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'“Man for man,” Coulter wrote, “the Confederate army was the greatest army the world had ever seen.”

That would actually be the Zulus under Shaka, and any military historian worthy of being called one would tell Coulter that.'

Both Ann and this Dude are Smokin' something. There was one army, and one only, that NEVER lost a SINGLE battle where the odds against them were close to 1:1.

Which Army? The Wehrmacht, 1939-1945.

They were overwhelmed by a massive Allied superiority in personnel and equipment, plus by the imbecility of their impulsive, syphillis and methamphetamine-addled micromanaging "Corporal-in-Chief" Hitler. Had Hitler left his Generals to run the entire war, Europe (and European Russia) would today be speaking German.

Good for me (and other Freepers whose Fathers/Grandfathers fought in the various resistance movements) that he did not. Otherwise I wouldn't be here talking about it.

Sorry, the German Army was the best in WWII because:

1) the Germans wanted to fight
2) the British and Americans didn't. The anglo-saxon circa 1939 didnt want to fight anymore than we would today. They viewed the war a dirty job that had to be done.

Men in the 19th century could endure hardship and had a willingness to accept death that was not matched by their 2oth century counterparts.

"Both Ann and this Dude are Smokin' something. There was one army, and one only, that NEVER lost a SINGLE battle where the odds against them were close to 1:1.

"Which Army? The Wehrmacht, 1939-1945.

"They were overwhelmed by a massive Allied superiority in personnel and equipment, plus by the imbecility of their impulsive, syphillis and methamphetamine-addled micromanaging "Corporal-in-Chief" Hitler. Had Hitler left his Generals to run the entire war, Europe (and European Russia) would today be speaking German."

I agreed with you up until the last sentence. Let's assume the best case scenario: Germany wipes out England's army at Dunkirk (they didn't due to Hitler's orders) and invades Russia early in 1942, rather than June.

Let's say they establish a beach head on England. I can't see them holding it without control of the sea and air. They could have had control of the air, but not the sea.

Let's say they take Leningrad, Stalingrad, and Moscow before the winter of '42 hits. They still haven't conquered the Urals, where the Soviet factories were relocated. They still don't stop the Lend Lease program that helped Russia.

Let's say they fend off D-Day and hold Europe until 1945. They'll still face the A-bomb from US B-29s. Even a thousand Messerschmidt F-269's couldn't stop a thousand B-29's. The industrial infrastructure of Germany would still be gone by 1945 and the A-Bomb would finish them off.

So I think the war would be over in 1945, even if Hitler were a perfect general.