[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum
First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015.
Reading assignment: New York Times articles delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword “realtime”.)
To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homer’s profile.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

On October 10, in the course of a lengthy report to the Fuehrer on naval operations, Raeder suggested the importance of obtaining naval bases in Norway, if necessary with the help of Russia. This – so far as the confidential records show - was the first time the Navy had directly called the matter to the attention of Hitler. Raeder says the leader “saw at once the significance of the Norwegian problem.” He asked him to leave his notes on the subject and promised to give the question some thought. But at the moment the Nazi warlord was preoccupied with launching his attack in the West and with overcoming the hesitations of his generals. Norway apparently slipped out of his mind.

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

[Raeder] framed . . . a series of notes, which he placed before Hitler on October 10. “In these notes,” he wrote, “I stressed the disadvantages which an occupation of Norway by the British would have for us: the control of the approaches to the Baltic, the outflanking of our naval operations and of our air attacks on Britain, the end of our pressure on Sweden. I also stressed the advantages for us of the occupation of the Norwegian coast: outlet to the North Atlantic, no possibility of a British mine barrier, as in the year 1917-18. . . . The Fuehrer saw at once the significance of the Norwegian problem; he asked me to leave the notes, and stated that he wished to consider the question himself.”

Winston S. Churchill, The Gathering Storm

[Riley]

Before I got to the date at the end of the headline, I started to come out of my chair and utter a loud expletive in surprise.

*whew*

[BroJoeK]

"Luxembourg Costs Down"

Luxembourg, Oct 9 --"While taxes and food prices soared in most of Europe, the Duchy of Luxembourg, which has no taxes, announced today that living costs for September were below the previous month. Reduced prices for potatoes and the stationary prices of butter accounted for the drop, although some foods were slightly higher."

Now, don't you just wonder why that is? Wouldn't you 'a thunk, with all that "stimulous money" pouring into those other economies, then poor benighted Luxembourg, which HORRORS! "has no taxes" would now be much worse off than them?