CHURCHILL WINS ON GREEK POLICY; GERMANS LAUNCH HEAVY ATTACKS (12/9/44)

Microfilm-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 12/9/44 | Raymond Daniell, Drew Middleton, Frank L. Kluckhohn, Spencer Davis, Robert Trumbull

[AU72]

Churchill’s actions will save Greece from the communists.

But take note that Stalin was silent on the Greek affair. Less than 60 days ago Churchill and Stalin carved up the Balkans with Yugoslavia going 50-50, Rumania 90-10 Soviet, and Greece going 90-10 Brit. Stalin got the best of that one.

[colorado tanker]

Yes, I think Churchill got all his bargaining power allowed. To his credit, however, Stalin is abiding by the deal.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

FDR must be making the issue a low priority if he is going to put his VP in charge of it.

[PapaNew]

Churchill may have had his issues, but he seemed to be, as Margaret Thatcher was later, most alert to the threat of governmental tyranny.

[henkster]

Stalin has bigger fish to fry than Greece. He was a very patient man, looking at the bigger picture and long term. The main objective for him was Central Europe, particularly Poland, Hungary and Romania. He was also backing Tito in Yugoslavia. Stalin got the far better of that deal, and was looking to keep the Lend-Lease rolling, and to get what he could out of Japan when the time came.

Why risk screwing up all of that over Greece?

[colorado tanker]

Poland has always been Russia's top priority to control.

Since Turkey, unlike Bulgaria, was never foolish enough to formally declare for Hitler, there is no opportunity to take the Bosporus in this war, Russia's other top priority. So, I agree, Greece would not be worth the price.

[1911a1freep]

Since this is the northern section of the 3rd Army advance would the Germans be trying to stop the 3rd Army from disrupting the German troops and resources getting ready to launch the Ardennes Offensive in a few days? I thought I read this in Ladislas Farago's Biography.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

See the discussion in replies 10-18

[colorado tanker]

Well, since FDR didn’t tell his veeps anything important, he has to find them something to do. :-))

[colorado tanker]

Churchill was never deceived by the communists. He just thought the fascists had to be dealt with first.

It was Churchill who blew the whistle on the "Iron Curtain" Stalin was throwing across Europe.

[PapaNew]

Then England goes and throws him out on his ear for some reason, I’m not sure why.

[colorado tanker]

Britain had had a Tory majority government since 1935, although from 1939 it was a unified national government. Indeed there had not been a general election since 1935, due to suspension for the duration of the war.

It came as a shock to many that Churchill was turned out but I think people were just ready for a change. Also, there seem to have been a lot of soldiers who by the end of the war were tired of orders from the mostly Tory officer corps.

It was really too bad. Labour inflicted damage to the British economy that was only undone in the Thatcher era.

[InMemoriam]

It wasn’t so much voting him out directly. His party did not elect sufficient MPs and lost the majority. Less like voting out Bush Senior and more like Tom Foley losing the Speakership.