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Putin criticizes Allies for Dresden bombing
MSNBC ^ | May 5, 2005

Posted on 05/05/2005 8:19:32 PM PDT by TFine80

BERLIN - Russian President Vladimir Putin told a German newspaper that Allied forces can’t be absolved of blame for horrors during World War II, and he noted in particular the massive bombing of Dresden in the final months.

Ahead of this weekend’s 60-year commemoration of Victory in Europe Day, Putin, in a joint interview with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, told Bild that the Western forces deserved to be criticized for attacking civilians.

“The Western allies didn’t abound with any special humanity,” the Russian leader said. “It’s incomprehensible to me to this day why Dresden was destroyed. There was no military reason for it.”

(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: dresden; putin; weasels; wwii; yourekiddingme; yourewelcome
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To: TFine80

Special, very special.


21 posted on 05/05/2005 8:43:50 PM PDT by 68 grunt (3/1 India, 3rd, 68-69, 0311)
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To: TFine80
Ah, and the Russian Army was pure as the drivin snow.

riiiiiight.

22 posted on 05/05/2005 8:43:53 PM PDT by Nachum
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To: TFine80
Memo to Putin:
Next time someone invades Russia you're f*cked because we wouldn't want to harm any civilians just to rescue your sorry a$$!
23 posted on 05/05/2005 8:44:16 PM PDT by wagglebee ("We are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom." -- President Bush, 1/20/05)
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To: TFine80; wk4bush2004; WOSG
Ehh... This certainly is a difficult subject. I mostly like Putin's quote "The Western allies didn’t abound with any special humanity, it’s incomprehensible to me to this day why Dresden was destroyed. There was no military reason for it."

The only "military reason" for the firebombing was to destroy German morale. Dresden was a city of deep historical value and little military importance- the Western allies leveled it as a direct (mainly psychological) attack on the citizens of Nazi Germany.

It's important to note that the city was quite leveled-

24,866/28,410 houses in the inner city of Dresden destroyed. An area completely destroyed: 14,000 homes, 72 schools, 22 hospitals, 19 churches, 5 theaters, 50 bank and insurance companies, 31 department stores, 31 large hotels, and 62 administration buildings. 222,000 apartments in the city- 75,000 of them totally destroyed, 11,000 severely damaged, 7,000 damaged, 81,000 slightly damaged.

So yeah, I think we did mean to kill civilians just fine.

Another somewhat important factor to observe- it's entirely unfair and irrational to ask Putin to explain massacres caused by a legendary tyrant, let alone one from an earlier political system.

24 posted on 05/05/2005 8:47:43 PM PDT by asgromo ("Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent." -Isaac Asimov)
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To: Calvin Locke

Bild-Zeitung although it is often incredibly and outrageously pro-Bush has also been pushing the German-Victimology stuff lately.

Germany has been going through a bizarre spell recently. Incredible that Putin would try to push it all on the US and the Brits.


25 posted on 05/05/2005 8:48:54 PM PDT by TFine80
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To: asgromo

It's unfair to Putin!?

He's clearly using this to kiss up to a sick trend in Germany and express his resentment against the Baltic refusal to celebrate the end of WW2. He is also affirming his support for revisionism in Russia.

Welcome to Free Republic.


26 posted on 05/05/2005 8:53:49 PM PDT by TFine80
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To: TFine80

Isn't it a little late to criticize something that happened 60 years ago when he has current issues on his own plate?


27 posted on 05/05/2005 8:55:42 PM PDT by MHT
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To: TFine80

Hey Vladimir, war is hell! People die. In WWII, over 50 million people died and in the end, nazism, imperialism and fascism were defeated. Too bad Ike and Truman didn't listen to General Patton's advice.


28 posted on 05/05/2005 8:58:11 PM PDT by Reagan Man ("Don't let the bastards grind you down." General "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell)
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To: TFine80

Well there's more where that came from. Sorry the Soviet air service was nil and useless at the time... kinda like their entire empire is today.


29 posted on 05/05/2005 9:00:32 PM PDT by SteveMcKing
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To: TFine80
Putin, who was a KGB spy in East Germany and speaks fluent German, said the civilian population in Germany had suffered greatly during the war but said it was not the Soviets’ fault.

Yes Putin, but that little demonstration stopped the Soviets from advancing any farther. You got the message!!!!!
30 posted on 05/05/2005 9:01:21 PM PDT by jec41 (Screaming Eagle)
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Comment #31 Removed by Moderator

To: tahotdog
>I don't think we meant to kill civilians.

You're joking, right? I mean, there was no OTHER reason for Dresden.

