Bismark:
"Place in the hands of the King of Prussia the strongest possible military power, then he will be able to carry out the policy you wish.. it can only be carried out through blood and iron"
I haven't read this entire thread, so please excuse me if I repete something someone else has said, but although I cannot think of anything along the lines of what Craven is looking for -- I can think of something Hitler did that I consider a mark in his favor.
Hitler personally killed the rottenest son-of-a-bitch that ever walked on planet Earth.
Hey, ya gotta give credit where credit is due.
Well, Walter, if you mean by "no" that Germany didn't have an aggressive foreign policy under Bismarck and Wilhelm II, then you are just plain WRONG. And I don't care if you are German, you don't know your own national history if you can make such a stupid statement.
larry, Please, no personal attacks. If you disagree with a poster's statement, please provide your opinion why you think it's wrong. We're trying to maintain a civil discourse in our discussions, and personal attacks do nothing to advance the discussion. Agreed? Thx, c.i.
At this point, the officer sez:
"Alright move along, there's nothing to see here.
OK, no personal attacks. Here's what I'm talking about when I refer to an aggressive German foreign policy:
1866--war with Austria
1870--war with France
1890-1914 German colonial rivalry with France and England in Africa and elsewhere, a leading cause of World war One, led by Wilhelm II
1914--Germany backs Austria in its ultimatum against Russia, launching World War One
This is all well known history and I don't know why Walter Hinteler would deny it.
Speaking of "agressive foreign policy": How about a country that get's it's start by practically wiping out the original inhabitants, and then later getting in the practice of going to other countries and slaughtering it's people in an attempt to "promote democracy".
Oh wait! that's a little too close to home. Strike that from the record.
Between Larry and Booman is the difference between yesterday and today. Let by gones be by gones, we can not blame the Turks for the Battle of Troy - but, in laying our cards on the table - current events dictate we have to battle the mad men of today!
BTW, I was born in Germany of American parents; however, this doesn't shade the issue for me as I was 1 years old when we returned to the USA!
larry, during the 80 or so years you encompass, (going forward to 1945) - there is no denying that German Foreign Policy was extremely brutal! But, that said - I never want anyone to link me with the Bush Foreign Policy either.
Maybe people will say something like, "That American Foreign Policy of Bush the Younger was sure brutal as compared to the two excellent Foreign Policies of the Clinton's that it was inbetween!"
Germany didn't exist before 1871 (and ended 1806 as Holy Roman Empire of German Nation).
And I didn't notice that we were speaking about who started when what wars why.
Bill,
..There is a method to my madness: "He who forgets history is doomed to repeat it."
...In my sarcastic, (and hopefully lovable) way, I'm simply trying to lend perpsective, gently caution everyone to be careful in poiting moral fingers.
Booman, Nobody has a moral finger, if you get my drift. LOL c.i.
Booman, and I loved it
BTW, there seems to have been a lot of "self-moral" fingers being around these threads the last couple of days!
Did nobody catch my inner play from before
BillW, You sure that wasn't "outer?" Like, "get otta here!" c.i.
Now are we gonna get into the inny vs outtie digression -
Actually, it was a betweenie - Bush Jr. betweenie two Clintons!
c.i.
