Replies

You want to know the truth about our unity in World War II? - The critical factor had nothing to do with Pearl Harbor and December 7, 1941. After all, we went after the Nazis first. The reason for America's unity was Barbarossa - Hitler's attack on the Soviet Union in June 1941. Had Hitler still been Stalin's ally on December 7, there would probably have been no war on Hitler, or if there had been, it would have necessarily included a war against the Soviet Union. And how the Left would have howled! What appeared to be a unified purpose was in fact two parallel purposes: The Right fought to save America, but the Left kept their mouths shut and fought to save Stalin. It was the ONLY major war American has EVER fought - including the Revolution, 1812, Mexico, the Civil War, WWI, Korea & Vietnam - that one-third or more of the country was not vociferously opposed to, and that was the reason.

Thank you for remembering and recounting the facts.

This is one of the the reasons that so many documents from that era remain classified or generally are not known nor taught in US History classes.

Examples:

The US, via Lend-Lease, sent to the USSR in Spring 1943, tens of tons of nuclear materiel, included enriched uranium. The TRINITY TEST took place in 1945. Oh, the director of Lend-Lease - one Harry "The Hop" Hopkins - known today as USSR agent "No. 19" via the VENONA decrypts. [Today this is a WMD thingy, and recall that the Rosenbergs were put to death.]

FDR makes pledge to Churchill (and the Dutch) at Atlantic Charter meeting, to provide US armed support to defend their terrorities in Far East, if they in exchange will join the US embargo on Japan - especially on oil. If the Japanese went beyond the Isthmus of Kra, the US was committed to fight. That Japanese movement took place on December 5, 1941. Oh, the US Congress knew nothing of this commitment ... and today almost no Americans do. [Today this is the War Powers Act recognizing that Congress is asleep from too much pork and effectively neutered.]

The US was a declared neutral country until Pearl Harbor ... the convoying of war materiel in the Atlantic, the "shadowing" of U-boots, ... were all acts of war under international law. Did a dim-0-cratic (both houses of Congress and the White House) administration care? Did the GOP do anything ... ? [Today, a one year commitment by klintoon in Bosnia is beyond eight years ... ]

After VE day ... and the Marshall Plan ... Why was WWII in Europe fought? England declares war on Germany because of the invasion of Poland ... What happened? Well, Yalta happened. Thank you very much FDR.

Who lost China?

Or ...

Now would be a good time for Bush_43 to order the release of these documents ... The parallels with Iraq are in so many ways ... stark!!!

What did we know and when did we know it ...

Let's have a real debate on the why's and wherefore's of commiting America's blood and treasure ...

Thanks for giving me something new to think about.

Had Hitler still been Stalin's ally on December 7, there would probably have been no war on Hitler, or if there had been, it would have necessarily included a war against the Soviet Union.

I've never even thought of considering this before.

While you are 100% correct as to the American Left's view in 1941 and wanting to save Stalin, there's a couple minor points incorrect with your post.

On Dec. 11th, 1941 Germany & Italy declared war on the U.S. and we then 'returned the favor', so to speak, the same day.

As to attacking Germany first, well that's just not historically accurate. The Battle of the Philippines was from December 7, 1941 to May 10, 1942. The Burma campaign went on from December 7, 1941 to May 26, 1942. The Central Pacific campaign went from December 1941 to December 6, 1943 and so on...

But we didn't go into Algeria until November 1942 (Vichy French). Tunisia (Italians) on November 1942 and finally mostly the Germans in Sicily on July 9 August 1943. And we all know Normandy didn't happen till 6 June, 1944. So we really didn't 'attack' Germany first.

Now I don't fault you, but everyone seem to have forgotten about the US Army in the Pacific. Navy this, Marines that (maybe it's the movies). But the Army was there first, under-gunned, undermanned and the first into the battles of WWII.

BTW, the atrocities and barbarism, aka WAR CRIMES, committed by the average 'normal' Japanese soldier (and MOSTLY unpunished by HST), made the Waffen SS look like choir boys in comparison.

And what REALLY fries ma a$$ is that many of the Nip officers who were 'convicted' received BS sentences of a few years in prison and many THEN went on to serve in the Japanese Government with honor - YET to this day we have the FBI hunting down 80 year SS camp guards for trial. Hunt down the frickin Jap BARBARIANS too, dammit!

Oh this does reinforce your US commie sympathizer point; Not one ~~Russian~~ Communist soldier was ever charged with a War Crime - now isn't that odd?!?

(sorry about the long post, but the 'special treatment' the Japs received makes me sick.)

Had Hitler still been Stalin's ally on December 7, there would probably have been no war on Hitler, or if there had been, it would have necessarily included a war against the Soviet Union.

That's quite a what-if, considering that Hitler declared war on the United States before we declared war on Germany.