World War 1 & 2

[MichaelBaron]

It was pretty significant in the defeat of Japan!
Russia only started fighting the Nazis after Hitler invaded it. Before then it was any ally of Germany - I guess Russian schools don't teach you about the Molotov Ribbentrop Pact?

What do you think would have been the outcome of WWII without US involvement in foreign countries?

Without Russia, it would be a loss 100%. Without USA, Germany would stand a chance of doing better...but still not
so clear.
Re Molotov Pact - yoo are right. Stalin was happy to take opportunity to get some territories back. and I am educated (just a little bit ) above the school level .
Stalin was masterminding plans that were similar to Hitler's - taking over the world and later on - he may have attacked Germany first! However, it does not take anything from the fact that the WW2 - Russian contribution in defeating Germany was the key one! Re Australian Involvement....Japanese knew Australians were there (they were mostly losing though - just like in the WW1) but I doubt Germans even knew Australia was fighting against them .
And was it a good idea for Australia to participate in WW2?

[MichaelBaron]

Well at least waited to see if he expanded out of Poland?
Didn't they have economic sanctions in those days?

Russians were happy to divide Poland with Nazis at that stage. but When Hitler invaded Chech Republic...Britain told him he was a ''naughty'' boy.

[Ian Murray]

A bit of history:

Operation Barbarossa
Battle of Stalingrad
The Soviet advance to the Oder, January–February 1945

[Scott Colliver]

WW2 was a terrible waste of life which all sides of the conflicts must bare responsibility.
The USA and Russia both should not have fought the Germans, they should have stood up for peace and not killing by refusing to fight.

[antichrist]

WW2 was a terrible waste of life which all sides of the conflicts must bare responsibility.
The USA and Russia both should not have fought the Germans, they should have stood up for peace and not killing by refusing to fight.

With your grandparents in the front line doing so. Germany took about a million forced labourers from around Europe including my Dutch neighbor's father. My Polish mates father was a forced guard at Auswtich herding them in. What job would nominate for your grandparents? Licking their boots?
I

[Ian Murray]

WW2 was a terrible waste of life which all sides of the conflicts must bare responsibility.
The USA and Russia both should not have fought the Germans, they should have stood up for peace and not killing by refusing to fight.

The Trolley Problem: Is sacrificing one life to save the lives of many others the best possible outcome?

[Kevin Bonham]

Posts deleted

Some silly/inappropriate posts above have been deleted.

A couple of the more trollishly inclined posters need to show some sensitivity when responding to Scott, and Scott, you are not to respond to a moderation request not being granted by derailing the thread with silly posts either.

Any further discussion of this may occur in the Help and Feedback section only but I will start banning posters from the thread and if necessary from sectors if the nonsense continues.

[MichaelBaron]

Hope its not considered off topic (as I think it is relevant) - who would be prepared to fight and die overseas against an enemy who is NOT invading your country ...If there is a time machine, who would go back and fight Hitler in Europe...NOT send the troops but go and fight? I would not!

[antichrist]

Hope its not considered off topic (as I think it is relevant) - who would be prepared to fight and die overseas against an enemy who is NOT invading your country ...If we there is a time machine, who would go back and fight Hitler in Europe...NOT send the troops but go and fight? I would not!

An analogy would be D Trump questioning the sacrifice of those killed unknown soldiers. If i was at my current age i may give it a go as substantially satisfied with my achievements in life and could donate the remainder for the greater good and the attractiveness of dying for a purpose

[antichrist]

A deceased friend was sunk 3 or 4 times by German U Boats but lived to tell the tale. He joined the merchant navy at only age 14 years.

He did a few other heroic things in life like copying Bligh's thousands mile trip in araft/rowing boat after his crew mutineered. I think he would have a very low opinion of people with your attitude. Have you checked how your bone spurs are thriving.

[Scott Colliver]

Hope its not considered off topic (as I think it is relevant) - who would be prepared to fight and die overseas against an enemy who is NOT invading your country ...If there is a time machine, who would go back and fight Hitler in Europe...NOT send the troops but go and fight? I would not!

I would not go and fight. I would be prepared to go to jail or even die rather than fight in a war like WW2. Killing is just wrong and there is no way I could be party to killing.

[MichaelBaron]

I would not go and fight. I would be prepared to go to jail or even die rather than fight in a war like WW2. Killing is just wrong and there is no way I could be party to killing.

And I would neither fight nor want to go to jail and die. I would try to work hard and smart to build wealth of my country, my personal wealth and to contribute to well-being of my family.

[Ian Murray]

And I would neither fight nor want to go to jail and die.

At present the ADF is an all-volunteer force so the question of loyalty does not arise. When conscription is introduced as in the world wars and Vietnam, you don't get to choose. Except in the case of conscientious objection (which can only apply to all wars and not specific wars, as established by legal precedent), when you serve in a non-combatant role somewhere, you get drafted or jailed (or go on the run).

Of course one's outlook is quite different at 18-20yo, when one is full of life and bullet-proof

I would try to work hard and smart to build wealth of my country, my personal wealth and to contribute to well-being of my family.

Such ambition would not sway a court hearing your draft-avoidance plea. You would do better working to change government policy, or change the government.

[Desmond]

The other way to end up in jail was as an internee, as an expat of a country we're at war with. Will be interesting to see how that is handled, if/when the war with China comes.

[Patrick Byrom]

Hope its not considered off topic (as I think it is relevant) - who would be prepared to fight and die overseas against an enemy who is NOT invading your country ...If there is a time machine, who would go back and fight Hitler in Europe...NOT send the troops but go and fight? I would not!

Of course, millions of Australians were prepared to fight and die overseas to defeat Hitler. They realised that if he wasn't stopped, he would eventually invade Australia. And the same argument applied to the Japanese.