One of the worst crimes of WWII was the surrendering of Eastern Europe to Stalin; the war that started when Britain & France went to war to defend Poland (oddly enough, only declaring war against Germany, invading from the west, while ignoring the Soviet invasion from the east that actually resulted in the Katyn massacre) resulted in Poland (and many other countries) being given to Soviet masters instead of Nazi masters.
Churchill realized this at the time and was furious; the Western allies fought for (and got) nothing.
Yep, never has such an abject failure to accomplish a war’s original aims been so falsely yet successfully described as a ‘victory’.
Britain would have been better off staying out of the war and give the French time to complete the Maginot line across the Belgian border...
True, but what else could the West have done? Stalin never would have left Eastern Europe just because you asked him to do so.
It would have probably taken the threat of the atomic bomb to push Stalin back. Patton's tanks alone could not have done it. The Red Army in 1945 was a formidable, battle-hardened force.
Would the American or British people have supported the use of atomic weapons against the Soviets, just to liberate Eastern Europe? No way.
I am with you 1000% on that.
I thought Joe McCarthy laid it out perfectly in his book “America’s Retreat From Victory” where he outlined how we screwed them at Yalta.
I firmly believe Alger Hiss had a hand in it.
It was shameful.
As to the impulse to ignore the Soviets ideology and atrocities during the war while they were ostensibly our allies - Churchill said something along the lines of...
“If Hitler invaded Hell - I would find a few kind words to say about the Devil.”
I am with you 1000% on that.
I thought Joe McCarthy laid it out perfectly in his book “America’s Retreat From Victory” where he outlined how we screwed them at Yalta.
I firmly believe Alger Hiss had a hand in it.
It was shameful.