Comments by "Hermit Oldguy" (@hermitoldguy6312) on "Historigraph" channel.

  1. Belgium refused the French extension of the Maginot line. Belgium failed to defend its own border. Belgium refused French soldiers on its soil until it was too late. It's wrong to say that if France had extended the line to its northern coast it would "sell the Belgians out": the Belgians had their chance and made their choice. On the contrary, it would have given the Belgians a place of refuge, and ensured France's ability to defend itself. The villagers don't live in the castle, but they can take refuge there and continue the fight. That a part of the Polish Army (and French Army) escaped to Britain, meant they were able to continue the fight. Polish and Czech pilots helped defeat the Germans in the Battle of Britain. Polish, French, Czech and Norwegians fought in the Allied invasion of France (D Day). France fell in 6 weeks when it need not have fallen at all! The fall of France made Britain's situation far worse - it gave Germany french ports and airfields from which to attack Britain - and its task far greater than it need have been. Germany attacked through the Ardenne three times and they still haven't built the damned wall!
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  2. What kind of sovereign nation will let troops of an other nation operate within it's borders? A small nation, a weak nation. When Italy invaded Ethiopia, Haile Selassie went to the League of Nations to appeal for military assistance from the other great nations.
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  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Taranto
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  4. naval
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  5. This is not history, this is (partly anti-Churchill) propaganda. It is achieved by not giving dates for the key events,and by giving a false impression of the time-line of those events. You misrepresent the Phoney War so as to consign it to the realm of myth. In WWI, Fighting in Belgium began on 4th August 1914. The first major British action was at Mons on the 22nd August 1914. That is to say, Britain's Army was fighting 18 days after the invasion began. By comparison, in WWII, the first British action[1] in Europe began 7 months after the invasion of Poland: that is the Phoney war. [1] Unless I've missed something - I'm not a historian. 1 Sept 1939 Germany attacks Poland. Sept 1939 BEF goes to France (not Belgium!), and digs defences. Oct Nov The Phoney War. Dec In this period, there is no fighting between the armies of Jan Britain (or France, Russia) and Germany (or Italy). Feb March 9 April 1940 Germany attacks Norway, Denmark. Battle of Norway ends the Phoney War. 9 April 1940 British landings in Norway. 10 May 1940 Germany attacks Benelux and France. 10 May 1940 Chamberlain resigns. 10 May 1940 Churchill becomes PM. 26 May 1940 Battle of Dunkirk begins. 4 June 1940 Battle of Dunkirk ends. 10 June 1940 British leave Norway. 10 June 1940 Italy declares war on Britain, North African Campaign begins. Now then. You claim Churchill is made PM as a result of the disaster in Norway. 1. Plainly, Chamberlain resigned because the Germans invaded Belgium - which nullified his negotiated "peace in our time". 2. Churchill was made PM because Chamberlain resigned - can't hold elections when a major battle is about to begin. 3. The Battle of Norway was a defeat, but not a disaster (it was of course a disaster for Norway, and a big strategic loss to Britain). ------------------ Battle of Norway - Source: Wikipedia. German Army: 7 divisions, 100,000 killed/wounded, land/sea: 5,296 Allied Armies: Norway 55,000, Allies 38,000 Total 93,000. Killed/wounded, land/sea, Nor/Brit/Fra/Pol: 6,602 That's less than 10% losses. ------------------ For comparison, the BEF lost ten times as many men as the Total Nor/Brit/Fra/Pol losses in Norway. The BEF lost 66,426 killed/wounded/pow/missing - about 25%. That's a disaster.
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  6. Ah, I'm up to speed now. I'm not saying Belgium should've admitted the Maginot line, so the reason Belgium refused is of no concern to me. My point is that France should've continued the line to their northern coast. It would've made a big difference to France, Britain and Belgium -and Germany!
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  7. Well, his evidence against the Phoney war was 2 German attacks on RN ships, and some entertainment/propaganda film footage. That's called "damning with faint praise." Ahhhhh - my brain only works for short periods. He says there was real fighting going on, and points to enemy actions to make his point - which completely misses the point! The Phoney War describes the 7 month period in which the British and French armies were not fighting the German army.
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  8. Lol. "Nothing more negative here than previously." That's a curious defence - admitting you've got previous form.
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  9. With the Norway campaign, the Allies at least tried to take the initiative, but the Germans had the same idea and moved a fraction sooner. With Belgium, Britain and France waited patiently for 8 months for the Germans to take the initiative - a ridiculously generous move, which Germany punished heavily.
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  10. To be fair, the war cost the lives of what, ... 70 million people? It was worth avoiding - if it were possible. And when it came, Britain chose to fight - and bankrupted itself - a debt we're still paying.
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  11. Poland was restored by the Allied defeat of Germany in 1918. You're welcome. 1929 France began the construction of the Maginot Line (to 1938). 1936 Germany began building the West Wall to (1939). 1936 Germany retook the Rhineland. 1938 Annexes Austria 1938 Germany invades Czeckoslovak Sudetenland. When did Poland begin construction of it's West Wall? In the 1990's Poland was liberated by the collapse of the Soviet Union. Did Poland start construction of an East wall? In 2007 Poland dismantled it's border controls! So what exactly is Poland's current defence strategy?
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  12. Have you ever considered the possibility that Churchill might've spoken, and acted, on the advice of his Admirals and Generals?
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  13.  @PaulfromChicago  Ah, I see - you think you know everything and have nothing to learn from anyone.
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  14. Czechoslovakia was not part of the British Empire - it was not ours to give. Why you blame Britain for giving it, rather than blame Germany for taking it is a matter for your own conscience. I think you are being dishonest with yourself - you're certainly not fooling me.
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  15. We, the British public were led to think it was a cruise ship full of troops.
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  16.  @OBWanKenobi  I was. I only found out recently that Belgrano was a warship.
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  17.  @OBWanKenobi  Yeah, we didn't have the internet in 1982. Even Wikipedia didn't start til 2001.
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  18.  @OBWanKenobi  "The public were told". You're lying - and arrogant with it.
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  19.  @OBWanKenobi  Ah, you're a troll - I should've known
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  20. In order to defend Belgium, France must first defend itself: fight from a position of strength. You don't have to live in the castle, to be defended by it. Its existence is what matters. "If you do not build it, they will come." German failed to invade Britain because it was sufficiently well defended.
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  21. That's an insight into the history that has been concealed from you. Propaganda is not merely lies, it's carefully-selected truths.
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  22. This is anti-British propaganda intended to forment anti-British sentiment. The truth is, we liberated France from Germany - twice! The effort bankrupted the UK, and the British people are still paying that bill.
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  23. And yet the Battle of Norway began in early April.
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  24. Bear in mind that without having to fight the French Navy - the fourth largest Navy in the world, the British Royal Navy lost; 50,758 men and 102 women killed, 14,663 men and 22 women wounded, and 802 men missing in action, along with; 3 battleships, 2 battlecruisers, 5 fleet carriers, 3 escort carriers, 28 British cruisers and 6 Commonwealth/Dominion cruisers, 132 British destroyers and 21 Commonwealth/Dominion destroyers, 74 submarines, 8 minelayers, 32 minesweepers, 10 frigates, 22 corvettes, 10 sloops, 15 auxiliary cruisers and 1,035 smaller units. Meanwhile, the British Merchant Navy lost; 36,749 men and women killed, 5,720 taken prisoner, 4,707 wounded; along with 779 ships sunk. Why don't you make a video about _that_, Mr "Historigraph"? It'd be a pleasant change from this anti-British propaganda!
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