Hi, Robert Bashe!
I read your message from 11.08.2017 15:43

  ak>> Both WWars ended with a division of German heritage. After WW1
  ak>> Germany lost its vast overseas territories...
  RB> "Vast overseas territories"? Like what? Madagascar and Southwest
  RB> Africa? Compare that to the British Empire or even France. The
  RB> Kaiser was jealous and wanted to get a piece before the others took
  RB> all of Africa and the Far East - but he was too late.

The list of German overseas colonies was bigger:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_former_German_colonies

  ak>> ... and many other territories.
  RB> You mean the western part of Poland, most of which Germany took by
  RB> force with Stalin's enthusiastic cooperation.

I said about WW1 ending when France, Denmark, Poland and Czechoslovakia 
chunked territories from Germany.
https://www.ushmm.org/outreach/en/media_nm.php?MediaId=1620

  ak>> Russia didn't participate in the afterWW1 pie division. Russia
  ak>> itself was chunked by Poland as if Russia was a German ally.

  RB> I suppose that's why there was a secret addendum to the Molotov-
  RB> Ribbentrop treaty allowing Germany and Russia to split up Poland
  RB> between themselves.

It depends from point of view. IMO Poland was captured by Hitler, but 
the USSR returned its own territories.

  RB> That's probably why Stalin was so supprised when Hitler attacked
  RB> Russia - he thought both Russia and Germany had arranged quite a
  RB> nice deal for themselves. But only Russia got to keep it's share.

Many believe that originally, after France, Hitler wanted to attack the 
UK. But IMHO the UK did everything it could (including betraying Poland) 
in order to help Hitler to approach and attack the USSR. Poland was a 
hindrance. As for Stalin, it is well known Stalin trusted nobody, but he 
tried not to provoke Hitler until the last moment.

  ak>> After WW2 Poland as a country who fought Hitler had got some
  ak>> German territories as a reward. The USSR for its efforts in WW2
  ak>> got Koenigsberg.

  RB> And just a little more, namely the part of eastern Poland it had
  RB> taken after Hitler had taken the western part.

I can only repeat -- it was not a Poland territory and everybody at that 
time thought like this. Therefore, they called Hitler an aggressor, but 
didn't use this word for Stalin and the USSR.

  RB> Poland was merely "reimbursed for the Russian takeover by giving it
  RB> part of what had been eastern Germany before the war.

Well, maybe. Poland was considered by Stalin as an important future ally.

Bye, Robert!
Alexander Koryagin
fido7.fidonews 2017
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