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To: beebuster2000
beebuster2000: "the article seems to say that they were offering to withdraw from pretty much everything, including poland."

The devil, as they say, would be in the details since, for example, by this time, "Poland" in Nazi definitions would amount to territory perhaps the size of Manhattan's Central Park -- into which they would expect all the Poles to move.

Whether or not Hitler intended it seriously, by summer of 1941, no proposal which did not include the overthrow of Hitler and German withdrawal from all conquered territories, could have been seriously considered by the Western Allies.

And there would also have been the matter of German war crimes, just as in the First World War, only this time vastly more & worse.

beebuster2000: "the other thing that continues to blow my mind is how the japanese were so far along on the perl harbor attack planning, while the US was so oblivious."

Of course, I don't think President Roosevelt was in the least "oblivious."
It's obvious to me that he needed, wanted and now expected a Japanese attack to bring America into the war.

Whether FDR expected that attack to come at Pearl Harbor on December 7, of course, is still a matter for vigorous debate.
I think he at least suspected it, and shoulda', coulda' better warned Hawaii's commanders.

14 posted on 08/07/2011 9:55:43 AM PDT by BroJoeK (a little historical perspective....)
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To: BroJoeK
Of course, I don't think President Roosevelt was in the least "oblivious."

Not so sure. it seems one failing of the US then, and even now, is that when a truly evil opponent lies right in your face you cant conceive of them actually having a secret evil plot. no, i dont think roosevelt thought the japanese would sneak attack. he probably thought they would declare war or there would be a provocation like sinking one of our vessels. one of the key lessons of the war, both pearl harbor for the US and Midway for the Japanese: prepare for what your enemy could do, not what you think they will do. that same mistake, btw, we are making with Iran today.

15 posted on 08/07/2011 10:01:29 AM PDT by beebuster2000
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