I love this tribute to Charles Schulz from The Wizard of Id.
Posted on 04/01/2008 3:16:51 PM PDT by wolf78
After decades of war-related silence and shame, Germany proudly celebrated a military hero last night, rolling out the red carpet for "Red" Baron von Richthofen.
The new attitude was on display as stars and celebrities, including British actor Joseph Fiennes, were due to gather for the Berlin premiere of a new film about the Baron.
It is set to mark a new departure for German war films, which usually reflect on the extremism, suffering and even lunacy of the Nazi era if they get made at all.
The Red Baron in contrast, portrays a brilliant and honourable military figure whose life and early death in combat Germans can celebrate without blush.
The film, which at £14 million is one of Germany's most expensive productions, stars Matthias Schweighoefer as the renowned pilot thought to have shot down about 80 Allied airmen in World War One.
It is based on a biography of the pilot published last year, which opens with him engaged in a dogfight only to pull out when he sees his adversary's gun jammed.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
The Germans also sank seven U.S. merchant ships when they began ‘unrestricted’ submarine warfare. This immediately preceded our declaration of war.
Care to list how many American ships were sunk prior to Wilson's unilateral breaking of diplomatic relations with Germany? This site might help: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/wwi/82205.htm
It's too bad Richtofen was on the wrong side...he was quite a young man.
Much more clearly, you make my intended point. Thanks.
The Lusitania was being used to transport war materials; some Americans who chose to ignore an explicit German warning were on board - reminds me a bit of the American peaceniks who went to Iraq to protect Saddam's facilities.
And let me help you with this one: The Germans also sank seven U.S. merchant ships when they began ‘unrestricted’ submarine warfare. This immediately preceded our declaration of war followed Wilson's breaking of diplomatic relations.
Unrestricted warfare plus the Zimmerman telegram, which detailed German efforts to convince Mexico to invade us, were darn good reasons. The foolishness of the Treaty of Versaille and Hitler’s subsequent rise has no bearing on whether entering the war was proper or not.
The USAF came after WWll. No BOQ w/cable yet, those pilots were still in the Army.
I love this tribute to Charles Schulz from The Wizard of Id.
The thing about the Baron is that he was by all accounts a fine young man, but mostly what makes him a legend is simply the kill count: 80 kills is a huge number, and only a few men have ever bested it, although some that did (such as Eric Hartmann) did so by a very large amount. But even some of the best fighter pilots who ever put on a helmet, guys like Saburo Sakai, Gabby Gabreski, Robin Olds...never got 80 kills.
Why all the love for Kaiser's Germany? You like monarchies or something? Historic revisionist? Deutchland Uber alles?
Joint Resolution Declaring that a state of war exists between the Imperial German Government and the Government and the people of the United States and making provision to prosecute the same.
Whereas the Imperial German Government has committed repeated acts of war against the Government and the people of the United States of America; Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress Assembled, that the state of war between the United States and the Imperial German Government which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared; and that the President be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to employ the entire naval and military forces of the United States and the resources of the Government to carry on war against the Imperial German Government; and to bring the conflict to a successful termination all of the resources of the country are hereby pledged by the Congress of the United States.
CHAMP CLARK
Speaker of the House of Representatives
THOS. R. MARSHALL
Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate
Approved, April 6, 1917
WOODROW WILSON
It absolutely was one of the Aussies on the ground that killed him.
Ever wonder what would have been the reaction of the Royal Navy had America defended its sovereign right and challenged the blockade of the central and eastern european ports?
You like monarchies? Is that House of Hanover, Romanov or Hohenzollern? Deutscland uber alles? or Rule Brittania? Historic revisionist? Good Lord, many if not most Americans have questioned the wisdom of our role in WW1 beginning in 1919.
For fascinating insights into the Austrian military operations, there is a short series of novels by John Biggin. In approximate order they are A Sailor of Austria, The Emperor’s Coloured Coat, and The Two-Headed Eagle. The “hero”, Otto Prohaska, begins the war as commander of a rickety Austrian submarine, manages to sink one of his own navy’s warships, gets a prospective death sentence by transfer to the Austrian flying corps, combines hilarious adventures with some real history lessons about the Balkans and the Hapsburg government. The fact that he survives the war is brought out as he is “discovered” as an old man 100 years old spinning yarns in England.
Well, he excelled in the earliest days of the sport, so to speak.
All of the tactics were experimental at best. Later pilots stood on the shoulders of these guys, I would suppose.
The claim that the Lusitania was carrying arms has always been pure baloney, and even if it had been carrying arms, there is no evidence that the German submariners involved considered her to be in violation of international law.
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.