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2004-10-18 Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

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Posted by Anonymoose 2004-10-18 11:28:48 PM|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 I find it hard to believe they would have treated a convicted spy with such respect and dignity considering how atrociously they treated POWs and civilians in occupied territories throughout the war, e.g. Bataan death march, rape of Nanking, etc. If this article is true, then Sorge was quite lucky to be executed with a minimum of fuss.

Posted by Dar 2004-10-18 9:56:39 AM|| 2004-10-18 9:56:39 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 I ever considered Sorge's role was higly inflated: with the Germans at the doors of Moscow Stalin would have been a fool to not bring back the troops from Siberia. And even without any Soviet resistance the poorly motorized Japanese Army would have taken ages to reach "real Russia".

Posted by JFM 2004-10-18 2:34:37 PM|| 2004-10-18 2:34:37 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 Japan's advance westward across 11 time zones would have been several times more disastrous than Hitler's march eastward.

Posted by lex 2004-10-18 2:45:56 PM|| 2004-10-18 2:45:56 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 JFM:
Remember that the troops in the Far Eastern district started moving in September, while the Germans were still a ways from Moskva and there was a hope that they could be held in Smolensk. While Uncle Joe would likely have moved the divisions west if the situation got desperate, it takes time (about a month) to organize them for shipment, get them west, then reorganize them to fight again.

Posted by jackal 2004-10-18 3:30:57 PM|| [http://home.earthlink.net/~sleepyjackal/index.html] 2004-10-18 3:30:57 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 After Zukov kicked the Japaneae Armies collective ass in Mongolia the Imperial Army was in dread that the Red Army would move on them in Manchuria. The idea that Japan would attack the USSR as part of the pact with Germany and Italy is happy smoke in my opinion. In fact Hitler's biggest mistake in my opinion was not that he invaded the Soviet Union but that he declared war on the United States. That put the full weight of the Worlds greatest industrial power fully behind the British and really opened the door to lend lease to the russians. If Hitler ahd not declared war on the US it is doubtful IMO that the US would of been involved in the Eurpean war at all and and it most likely would of ended in a negotiated settlement that would of left Britian independent but largely shorn of hr empire. The settlement between the Germany and the USSR would of been somewhere in Belarus and the Ukraine. With the US devoting her entire resources to a naval war with Japan we might of seen an invasion of the home islands by late 44. Just my opinion

Posted by Cheaderhead 2004-10-18 5:30:59 PM|| 2004-10-18 5:30:59 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 They was gonna take the train JFM, didn't need no motorization.

Posted by Shipman 2004-10-18 6:46:50 PM|| 2004-10-18 6:46:50 PM|| Front Page Top

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