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From: weemba@brahms.BERKELEY.EDU (Matthew P. Wiener)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Adverse effects of the Abolition of
Message-ID: <11619@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Thu, 30-Jan-86 07:42:50 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.11619
Posted: Thu Jan 30 07:42:50 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 6-Feb-86 10:51:33 EST
References: <1245@pucc-i> <7800911@inmet.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: weemba@brahms.UUCP (Matthew P. Wiener)
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 31
Summary: Why did Germany lose to USSR?

>>	This is surely going to ignite someone's ire, but I would even
>>go so far as to say that the only reasons the USSR didn't lose WWII were:
>>1) Russian Winter  2) US Aid (lend/lease)  3) Physical expanse of territory
>>and 4) Hitler's arrogant incompetence.
>
>Not the only reasons, but I'll agree that without even one of these
>Stalin would have lost the war.

US Lend/lease was a minuscule influence in the Soviet theatre.  If anything,
I'd call it bait for German subs, distracted from the Atlantic convoys.  Not
that that was the intention!  Missing in the list of major reasons is:

5) the month long delay in the start of Barbarossa, caused by Mussolini's
   defeats in Greece/Albania and the suddenly new anti-Nazi Yugoslavian
   government, thereby guaranteeing point 1) would occur before victory.
6) the knowledge that Japan would stay out, allowing crack Siberian troops
   to be brought to defend Moscow in time for December 1941, and
7) the dropping of Sovietism/Communism in favor of Mother Russia by Stalin.

This last point was immensely aided by point 4), which includes not only the
military incompetence Hitler now developed, but also his brutal treatment of
the indigenous populations.  The Germans were quite often greeted as welcome
liberators throughout the first month of Barbarossa, and could easily have
turned whole nations (Ukraine, Byelorussia, etc.) to their side.  Indeed,
more than any of the other points, I feel this is where Hitler missed his
greatest chances for conquering the Soviet Union.

---Sorry for going on so long on this tangent, but I find Americans' ignorance
 (I don't mean > and >> above!!) on WWII and the Soviet Union horrifying.---

ucbvax!brahms!weemba	Matthew P Wiener/UCB Math Dept/Berkeley CA 94720