Marcus: On March 31, 1949 Churchill spoke to a convocation of MIT at Boston Garden. It was 3 years after the "Iron Curtain" speech and within days of the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty, to which he alluded in his speech. This was one of the darkest points of the Cold War. Churchill struck a visionary note of optimism of how the struggle between the free world and Communism would turn out, which was indeed borne out 40 years later. Although Soviet Communism was then on the march, he said:
We need not abandon hope or patience. Many favorable processes are on foot. Under the impact of Communism all the free nations are being welded together as they never have been before and never could be, but for the harsh external pressure to which they are being subjected. We have no hostility to the Russian people and no desire to deny them their legitimate rights and security. I hoped that Russia, after the war, would have access, through unfrozen waters, into every ocean, guaranteed by the World Organisation of which she would be a leading member; that she should have the freest access, which indeed she has at the present time, to raw materials of every kind; and that the Russians everywhere would be received as brothers in the human family. That still remains our aim and ideal. We seek nothing from Russia but goodwill and fair play. If, however, there is to be a war of nerves, let us make sure our nerves are strong and are fortified by the deepest convictions of our hearts. If we persevere steadfastly together, and allow no appeasement of tyranny and wrong-doing in any form, it may not be our nerve or the structure of our civilisation which will break, and peace may yet be preserved. (Emphasis added.) I often think of these words when I think back on the 1989-1991 period. I never thought I'd see Communism collapse in my lifetime, yet this immense and powerful system did break in just three generations, as Churchill saw that it would. Joseph L. Hern Attorney at Law 156 State Street Boston, MA 02109-2585 tel: (617) 248-1919 cel: (617) 773-1919 fax: (617) 248-6844 email: [email protected] On July 22, 2013 at 4:08 PM Marcus Frost <[email protected]> wrote: > Wouldn't it be awesome if Churchill was still alive and could see what became > of the USSR. He was so right in what he predicted would become of them. > > > > > From: Tom Dennis <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Monday, July 22, 2013 2:39 PM > Subject: Re: [ChurchillChat] Churchill and Stalin’s Secret Agreement > > Naughty Document: > Since FDR care very little about Europe it appears Winston was hoping this > one on one agreement would hopefully draw some stronger lines in the sand on > what Stalin would actually demand or take in Europe. Once America left Europe, > W knew he was alone again and nothing could be done > > This document was another cue for Winston showing how powerless Britain had > become after the war. > > I wonder where this document is right now ? > > > > On Mon, Jul 22, 2013 at 9:42 AM, Chris Sterling <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]> > wrote: > > > The gist of the story is absolutely true . . .the so-called > > > "naughty" piece of paper story shows up in many respected sources. > > > Churchill, of course, was negotiating with little leverage as the Red > > > Army was already moving into Eastern Europe. WSC's chief concern was to > > > protect Turkey and especially Greece where Communist underground forces > > > were already gathering. And he worried about Poland, the invasion of > > > which had begun the European war in September 1939. He "won" with > > > Greece and Turkey, and "lost" with Poland and Czechoslovakia--but the > > > latter were likely lost causes with or without any agreement, even one > > > as totally informal and nonbinding as this one was. > > > > Chris Sterling > > > > Chris & Ellen Sterling > > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > > > > > > On Jul 22, 2013, at 12:24 PM, Daniel Ibarra wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Members of the list, is this a true story? Thank you. Daniel > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Churchill and Stalin’s Secret Agreement > > > > > > [chruchill-stalin] > > > <http://cdn1.warhistoryonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/chruchill-stalin.jpg> > > > The so called ‘Percentages Agreement’ was an outcome of a secret > > > meeting between the leaders of Britain and Russia that effectively sealed > > > the fate of millions living in Eastern Europe. > > > The meeting occurred in October 1944 as the realisation that the > > > war was all but won dawned on the allied forces. Both Churchill and Stalin > > > realised that it was imperative to secure a future whereby Germany would > > > be unable to attack its neighbours and thus, potentially avoid a future > > > world war. > > > However the fear of invasion petrified Stalin. After two German > > > invasions since 1914, Stalin knew that a military weak Germany and an > > > array of ‘buffer’ states – that have also been referred to as Soviet > > > ‘satellite’ states due to their sub-ordinance to Moscow, and the Eastern > > > bloc- were necessary for his country. He also knew that due to the amount > > > of fighting the Soviets had engaged in, he was entitled to serious > > > reparations and influence in the outcome of Europe. > > > During the meeting, Churchill slipped a piece of paper to Stalin > > > with a list of European countries on it, followed by the percentage of > > > influence he believed Britain and Russia were entitled to. The percentages > > > proposed indicated Britain’s loss of power in world affairs, with the > > > Soviet Union given far larger stake in the affairs of the Eastern European > > > nations – barring Greece, a traditional British sphere of influence. > > > What Churchill perhaps did not realise at the time was that > > > conceding Eastern Europe to Stalin would create a vast communist empire, > > > that’s expansionist tendencies would be a pivotal issue of the Cold War > > > that would dominate European affairs for the best part of the next > > > half-century. > > > > > > > > > -- > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > > > Groups "ChurchillChat" group. > > > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, > > > send an email to [email protected] > > > <mailto:[email protected]> . > > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > > > <mailto:[email protected]> . > > > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/churchillchat > > > <http://groups.google.com/group/churchillchat> . > > > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out > > > <https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out> . > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > "ChurchillChat" group. > > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > > email to mailto:[email protected] > > <mailto:[email protected]> . > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > > <mailto:[email protected]> . > > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/churchillchat > > <http://groups.google.com/group/churchillchat> . > > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out > > <https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out> . > > > > > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "ChurchillChat" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/churchillchat > <http://groups.google.com/group/churchillchat> . > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out > <https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out> . > > > > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "ChurchillChat" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/churchillchat <http://groups.google.com/group/churchillchat> . For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out <https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out> . -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "ChurchillChat" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/churchillchat. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
