For that I think we have to give great credit to George Marshall and Harry Truman. They saw a vacuum and knew that something would fill it quickly, and so they had the US step forward with generosity and forgiveness ("It was never you, people, with whom we were at war, it was merely your feckless leaders. Now that they are gone, we can be friends."). Tremendous foresight.
It fit Gen. MacArthur's personality to a T. He was the Shogun.Yes, certainly. Give some credit also to Douglas MacArthur, whose enlightened administration of Japan paved the way for the peaceful, democratic nation we know today.
Watch an excellent British produced documentary called The First World War. I didn't realize how new some of the techniques and weapons that were used in that war. I also gained a lot of respect for Marshal Foch of France. He was only 65 days off of his prediction of a Second World War.
It fit Gen. MacArthur's personality to a T. He was the Shogun.
I remember a joke going around shortly after Reagan went to Normandy for the 40th anniversary of D-Day. Along with French dignitaries were the British and Canadians. Someone commented that it would have been politically correct and reconciliatory to have invited the Germans. Someone then said, "We did invite the Germans, but they showed up 3 days late, and went to Pas de Calais instead".I made a joke at my wife's expense. She loves France and said she wanted to go to Paris. I told her the quickest way was to march in from Berlin. Needless to say, she wasn't thrilled with me.
Actually, it's via Rotterdam and Brussels.I made a joke at my wife's expense. She loves France and said she wanted to go to Paris. I told her the quickest way was to march in from Berlin. Needless to say, she wasn't thrilled with me.
I remember a joke going around shortly after Reagan went to Normandy for the 40th anniversary of D-Day. Along with French dignitaries were the British and Canadians. Someone commented that it would have been politically correct and reconciliatory to have invited the Germans. Someone then said, "We did invite the Germans, but they showed up 3 days late, and went to Pas de Calais instead".
Figured I'd revive the thread with this.
http://www.collegehumor.com/article...tory-of-the-world-world-war-i-to-world-war-ii
glad you did. I had a great trip this year and visited not only Normandy and a number of little known spots, such as bloody gulch, but also visited the battlefields at Thermopylea, Salamis, leuctra, Marathon, and Pleatea. Now that was interesting.! MOAON AABE!
I'm officially jealous.
Figured I'd revive the thread with this.
http://www.collegehumor.com/article...tory-of-the-world-world-war-i-to-world-war-ii
Awesome. Post if there are others.
Best contribution I can make is the following (most probably aware of it anyways):
http://www.realclearhistory.com/
Those are real good.
One of the coolest spots in Normandy is when you get to St Lo. The bridges over the river all feature a US flag prominently displayed and many places around have signs that say, Welcome, our liberators" That, and the the posts that every kilometer count down the " road to freedom" are really moving.
It's hard to imagine how devastated that town was as you drive into it today.
Right now I'm reading " A Peace to end all Peace" by David Fromkin. About the end of the ottoman empire. This figures in prominently in Greek history which I became a fan of while there.