First post - Hi, I hope no one gets butt hurt if I mention the war here, and by that, I mean WWII

Promise i won't call you late for dinner.

 

The subject is not taboo as it is a ww2 forum. So tell us what shocking things you have to say. I am sure it will be riveting.

 

Shocking things...


We let Germany off lightly...
Why did the UK have to pay back USA for Germany's war?


and the whole state of Europe since Napoleon to Hitler to today...
People won't like my points of view on 'the war' or the EU.

 

"Why did the UK have to pay back USA for Germany's war?"
Don't know. Guessing something to do with Lend Lease?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lend-Lease

 

I know why...

But I don't know why we didn't just send Germany the bill?

As I said, why did we have to pay for Germany's war, and we won, we should have just billed Germany for what happened in Europe and made Germany pay back USA.

 

I guess there's more pride in winning a war and paying for it yourself.

 

Well, I guess that's true...

Lessons learned from WWI and all...

Just sucks how quick France forgave Germany and how De Gaulle tried to block GB's entry into the EEC (now the EU)...

It's like... Italy are quick to say how they were liberated by troops from all over Europe for the allied forces, with out realising that nobody liberated (because they didn't have to) the UK.
It's neat that a Polish guy liberated your town in a British uniform serving the King... but.... Europe forgets its WWII history and snubs GB for helping liberate the continent... Like... De Gaulle was happy for Americans to die for the liberation of France, but so hated the British, he was 'Gualled' when he had no choice but to let the British help, and he never forgave Britain for helping him.

 

I think from Winston's perspective the clue was in the wording; give us, not sell us the tools.

Brian

 

Can you dumb that down, OP? Recognize the Churchill ref.
Was it only war loan repayments that caused hardship for the Brits after WW2?

 

He was a Conservative, they know you don't get anything for free.

 

Also a Liberal for a short while I think and they believe everyone should be given everything for free. Brian

 

As Otto said, things are much more complex than it seems. We remember the lend part of Lend/Lease, where we supplied war materials to the British, but the lease part is usually forgotten. In return for the war materials we "give" to the British, they turned over nearly all it's naval facilities in the Western Hemisphere to the United States.(the British navy controlled the Atlanic) . The U.S. Needed these facilities to supply the war machine and patrol the Atalantic, but this also gave the U.S. Control of the North Atlantic which is Europe's highway to the world. GB was never in a position to regain control of these facilities. For a small price in blood and treasure (compared to the rest of the world) the United States emerged from WWII ruling all th worlds oceans, occupied most of Europe, became an industrial powerhouse and the first super power .

After WWII the European nations were simply exausted and bankrupt and not in a position to regain their control in Europe.
The real question to ask is, was the U.S. emergence as a super power planned by Roosevelt, or just happen as a consequence of the
war? Guess it doesn't matter. So does GB owe us for the war supplies? I think we have been paid well already.

 

from 2006.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4757181.stm

 

I had not realised you were an American.
I draw this conclusion as that definition of 'liberal' certainly doesn't fit the party that Churchill belonged to, or any UK definition of the term.
I mean, even if you were attempting to translate for US members here, the early C20th Liberals were not really socialists, which appears to be the implication.

You'll be firing pistols in the air and shouting yee-ha next...

 

Ben, maybe have a search on here and Google for 'Morgenthau Plan'. That should take you to some more detailed chatter on why the concept of 'rustifying' Germany was eventually rejected.

 

The Brits and Commonwealth countries, as well as Germany and France (at times) have had our (the US) backs in most of the wars of the last 70 years. I'd say that's a pretty solid argument for how WWII was settled.

 

I agree. It's clear that the plan was not to repeat past mistakes and set up a "proper" system post war allegiances. Helped for most involved.