German invasion of Czechoslovakia on 15 March 1939

[Abitofalark]

Seeing past and current events in Europe: Hitler wanted a part of Czechoslovakia, the Sudetenland, which was German speaking and had a population of ethnic Germans. For peace, the powers of the time, France, Britain and Italy agreed to this in September 1938 - the Munich pact.

But within 6 months, on the morning of 15 March 1939 he rode into Prague with his tanks and seized Czechoslovakia. Within another 6 months he invaded Poland and by September we were having the war we had tried so hard to avoid.

We are trying very hard to avoid another one now.

A correspondent for The Times newspaper gave a vivid account to the BBC (in 1941) of the events that morning in Prague 83 years ago.

A link here, if you are signed into iplayer:
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02kxsv9

Or if not, Podcast:
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05pnvg5/episodes/downloads?page=7

What is your Aibu?

What’s that thing when if you refer to the Natzis to win an argument you automatically loose the argument?

Was all the rage when social media started?

Godwin's Law?

In not sure what the AIBU is.

But the parallels to the annexation of the Sudentenland have been pretty thoroughly discussed.

Watch 'The Grand Design' episode of Yes Prime Minister for more on salami tactics and appeasement

Im completely lost with this thread and can’t understand the responses

Godwin’s law!
Thanks.

OP, this situation is so awful, and we are so powerless, the comparisons to the Nazi’s are justified and frightening. What can we do though?

AIBU to see at least echoes or even parallels between the situation in Europe then and now, comparing the actions of Hitler and those of Putin?

The initial claim was of legitimate interest in having a limited territory, (German) Sudetenland in one case, Crimea and parts of (Russian)Ukraine in the other. Then the total invasion and taking over or obliterating the whole country to follow.

Soon followed by invasion of yet another country, in Hitler's case - will Putin stop or, like Hitler, has wider ambitions and can carry them out because he wasn't stopped earlier? Have we been duped and led by the nose and are appeasing a dictator once again? Might Poland or Estonia or Finland or some other be next? Will we avoid going to war until after it gets much worse and after Ukraine has been laid to waste and then go? Could we end up with the third world war as a result? That's the anxiety about the current situation.

There is no point worrying about WW3 because it’s already started.

Putin's certainly following the Goebbels playbook when it comes to lying.

Putin can't really invade any other countries because his army is inadequate.

Also not sure what the AIBU is.

If it's a suggestion that we should have gone in already and are merely delaying the inevitable... I think part of the issue is to show that we - being the west and NATO - are playing by international law, thereby emphasising that the invasion is entirely uncalled for. I expect there is a lot of interest and effort in keeping other countries, notably India and China, out of it, and removing pretexts for ideological war from other countries as far as possible. If we delay as much as possible, until there is absolute reason - legal reason - there is a reduced chance that others will feel justified in, as the saying currently goes, starting WW3.

It is horrible.

xpost

I think Ukraine is a particular bee in Putin's bonnet - he has long felt that it is Russia and wants to make his mark by bringing it back. He's not so concerned with other countries.

Oh Lord.

I wish you lot would go back to being epidemiologists.

Putin would live to be Hitler and is Hitler-like in every way, except for his army, which is in utter disarray and can never win any war. Hitler's army was the best in the world at the time and Russia would have lost WWII (as they lost WWI) if not for the allies rescuing them. The whole Russian army surrendered in the first few weeks of WWII

love to be*

Yanbu for seeing the parallels, it is extremely similar. Yanbu to fear WW3.

The big question is whether Putin is as irrational and psychopathic as Hitler. If so, we have a big problem. But if Putin is rational and has miscalculated, or if he is a nutter but people around him are powerful enough to get rid if him, then there is still hope.

It's a chat forum.
Another way to consider it, even more disgustingly reprehensible, is that Ukraine is wearing Putin down. He isn't going to come out of Ukraine stronger.

You know Britain invaded lots of countries back in the day too?

@Thewindwhispers Unfortunately, it's now quite evident that Putin is a psychopath and has completely lost his mind. Losing to Ukraine will be a huge embarrassment for him, so he will try to "save face" by either starting WW3 (because it's more prestigious to lose to Nato) or by causing a nuclear disaster

Hitler wanted more land to grow food, only he got more people too and some of them had to go

@Echobelly

I think Ukraine is a particular bee in Putin's bonnet - he has long felt that it is Russia and wants to make his mark by bringing it back. He's not so concerned with other countries.

This.

Do some research!