So, would Bush have invaded the Soviet Union in 1945?

[quaoar]

Bush says Yalta was a big sell-out. So what would have been his brilliant fucking idea to prevent Soviet domination of Eastern Europe?

What would he have done, send the American army to Moscow?

[Fone Book]

1. Here's my history teacher's take-

"The decisions of 60-year-olds at home are made up by the actions of 16-year-olds on the battlefield." (paraphrase) --Joe Colistra, teacher of sophomore A.P. Modern European History

Stalin was able to declare Eastern Europe as his sphere of influence because the Red Army occupied Eastern Europe. Bush is a fucking jackass.

[Cocottelle]

2. Bush?

An idea? LOL!!!!!!!!!!!
;-)

[POAS]

3. Probably would have saved

one of the two a-bombs for Moskow.

[minnesotaDFLer]

4. or just made a new one

what a maniac

[Psephos]

5. FDR *was* snookered. The USSR was very weakened at the end of WWII.

But FDR was also very weakened at the end of WWII. Read one of the good biographies, and you'll understand that in those final months, he was fading fast, physically as well as mentally.

With benefit of hindsight, it's hard to see how anyone could agree to a partitioning scheme that practically guaranteed a geopolitical standoff between Eastern communists and Western capitalists. Yet, if not for FDR, there would have been no Yalta in the first place. The Yalta critics usually omit that.

Compounding the problem, Truman was later led to believe that the USSR was *way* behind the US in atomic weapons technology, and that the US monopoly would continue indefinitely, given that the Germans were out of the picture. A profound shock reverberated through Washington when the Soviets detonated their first bomb in 1949. In moments, the Cold War that had been laid in place by the partitioning of Europe crystallized into reality.

How shocking was the USSR's acquisition of atomic weapons? Enough that Bertrand Russell called for Truman to threaten the USSR with annihilation unless they dismantled their program. Russell, the ultimate peacenik, calling for a showdown over nuclear arms because the alternative - a Cold War ending with a nuclear hot war in the future - seemed inevitable. Wow.

As for Bush, all I can say is "phhhmpf." Whatever he knows about Yalta was printed on his breakfast tray placemat this morning.

Peace.

EDIT: inserted missing word

[AP]

6. FDR was fading? I could be wrong, but I thought his stroke was a huge

surprise?

[dflprincess]

8. Only to the public

Those close to Roosevelt knew his health was failing. FDR himself did not really want the 4th term, but didn't see anyway he could not run. Look at the pictures of him from the last year of his life and it's obvious he was not well.

Supposedly, one of the reason he picked Truman for VP was that he did not think he'd live out his term and he felt Truman would know how to be tough with Stalin.

[AP]

But wasn't he incredibly active laying down the foundation for the UN?

[Psephos]

11. The framework for the UN was agreed upon at Yalta

But despite his fervent belief in its necessity, FDR was not its actual architect.

Some say FDR wanted the UN badly enough that he made himself believe Stalin would keep his promise to hold free elections in Eastern Europe soon after the end of the war.

If you're interested in an excellent, concise account of FDR's final year, check out Robert H. Ferrel's The Dying President: Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1944-1945.

For the larger picture, try Conrad Black's Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom.

Peace.

[AP]

9. But wasn't he incredibly active laying down the foundation for the UN?

[AP]

10. But wasn't he incredibly active laying down the foundation for the UN?

[merbex]

16. His daughter knew how ill her father was;

a few surrounding FDR knew it was more than likely,MOST likely, he would not live to fulfill his fourth term

[AP]

7. FDR was fading? I could be wrong, but I thought his stroke was a huge

surprise?

[rwenos]

12. But there was still the War in the Pacific

FDR couldn't tell Stalin to f*ck himself, because we still had to finish against the Japanese. Stalin played coy, literally, until the last few weeks of the war against Japan, only declaring war against them (if he ever did . . . I'm not entirely sure) right at the end. His intention in August 1945 was completely cynical -- to get his hands on those islands between Sakhalin Island (part of USSR) and the northernmost Japanese home islands.

FDR was also dying. Read David Brinkley's book, "Washington Goes to War." The dirty little secret of the 1944 election was that FDR went through that campaign "grey." He was dying. Nobody said anything about it because they were hoping he'd live to see the end of the war.

Thus, Bush's shot today was about as cheap as they get. What a PRICK! And he dishonors his own father's heroic service in the Pacific air war!

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

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[Psephos]

14. The agreement Stalin didn't keep...

...was the one to hold free elections in Eastern Europe after the cessation of hostilities.

The agreement to declare war on Japan was pure opportunism. Japan had nothing left to fight with.

Peace.

[Radical Activist]

15. Bush's first answer to everything is war.

This is further proof. He doesn't believe in negotiations or peace. He is a homicidal war monger. Weren't the millions who died in WW2 enough?

[merbex]

17. Instead of realizing that the 2 Super powers managed to avert

a huge conflagation AGAIN, on the European continent- this time with nuclear weapons - and that containment works (thank you George Kennon) even though it took 50 years- this chickenhawk wants us to think he could have done it better?

I truly can't believe how often this guy manages, once again,to make me sick

[Hippo_Tron]

20. Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, and EVEN Nixon were really great...

When you think about the fact that they managed to keep us from going to war with the USSR.

[baldguy]

18. Bush would have invaded Britain.

And blamed Pearl Harbor on the Chinese.

[Hippo_Tron]

19. Only if they had oil

[okieinpain]

21. well your answer to that is north korea.