Warlords - Wednesdays RTE 2

McArmalite

Start of a very interesting programm on RTE 2 last night, Warlords. Basically it was about the mind games between Hitler, Stalin, and Churchill. Roosevelt was also mentioned, but will be featured later. Appartently things between him and Churchill were not so smug as presented during and after the war. Both had their own selfish agendas, ok no surprise there, they were politicans, but as I said, relations were not so cordial as presented during and after the war.

One interesting thing to emerge from it, appearently Hitler stated in Mein Kampf, that Germany should form an alliance with britain, with a sort of pact that britian keep out of land wars on the continent, and Germany to let britian have full control of the seas and overseas colonies. Also I didn't know, but Stalin signed a pact with Japan in 1941 (maybe some of you did, but still it was fascinating the psychological chess game they were all invovled in). Ill supply more info from the programm later.

But it will not be on next week due to soccer, but back in the week after. Good programm.

Fratton Fred

McArmalite wrote: »

Start of a very interesting programm on RTE 2 last night, Warlords. Basically it was about the mind games between Hitler, Stalin, and Churchill. Roosevelt was also mentioned, but will be featured later. Appartently things between him and Churchill were not so smug as presented during and after the war. Both had their own selfish agendas, ok no surprise there, they were politicans, but as I said, relations were not so cordial as presented during and after the war.

One interesting thing to emerge from it, appearently Hitler stated in Mein Kampf, that Germany should form an alliance with britain, with a sort of pact that britian keep out of land wars on the continent, and Germany to let britian have full control of the seas and overseas colonies. Also I didn't know, but Stalin signed a pact with Japan in 1941 (maybe some of you did, but still it was fascinating the psychological chess game they were all invovled in). Ill supply more info from the programm later.

But it will not be on next week due to soccer, but back in the week after. Good programm.

Hitler considered the British and Germans to be from the same bloodline and it was never his intention to go to war with Britain (Or France for that matter). Hitler's intentions were always to go east.

Roosevelt and Churchill had, from what I can gather, a kind of love hate relationship, Roosevelt saw Churchill as a dinosaur of an era passed and Churchill saw Roosevelt as being weak and only worried about politics, nit the world situation. Roosevelt also hated De Gaulle apparantly, he wanted De Gaulle out of the way and ignored entirely, Churchill had to act as a go between and quite often had to argue the Free French case. (Churchill realised that De Gaulle was a very important symbol of the free French and without him, France may have turned completey against the Allies)

Should be an interesting series, does it cover the Yalta conference?

McArmalite

" Two Civilisation: Warlords
Series revealing the untold stories of the warlords of the Second World War. Churchill and Roosevelt's relationship was far different to the popular image of loyalty and friendship. "

http://www.rte.ie/tv/listing.html?channel=132

Indeed I would agree that " Churchill and Roosevelt's relationship was far different to the popular image of loyalty and friendship ". I've contended for a while that the 'allies' relationship was not so rosy and comradely as presented. But that's the whole thing about WW2, it's presented as the Great Crusade to save mankind etc, but the reasons for all the countries to initially go to war was little different from WW 1 - imperial greed and self maintenance and nothing to do with freedom. Ofcourse the concentration camps and the preversity of Nazism have been presented as the reasons for the 'allies' going to war, but these gross crimes only came to light near the end of the war.

merrionsq

So they were all as bad as each other really?

Fratton Fred

McArmalite wrote: »

" Two Civilisation: Warlords
Series revealing the untold stories of the warlords of the Second World War. Churchill and Roosevelt's relationship was far different to the popular image of loyalty and friendship. "

http://www.rte.ie/tv/listing.html?channel=132

Indeed I would agree that " Churchill and Roosevelt's relationship was far different to the popular image of loyalty and friendship ". I've contended for a while that the 'allies' relationship was not so rosy and comradely as presented. But that's the whole thing about WW2, it's presented as the Great Crusade to save mankind etc, but the reasons for all the countries to initially go to war was little different from WW 1 - imperial greed and self maintenance and nothing to do with freedom. Ofcourse the concentration camps and the preversity of Nazism have been presented as the reasons for the 'allies' going to war, but these gross crimes only came to light near the end of the war.

read into it what you like, but most of Europe went to war because Germany started invading people. Britain and France went to war because Germany invaded Poland. If you want to read that as a great crusade fine, but most of europe still remembered WWI so there was a lot of reluctance to get involved. Chamberlain and his "Peace in our Time" meeting showed that.

McArmalite

Fratton Fred wrote: »

read into it what you like, but most of Europe went to war because Germany started invading people. Britain and France went to war because Germany invaded Poland. If you want to read that as a great crusade fine, but most of europe still remembered WWI so there was a lot of reluctance to get involved. Chamberlain and his "Peace in our Time" meeting showed that.

Well, if britain was so concerned over a country occupying other countries, they shoud have pulled out of all the countries under british occupation first shouldn't they :rolleyes:.

Fratton Fred

McArmalite wrote: »

Well, if britain was so concerned over a country occupying other countries, they shoud have pulled out of all the countries under british occupation first shouldn't they :rolleyes:.

then who would have rebuilt all the houses and roads in England after the luftwaffe blew them up?

merrionsq

Looking at Roosevelt and Churchill last night:
The incredible thing really is that Churchill and Roosevelt could get on, and built an alliance which lasted through the wartime difficulties and afterwards.

The problems of the relationship are certainly interesting as well, but hardly comparable to everyones relationship with someone like Stalin.

guinnessdrinker

I ment to watch this but I forgot, hope to catch the next programme. I seen this fuuny piece though posted by one of the guys in the humour forum, it shows the relationships between all the main players in WWII, it's class!.

McArmalite

Bit dull tonight. Wonder why the Americans didn't opt for the Balkans invasion ? Was Roosevelt been told something by his generals, would American supply lines have been overstretched or something. It's a bit of a sham that in a war supposedly to save people from dictatorship etc , almost half of Europe ended up only under a despot in the end all the same - Stalin ?

Fratton Fred

McArmalite wrote: »

Bit dull tonight. Wonder why the Americans didn't opt for the Balkans invasion ? Was Roosevelt been told something by his generals, would American supply lines have been overstretched or something. It's a bit of a sham that in a war supposedly to save people from dictatorship etc , almost half of Europe ended up only under a despot in the end all the same - Stalin ?

Read up on the Yalta conference, that will explain how it happened.

Nordwind

Pity I'm missing this. Anyone making a tape of these or are they being repeated by RTÉ? That reminds me - can I request tapes of the Hidden History series off RTÉ?