#133
Post
by Sid Guttridge » 01 Apr 2021, 18:24
Hi rcocean,
You write, it was not FDR's "Responsibility to save the Germans". That was the impression I got from your posts. Anyway, thanks for clearing that one up.
You post,"It was FDR"s responsibility to save American lives by not supporting an Unconditional Policy that played into the hands of Goebbels, stiffened German Resistance, and destroyed any possibility of a surrender before May 1945."
No. Having had war declared on the USA, it was up to FDR to expend US lives wisely in the pursuit of victory, not to save US lives regardless of cost or consequences. A US surrender on 13 December 1941 would have achieved that aim.
You post, "I wonder how may family members of the 110,000 American who died in NW Europe June 44 to May 1945, would have exchanged their sons/brother/Father's life to have Germany surrender Unconditionally instead of Conditionally." Most, I would imagine. On the other hand ask them and the families of 12 million other servicemen in December 1941 if it was worth risking a 3% chance of death to achieve an Unconditional victory over Germany and Japan and you would probably get a different answer. You would probably also get a different answer from the 97% who survived after the event.
The dead were a tiny fraction (0.3%) of the US population. If you just canvas their families, you are ignoring 99% of the US population.
And don't forget the lives of those lost before June 1944. They were fighting for Victory, not a compromise peace. Conditional surrender might be regarded as a waste of their lives.
You post, "It you read the Official Foreign Policy history, you'll se that in Nov '43 Himmler was willing to work out a surrender. Himmler was willing to accept the terms of 1919. Withdrawal to Germany's 1933 borders, disarmament and some sort of reparations." That would be the same Himmler who was even then overseeing the genocide of millions of Jews? You will have to give us the actual quote, source and page number.
You post, "As for the Morgenthau Plan being "unimplemented" - that certainly wasn't due to FDR." So, he can't be blamed for something into which you appear to be saying he had no input.
On the other hand Himmler, who you seem to regard as a trustworthy partner in peace efforts, not only had planned the genocide of Jews and others, but implemented it! The fact that you are advancing him as Germany's peace interlocutor only goes to show that there was no "German Resistance" to speak of with whom to do a conditional peace deal,even if it was desireable!
Your position still seems to be that the Germans should have been saved from the consequences of their own actions, using US casualties as the justification, without regard to wider consequences.
Cheers,
Sid.