While this Iran deal is dangerous and reprehensible I wish people would stop using Munich as a go to metaphor. The Munich syndrome, even more than Pearl Harbor, influenced the foreign policy of the US for over 60 years. And some of those policies were decidedly harmful to America. And Chamberlain was not the fool he is painted to be. In the fall of 38 there were real questions about the ability of the UK to oppose Germany’s military. Figures show that in all of the UK there were 8 squadrons of modern fighters while the Luftwaffe had been honing its skills and creating a myth by its operations in Spain. The fear of attacks on English cities was very real. France was in no bettter shape. That Germany was not as powerful in 38 as believed does not alter the fact that Chamberlain’s decision was based as much on incomplete intelligence of their advesary and a real understanding of their own military shortcoming as it was on a desire to avoid war.
Sayeth What?
Then Britain and France were pretty stupid to come to an agreement with Poland in case Germany attacked; just look at a map, how were they supposed to help Poland? Poland was also stupid, they thought they were stronger than they were and the Wehrmacht crushed them.
Since Russia came in to partition Poland after Germany had crushed her, where was the declaration of war towards Russia?
While I don’t think Chamberlain was weak, his desire to have peace at any cost, cost them. Churchill knew what was going to happen.
That’s all true. And even if Britain and France has somehow been able to mount an invasion of Germany in 1939, by the time such an operation would have been ready, Poland would have still been overrun, and winter would be fast approaching. And with Germany having a stronger industrial base than either Britain or France in 1939 (or 1938 for that matter) the Germans would have been able to hold any plodding WWI-style invasion launched by those nations, until its greater resources were brought to bear. The only hope for a sucessful invasion of Germany even in 1938 would be if the Soviets decided to stab their beleagued ally in the back by invading—but they’d have to pass through Poland first, a tough job without Germany. And as for not declaring war on the USSR in 1939; the Soviets were seen as merely taking back those parts of Poland rightfully belonging to the Ukraine (they were populated mostly by Ukrainians and Jews, not Poles).