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From: g-rh%cca@cca.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: Re: Air raid on Libya
Message-ID: <7554@cca>
Date: Sun, 27-Apr-86 04:56:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: cca.7554
Posted: Sun Apr 27 04:56:00 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 11-May-86 16:54:02 EDT
References: <720@ark>
Lines: 37

In article <> clewis@mnetor.UUCP (Chris Lewis) writes:
>
>Certainly, ignoring aggression had something to do with WWII.  But, surely
>you don't think a Rambo Reagan style bombing raid on Berlin in the late 30's
>would have avoided WWII do you?  On the contrary, it would have simply started
>the war earlier.  In retrospect, the only thing that Europe could have done
>that had any chance of avoiding WWII (if you ignore assassination attempts
>in the very early 30's, before people realized how dangerous Hitler would be),
>would have been to send troops into Czeckloslovakia (I always have trouble
>spelling that - sorry) on the invitation of that country *before* Hitler 
>invaded it.  And, at that point Europe wasn't ready for a military 
>confrontation.  They still weren't ready when they finally drew the line 
>and followed through on Poland ("If you invade Poland, a state of war will 
>exist between ..."), but they managed to hold on and develop their 
>strength until they could effectively combat Germany (with assistance of 
>course from the US later on).
>
	Historical Correction:  The earlier aggressive actions by Germany
prior to WWII could have been stopped simply by telling Germany NO.  In
particular: (a) Germany was disarmed prior to Hitler's ascent to office.
Hitler rearmed in violation of the treaty of Versaille.  At that point
it would have been simple to keep Germany from rearming. (b) When the
German troops went into the Saar they went in with standing orders
to retreat immediately if there was objection on the part of the Allies.
(c) The occupation of the Sudetenland was forced by the Allies (peace
in our time, you know.)  At that time the Czech's were the military 
equal of Germany; however the major Czech fortifications were in the
Sudetenland.  The effect of the surrender of the Sudetenland was to
drastically alter the balance of power between Germany and Czechoslovakia.

	In short, in 1935 any major European power could have stopped
Hitler because Germany had no effective military power.  Hitler rearmed
without real opposition in spite of an announced policy of conquest and
in spite of treaty agreements which the Allies had agreed to enforce.
By 1939 it was too late.

		Richard Harter, SMDS Inc.