I would also point out that the West was at least able to get Stalin to sign
something about free elections. True he ignored it, but it was the best the
western leaders could do. WSC did ask the Imperial general staff to review
military options ("Operation Unthinkable"). Even with the use of US, British
and Polish troops AND rearming some Germans, the result was a finding that a
military option was impossible.
And let's not forget that the West was at least able to to get the Soviets to
evacuate Austria and Iran and that Yugoslavia and Finland were kept free of
Soviet troops. Sometimes you take you victories where you can get them.
Anthony
Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2011 10:19:02 +0000
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [ChurchillChat] Stalin vs. Churchill and Roosevelt
I concur 100% with that. Stalin did make chumps of FDR and WSC, especially FDR,
who was a death's door at the time (Yalta). My point is that it would not have
made much difference if he hadn't, that is, if FDR & WSC had stood up to him.
Stalin could have refused to collaborate in defeating Japan, but it would not
have been in his interest to refuse (remember this was before the A-bomb), and
the Berlin blockade could have taken place 3 years earlier. (Would the USA &
the UK have been willing to attempt the airlift in summer 1945, so soon after
having spent so much blood and treasure fighting the Germans?)
Another factor - there was considerable sympathy for the Russians in the west
for the the terrible devastation that the Nazis had wrought in the USSR.
CES
----- Original Message -----
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, January 4, 2011 12:27:44 AM
Subject: Re: [ChurchillChat] Stalin vs. Churchill and Roosevelt
I didn't say they should have taken military action - that would have been
obviously impossible. The electorate in neither Britain or America would have
stood for it. But there was leverage. We'll probably never know the full
impact of Lend Lease on Russia, but it was significant. Stalin was always
afraid that Britain/United States would cut a deal with Hitler - just as
WSC/FDR were afraid Stalin would do. Britain went to war over Poland - and
then abandoned them.
All of which is irrelevant. The article's point is that Stalin made chumps out
of both WSC and FDR. I think the author makes a good case.
Jonathan Hayes
--- On Mon, 1/3/11, Carey Stronach <[email protected]> wrote:
From: Carey Stronach <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [ChurchillChat] Stalin vs. Churchill and Roosevelt
To: [email protected]
Date: Monday, January 3, 2011, 8:43 PM
What else could FDR and WSC do, start World War III just as World War II was
ending? And how about the war in Asia? The atomic bomb had not been built and
tested at this time, and they believed they needed Soviet help to defeat Japan.
CES
----- Original Message -----
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, January 3, 2011 11:34:57 PM
Subject: Re: [ChurchillChat] Stalin vs. Churchill and Roosevelt
Stalin was going to take it, no question. But WSC and FDR didn't have to agree.
Jonathan Hayes
--- On Mon, 1/3/11, Carey Stronach <[email protected]> wrote:
From: Carey Stronach <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [ChurchillChat] Stalin vs. Churchill and Roosevelt
To: [email protected]
Date: Monday, January 3, 2011, 5:23 PM
Stalin also had the Red Army, with more than twice as many troops as the
Americans, British & Canadians combined.
CES
----- Original Message -----
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, January 3, 2011 5:51:48 PM
Subject: [ChurchillChat] Stalin vs. Churchill and Roosevelt
Check out http://www.historynet.com/stalin-the-puppetmaster.htm
Basically, it proposes that Stalin was a far better negotiator than either WSC
or FDR and so was able to get everything he wanted without giving anything up.
I found it a very interesting article.
Jonathan Hayes
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