Many thousands of the victims were East European refugees fleeing the Soviets. Incinerating them at least saved them from our "Operation Keelhaul".

32 posted on 05/05/2005 9:07:05 PM PDT by PackardClipper
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To: TFine80

Exactly how is the massive bombing of Dresden any different from Germany's blitz on London? The fact that the allies were more successful?

Puti and Schroeder need to just shut up.


33 posted on 05/05/2005 9:10:05 PM PDT by TheBattman (Islam (and liberals) and gasoline producers and sellers- the cult of Satan)
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To: TFine80

Pukin was stationed in Dresden when he worked for the KGB.


34 posted on 05/05/2005 9:14:13 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe ("Man will be governed by God, or by God he'll be governed")
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Comment #35 Removed by Moderator

To: TFine80

People need to be reminded that Russia had a pact with the NAZI's before Adolph double-crossed them.

Russians are uncivilized and untrustworthy. IMO

Putin is fading from his promises.

GWB should revise and extend his remarks on Vlad.


36 posted on 05/05/2005 10:25:25 PM PDT by Finalapproach29er (America is gradually becoming the Godless,out-of-control golden-calf scene,in "The Ten Commandments")
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To: tahotdog; uscabjd; thoughtomator; asgromo; A Jovial Cad; SJackson; TapTheSource

At airforcehistory.hq.af.mil you'll find that Dresden contained well over 100 significant military targets. Civilian losses were mostly due to the fires that spread, and we did not have "smart bombs" in those days.

The propaganda about Dresden being an intentional civilian target was disseminated from neo-Nazi sites about a decade ago, and that propaganda effort continues.


37 posted on 05/05/2005 10:26:05 PM PDT by familyop ("Let us try" sounds better, don't you think? "Essayons" is so...Roman.)
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To: TFine80
Well let us count a couple of ways the Soviets were humanitarians.

Over 100,000 Germans surrendered at Stalingrad, less than six thousand ever made it back to Germany from the tender mercies of the Siberian gulags.

1939, Russians coordinated the invasion of Poland with Germany to split the land grab spoils with the Nazis. Upon the Polish surrender, ten thousand Polish officers were marched into the woods and executed by the peace loving commies.

May 1945, after the fall of Berlin, it was declared a open city. For 24 hours the Russian troops were allowed to run a muck upon the German civilians, in a raping, killing and looting frenzy.
38 posted on 05/05/2005 10:39:00 PM PDT by Ursus arctos horribilis ("It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees!" Emiliano Zapata 1879-1919)
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To: TFine80
“The Western allies didn’t abound with any special humanity,” the Russian leader said. “It’s incomprehensible to me to this day why Dresden was destroyed. There was no military reason for it.”

Dresden was hit and hit hard because it was very deep into Germany and it was to show the nazis that there was no place in their country that was safe.

It was for psychological reasons just like Germany's indescriminate V-1 and V-2 attacks on England.

39 posted on 05/05/2005 10:44:54 PM PDT by nightdriver
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To: familyop
I found this. I believe what you are referring to is this passage:

"In addition to its geographical position and topography and its primary importance as a communications center, Dresden was, in February 1945, known to contain at least 110 factories and industrial enterprises that were legitimate military targets, and were reported to have employed 50,000 workers in arms plants alone. Among these were dispersed aircraft components factories; a poison gas factory (Chemische Fabric Goye and Company); an anti-aircraft and field gun factory (Lehman); the great Zeiss Ikon A.G., Germany’s most important optical goods manufactory; and, among others, factories engaged in the production of electrical and X-ray apparatus (Koch and Sterzel A.G.), gears and differentials (Saxoniswerke), and electric gauges (Gebruder Bassler).

Specific military installations in Dresden in February 1945 included barracks and hutted camps and at least one munitions storage depot.

Dresden was protected by antiaircraft defenses , antiaircraft guns and searchlights, in anticipation of Allied air raids against the city. The Dresden air defenses were under the Combined Dresden (Corps Area IV) and Berlin (Corps Area III) Luftwaffe Administration Commands."

Are you going to imply that there were large cities during World War II that didn't have arms factories? The air defenses, of course, are a given, as was the munitions storage depot and the barracks. Please note that at the time, Dresden was a city of 300 sq. km. 110 large factories will fit more than comfortably. I don't understand your civilian losses comment either- do you think they didn't anticipate the fact that fires tend to spread, regardless of what's burning?

40 posted on 05/05/2005 10:57:15 PM PDT by asgromo ("Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent." -Isaac Asimov)
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