLdr; dfwgator; Paisan; From many - one.; rockinqsranch; GRRRRR; 2banana; ...
If the Russians are willing to take a general pledge and if they do not make new demands a three-power alliance should be completed in the near future.

Kuhn does not get the subtle point that sending a low level envoy like Strang will make an alliance less likely than it already is.

2 posted on 06/13/2009 5:17:54 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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To: Homer_J_Simpson

3 posted on 06/13/2009 7:01:43 AM PDT by Daffynition ("If any of you die, can I please have your ammo?" ~ Gator113)
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
"Kuhn does not get the subtle point that sending a low level envoy like Strang will make an alliance less likely than it already is."

Indeed. The Chamberlain government's lack of urgency in this matter is so striking it begs for more explanation. I suspect something along the following lines:

As of June 1939, the Brits believed their duty was to support the threatened government of Poland. And since Poles rightly feared Russians as much as Germans, Brits were in no hurry to jump into bed with Stalin. They rightly understood that Stalin, at best, would expect tangible rewards (i.e., Eastern Europe) in exchange for going to war against Hitler. At worst, Stalin's disdain for Brits & French could send their envoys packing, as it happened.

What the Brits could not possibly understand in June 1939, was that Poland had already become a lost cause -- no way could Poland survive a major war. It was only a question of who would be their new master -- Hitler or Stalin?

And as of June 1939 it was not yet clear which might be the worst new master -- many believed Hitler could save Europe from the evils of Communism.

As it turned out, the poor Poles suffered the worst of all possible outcomes -- first Hitler, then Stalin.

4 posted on 06/14/2009 2:42:58 PM PDT by BroJoeK (a little historical perspective...)
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
By June 15 [Hitler] had General von Brauchitsch’s top-secret plan for the operations of the Army against Poland. “The object of the operation,” the Commander in Chief of the Army, echoing his master, declared, “is to destroy the Polish armed forces. The political leadership demands that the war should be begun by heavy surprise blows and lead to quick successes. The intention of the Army High Command is to prevent a regular mobilization and concentration of the Polish Army by a surprise invasion of Polish territory and to destroy the mass of the Polish army, which is expected to be west of the Vistula-Narew line, by a concentric attack from Silesia on the one side and from Pomerania-East Prussia on the other.”

To carry out his plan, Brauchitsch set up two army groups – Army Group South, consisting of the Eighth, Tenth and Fourteenth armies, and Army Group North, made up of the Third and Fourth armies. The southern army group, under the command of General von Rundstedt, was to attack from Silesia “in the general direction of Warsaw, scatter opposing Polish forces and occupy as early as possible with forces as strong as possible the Vistula on both sides of Warsaw with the aim of destroying the Polish forces still holding out in western Poland in co-operation with Army Group North.” The first mission of the latter group was “to establish connection between the Reich and East Prussia” by driving across the Corridor. Detailed objectives of the various armies were outlined as well as those for the Air Force and Navy. Danzig, said Brauchitsch, would be declared German territory on the first day of hostilities and would be secured by local forces under German command.

A supplemental directive issued at the same time stipulated that the order of deployment for “White” would be put into operation on August 20. “All preparations,” it laid down, “must be concluded by that date.”

William L. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

5 posted on 06/15/2009 5:25:47 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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To: fredhead; r9etb; PzLdr; dfwgator; Paisan; From many - one.; rockinqsranch; GRRRRR; 2banana; ...

Case White update at #5.


6 posted on 06/15/2009 5:26:41 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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