Chris Jenkins Posted June 22, 1999 Share Posted June 22, 1999 Fifty-eight years ago today, Operation Barbarossa began. Hitler said that the world would hold its breath. Well, the world caught its breath in time to crush Hitler's country and reduce it to ashes. Now we hold our breath for Combat mission. This invasion is different. Our enemies are corporate mediocraty and the industrial belief that ideas are generic. Anyway, happy Barbarossa Day. Without this day, Hitler could have kept the Third Reich intact and created a dark ages in Europe that might still exist today. Hopefully, we'll soon be celebrating Beta Day. ------------------ Climb to Glory! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike D Posted June 23, 1999 Share Posted June 23, 1999 Chris, Mmmmmmmm, BETA DAY. Are you turning blue yet? I've been holding my breath for a couple of months now and CM still doesn't seem to show up any quicker Anyways, I too thought about the historical significance of today's date as I was opening my day planner at my desk this morning to see what boring meetings I would have to attend (there were 2 of them unfortunately). I often wonder if a few things had gone differently in Russia could the Germans have captured Moscow and effectively knocked Russia out of the war??? Even if they had, given the Russians propensity to fight as partisans would the thousands of them left after the government capitulated have fought on anyway? Would the government have even capitulated in the first place, or just moved further to the east and fought on. While losing Moscow would have been a crushing blow to morale, much of the industrial might around the city had already been moved to the east (if I am remembering the books correctly). My guess is they would have fought on anyways. The deeper the Germans penetrated the country the more overextended their supply lines became and this probably would have caught up with them. I think this was proven in part at Stalingrad and in the Causcus's in '42. Even if they didn't fully succeed in knocking Russia out of the war it would have been interesting to see the affects of the after war situation on the military might of Russia. Would they have been so drained that they couldn't even retake all of Mother Russia, let alone eastern Europe and Berlin before the Americans and British took Berlin? Would there never have been a Cold War? Of course if they had been that bad off the Germans probably would have shifted more divisions to France and may have made the Western Allies job there very difficult indeed. In any event, it is interesting to ponder what might have been and be thankful for the most part that things turned out the way they did as a result of the determination and sacrifice of many good men. Regards, Mike D aka Mikester [This message has been edited by Mike D (edited 06-22-99).] [This message has been edited by Mike D (edited 06-22-99).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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