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From: lmc@denelcor.UUCP (Lyle McElhaney)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: How to Get Rich with a Time Machine
Message-ID: <433@denelcor.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 13-May-84 19:51:40 EDT
Article-I.D.: denelcor.433
Posted: Sun May 13 19:51:40 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 14-May-84 07:14:29 EDT
References: <1785@mit-eddie.UUCP>
Organization: Denelcor, Aurora, CO
Lines: 32


      The major point here is, does changing the time when the Americans
      reached Berlin first have a bearing on future events?  I do not
      remember when the Berlin Wall was built, but it most probably was a
      consequence of Russia's occupation of Poland and East Germany.  Had
      we reached there first, we could have avoided the building of the
      wall, and possibly the Cold War might not have come to pass.  But the
      ramifcations of that are unknowable.  It may be that war might have
      broken out between Russia and the U.S. for influence of Poland and
      East Germany.

Indeed it was a consequence, but somewhat more remote than appears to be
believed in the discussion. Russia's occupation of Poland and East Germany
bacame recognized, of couse, at the close of WWII, in 1945. Berlin was
partitioned at that time, to Russia's disgust, since it was buried deep
in "their" territory. The cold war really began shortly after WWI ended;
only our refusal to enter WWII until after Hitler attacked its ally Russia
kept us from a hot war with Russia in the meantime.  The "wall of shame"
was erected by the East Germans in August of 1961, in response to the 1000
emigrants per day leaving East Germany via West Berlin.

The cold war was in the cards; Berlin was only the convenient site for
the confrontation. Microhistory would have been changed if all of Berlin
and Germeny had been liberated by the western powers in 1945 - the effect
on the long run of history is much less certain.

Sorry about a dry history lesson in these surroundings, but if history isn't
clear, how can you (or I) tell it from an alternate reality? :-)  It's
also far from the original subject, but who cares?
-- 
		Lyle McElhaney
		(hao,brl-bmd,nbires,csu-cs,scgvaxd)!denelcor!lmc