Friday, March 07, 2008

 

This Day in the History of Missed Opportunities


On this day in 1936, Adolf Hitler ordered his troops to march into the Rhineland, breaching thereby both the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Pact. The French Army in the area outnumbered the German troops nearly 10 to 1 but were paralyzed by weak leadership in Paris and did nothing. Britain and Italy, bound by the Locarno agreement also did nothing. Had they kicked the Germans back out with appropriate casualties, that would have been the political end of Hitler and 50 million would not have died in WWII.

They were probably thinking that war is not the answer. I think it depends on the question.

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To make it even more awful, the Germans were under orders to retreat if they met any resistance whatsoever. ("If they saw as much as a French anti-tank gun crew on the road", was how my history professor put it.)

The allies wouldn't have even had to fight. Just show up.
 
That is indeed sad, Robert. Thanks for the comment. Very helpful.
 
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