Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Lie that lost Hitler the war: When the Fuhrer broke his pact with Stalin, he ordered the extermination of the Russian race. But he'd reckoned without two deadly weapons: patriotism and the weather
UK Daily Mail ^ | April 29, 2021 | Tony Rennell

Posted on 04/30/2021 5:20:10 AM PDT by C19fan

Moscow on a midsummer’s night in 1941 was a balmy place to be. For the discerning, there was Chekhov’s Three Sisters playing to full houses, while opera lovers had a choice between Rigoletto and La Traviata.

Others fished for their suppers on the banks of the river, tended their allotments, or simply strolled through Gorky Park.

All felt safe in the knowledge that, for the past two years (give or take a few weeks), Stalin’s Soviet Union had been in a pact of friendship and non-aggression with Hitler’s Germany.

Though their fundamental political beliefs were polar opposites — one communist, the other fascist — the two biggest nations in Europe had agreed not to go to war with each other.

Until, suddenly, this cosy world turned on its head. The next morning those same Moscow streets were filled with silent, anxious crowds surrounding public loudspeakers, from which came the trembling, echoing voice of Molotov, the minister of foreign affairs.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: History; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: hitler; stalin; worldwar2
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-97 next last
The article is a review of a new book about Operation Barbarossa. There is a lot of interesting revisionist books, especially David Glantz and David Stahel, that incorporate new materials from Soviet archives. The Germans faced logistical nightmares from day 1. For some reason, the German planners never took into account the horrible Soviet roads.
1 posted on 04/30/2021 5:20:10 AM PDT by C19fan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: C19fan

And the torn up rails. Luckily, the Germans had a secret weapon: Stalin. Unfortunately for them, the Soviets had a secret weapon: Hitler.


2 posted on 04/30/2021 5:22:41 AM PDT by AppyPappy (How many fingers am I holding up, Winston? )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

Speaking of revisionists, their claim that: “Though their fundamental political beliefs were polar opposites” is completely false.

The nationalist socialism of the Germans and the international socialism of the Russians were nearly identical. They are both socialist, both anti-Jew, both violent toward scapegoats among their own people, and both expansionist. The only difference is in how they saw the people they planned to conquer or kill in other countries.


3 posted on 04/30/2021 5:29:16 AM PDT by Pollster1 (America is no longer in Claire Wolfe's "awkward stage")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

What if Patton got his wish and invaded the USSR after WWII ended?


4 posted on 04/30/2021 5:31:17 AM PDT by JonPreston (Q: Never have so many, been so wrong, so often)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

The Nazis weren’t prepared for General Winter


5 posted on 04/30/2021 5:31:23 AM PDT by Smellin Salt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan
Though their fundamental political beliefs were polar opposites — one communist, the other fascist

Will this misstatement never stop? Two sides of the same coin, more like it: One national socialist, the other international socialist - but both SOCIALIST.

6 posted on 04/30/2021 5:31:52 AM PDT by Moltke (Reasoning with a liberal is like watering a rock in the hope to grow a building.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pollster1

You beat me to it.


7 posted on 04/30/2021 5:32:38 AM PDT by Moltke (Reasoning with a liberal is like watering a rock in the hope to grow a building.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

From what I read many Russians were hoping Germany would save them from Stalin and communism. But then realized that it was better to fight for the tyrant who would persecute them than the tyrant who would simply kill them.


8 posted on 04/30/2021 5:34:53 AM PDT by rfreedom4u ("You may all go to hell and I will go to Texas")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Even if they took Moscow, there was still a lot of land to conquer and General Winter.


9 posted on 04/30/2021 5:35:08 AM PDT by RightWingNutJob69
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Pollster1

The big fight between Communism and Fascism came when Hitler couldn’t gain a majority of voters as many were being taken by the commies. Their platforms were extremely similar. Hence, Hitler’s purge and extermination of them.
The Reds here in the USA had no problem with Hitler at all, until he started killing the communists.
Mark Steyn has a great article on Pete Seeger and his about-face on staying out of the war when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.


10 posted on 04/30/2021 5:38:43 AM PDT by ArtDodger
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

Russian race?!

Puhleez....


11 posted on 04/30/2021 5:39:40 AM PDT by mewzilla (Those aren't masks. They're muzzles. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

Weather and geography defeat Germany in the east.


12 posted on 04/30/2021 5:41:27 AM PDT by rrrod (6)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pollster1

Thank you.


13 posted on 04/30/2021 5:42:02 AM PDT by OKSooner (With Republicans like these we have no need for enemies.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Pollster1
Though their fundamental political beliefs were polar opposites — one communist, the other fascist —

Yeah, the "right-left" line doesn't quite work. Communist. Marxist. Socialist. Nazi. Fascist. DemocRats. What separates them are minor policy differences.

It is fun to try to get a liberal articulate the differences.

14 posted on 04/30/2021 5:43:18 AM PDT by FatherofFive (We support Trump. Not the GOP)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: rrrod

No, it all fell on Hitler when he delayed operation Barbarossa 6 weeks to secure his southern flank. He and his garner also were well aware of the Russian winters. Had Barbarossa gone off as planned, it would have been a different story.


15 posted on 04/30/2021 5:46:31 AM PDT by DownInFlames (G)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: JonPreston

What would we have done with Russia if we’d conquered it? Turned them into Republicans? It’s a dictatorship, always has been.


16 posted on 04/30/2021 5:46:47 AM PDT by babble-on
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Pollster1

Hindsight analysis here. If Hitler had focused more on taking the region of Palestine and establishing Israel during the war he could have maybe won the favor of the Jewish people by relocating them to their homeland, instead of the horrific attempt of genocide.

Also, if he had embraced the technology (atomic energy) that the Jewish scientists were working on, he may have accomplished his goals.

It appears his hatred of all things Jewish diminished his ability to be a masterful military tactician. Even his closest advisors could not convince him he was in peril.


17 posted on 04/30/2021 5:48:57 AM PDT by CodeJockey (Dum Spiro, Pugno)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: C19fan
Though their fundamental political beliefs were polar opposites — one communist, the other fascist — the two biggest nations in Europe had agreed not to go to war with each other.

The big lie. Both systems were simple variations of Leftist totalitarianism.

NAZIs were National Socialists. Soviets were International Socialists (Communists).

NAZIs focused on race and class, Communists focused on class and religion.

18 posted on 04/30/2021 5:59:45 AM PDT by marktwain (President Trump and his supporters are the Resistance. His opponents are the Reactionaries. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ArtDodger
>> The Reds here in the USA had no problem with Hitler at all, until he started killing the communists. <<<

Good point and I would add the commies in America wanted the USA to stay un-mobilized for war (see David Horowitz, Radical Son) until Hitler attacked the USSR.
19 posted on 04/30/2021 6:02:54 AM PDT by Kid Shelleen (Beat your plowshares into swords. Let the weak say I am strong)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

A German general caught a glimpse of the T-34 in the early days of Barbarossa, he remarked that if the Soviets could mass produce the T-34, Germany would lose the war.


20 posted on 04/30/2021 6:05:57 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-97 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson