The Battle of Britain Was The First Defeat For The German Luftwaffe.

[Sternjaeger II]

Originally Posted by bongodriver

Again I will stress there are no denials of any conduct good or bad from my part, I just don't get the point of all this revision on a past achievement, what was wrong with the established theory, why are people using so much of their time on this, will the world be a better place?

I suppose it's not the specific case of the Battle of Britain, it's more a case of assigning improper definitions to events and giving special meanings to events that were important only in hindsight for the sake of national pride.

Was BoB a necessary battle? No.
Did it bring any change to the conditions at the beginning of the conflict? No.
Was it a victory for the British? It surely was for morale and propaganda.
Was it a military victory? No.

It's an important debate for many historians, and it's getting harder to deal with when thinking of recent conflicts (from the 80s onwards).

[bongodriver]

yeah, you see sarcasm the way is used in Britain is considered out of place in many other cultures. Just because we speak your language it doesn't mean that we also think like you do.

Well I'm awfully sorry about that....it's mainly a symptom of having preserved our culture by not being beaten in conflict and assimilated into another, but you are apparently a master theorist on what the British mentality is....yet I just had to explain that one to you.

[Bewolf]

Originally Posted by bongodriver

Well I'm awfully sorry about that....it's mainly a symptom of having preserved our culture by not being beaten in conflict and assimilated into another, but you are apparently a master theorist on what the British mentality is....yet I just had to explain that one to you.

Hope you are aware that others could regard such a matter of fact as "stagnation". And if you go by history, this very attitude usually preludes a negative development in a nations fortunes. It seriously is not 1945 anymore, regardless of what Rupert Murdoch says.

[bongodriver]

Originally Posted by Bewolf

Hope you are aware that others could regard such a matter of fact as "stagnation". And if you go by history, this very attitude usually preludes a negative development in a nations fortunes. It seriously is not 1945 anymore, regardless of what Rupert Murdoch says.

Quite agree....the Germans should have just accepted what happened in WWI, then this conversation wouldn't be happening, but then the 4th of july celebrations didn't seem to hurt the US any.......

[Bewolf]

Originally Posted by bongodriver

Quite agree....the Germans should have just accepted what happened in WWI, then this conversation wouldn't be happening, but then the 4th of july celebrations didn't seem to hurt the US any.......

If you can sincerely tell me that the UK would have accepted the same results had they lost WW I, this argument may hold some truth. (For perspective, that would have ment giving up Wales, Scotland, Ireland (all areas without native english populations), all british colonies, demilitarisation of the Midlands under threat of France to occupy them if the huge compensation money was not to be paid.)

I personaly agree, Germany should have accepted it. And it probably would have without the added strains black Friday brought to the world.

In regards to the US, I dare say that WWII changed the US as fundamentally. If you compare the US before and after WW2, the attitudes displayed towards the world had utterly changed. If for the better or worse is debateable.

[Bewolf]

Originally Posted by Sternjaeger II

look at us, still debating over this at 9am!! Aren't we a sad bunch?!

time for a black coffee me thinks!

Milk, please!

yeah, i am a Sissi, hehe.

[bongodriver]

If you can sincerely tell me that the UK would have accepted the same results had they lost WW I

it's a good question....but I dare say there would have been bugger all we could have done about it........and theres a good chance the Welsh, Scottish and N irish wouldn't have had too much trouble coming to terms with it.