Good Guys Strike Back!

[dawg80]

And this...there was a mini-World War immediately at the end of WWI. In fact, it started the next day after 11/11/1918...Armistice Day. In what is known as the Estonian War for Independence, it developed into a world war, as Lithuania joined with the Soviets, and Germany, Great Britain, Finland, and Latvia supported Estonia. Thinking the Estonians would be pushovers, the Soviets invaded with only a 5,000-man army, and sent its entire "modern" fleet of the Baltic Sea, which were two destroyers and two cruisers. The Soviets had two aged battleships, circa 1890, but they were barely seaworthy and stay anchored at Petrograd. The Soviets had completely surprised the Estonians and gained an early advantage. The Estonians, like most of the rest of the world, were celebrating an end to the Great War. The small Soviet force swept into Tallinn, the capital city. The Bolsheviks declared victory and announced they were annexing Estonia.

The Latvians were aghast and alarmed. Were they next? The Estonian army escaped into the country's interior and rallied. Latvia pledged its support for its northern neighbor and sent 5,300 men to fight with the Estonians. Great Britain stopped just short of declaring war on the USSR. But they did issue a stern warning to the commies they must withdraw from Estonia immediately. The Germans also pledged to support Estonia and Latvia and sent 7,300 troops into Latvia. Finland sent 2,000 troops to their border with northern Russia and sent two modern cruisers into the Baltic Sea. The Soviets called the bluff of these nations...and soon paid a price. A British Navy squadron arrived and immediately captured the 4 Soviet warships and then turned them over to the Estonians. And together with their Latvian allies, the Estonians mustered an army of 12,000 and attacked and routed the smaller Soviet army driving them back into Russia. The Soviets then invaded Latvia claiming the role of "victim" as the Latvians had attacked their army. They swept across defenseless Latvia until they reached a strong defensive line outside of the Latvia capital. Then the Germans counter-attacked and drove the Soviets back.

By now the "Whites" those Russians who had opposed the "Reds" in the 1917 Communist Revolution, had mustered an army of 3,000 and they invaded Soviet territory, bent on capturing Petrograd. But the Reds held on. Now, the Soviets called up reinforcements and sent an army of 27,000 into Latvia. Driving back the Latvians and their German allies. The Estonians had used a two-month lull in fighting there to build an even bigger army. They attacked the Soviet army in Latvia and together with their allies, drove the Soviets back. This back and forth would continue throughout 1919.

When the Estonian and Latvian armies marched to the border of the USSR, the Germans claimed they must retire to refit and bring in reinforcements. In early 1920, the Germans seized the Latvian capital and forced the sitting government to sign a treaty setting up Latvia as a German puppet nation. Then seeing the path clear to Tallinn, the Germans invaded Estonia, bent on repeating that action. But the Estonians would have none of it! They drove the Germans out and then, again, with their Latvian ally, drove the Germans completely out of the Baltic back into Germany. During this time, the Soviets saw their chance to try again. They sent a 15,300 man army into Latvia. But again, they were ultimately defeated and driven out.

Finally, after 18 months of war, May, 1920, the Soviets agreed to a peace treaty with both Estonia and Latvia. Then Lithuania petitioned the Soviets to grant their independence. At first the Bolsheviks refused. But Estonia announced it would ally with Lithuania, even though it had allied with the Reds during the war, and the Commies backed off. So, from 1920 to 1941, the Baltic States enjoyed peace and independence. In 1941 they were invaded by Hitler's troops, the Soviets, and even Finland got into the game seizing some islands belonging to Estonia. It wasn't until the collapse of the USSR in 1991 that the Baltic states again had their independence.

[dawg80]

There's a fascinating recording of Hitler meeting with several of his generals in Finland, June, 1942. His local commander-in-charge is General Mannerheim. Of course it's dubbed into English. But to see/hear Hitler discussing strategy and being sensible, coherent, intelligent is remarkable, I'll even say "refreshing." Hitler understood the way things work. The reality of large scale military operations, the logistics. How the average soldier is able to hold up under the strain/stress of combat and having to endure hardships. During the meeting Hitler reminds the generals that he served 4 years during WWI, in the trenches, and was severely wounded in a gas attack.

This was a meeting in June, 1942 and Hitler is fatalistic in assessing what was happening. He admits to underestimating the Red Army. "Who knew they had 35,000 tanks in reserve?" He asks. Yes, he does offer some excuses, such as the bad weather in the Fall of 1939 that caused them to postpone the attack on France...which didn't happen until May, 1940. That delay DID cause the Germans to lose the edge they had on their enemies, Britain and France in the west, and the Soviets in the east. He also laments how weak the Italians proved to be. Hitler had hoped Mussolini would control Northern Africa, the Med Sea, and the Balkans. Of course, that didn't happen.

Anyway, whatever else you can say about Hitler, he was no dumbass. He tells his generals, that day in Finland, why he HAD to attack the Soviets when he did. The Soviets were building a powerful army and had designs on seizing eastern Europe, including Romania! Romania was the key...it held ALL the oil fields and reserves in eastern and central Europe. Germany had to have Romania or their war machine would grind to a halt...no fuel. Hitler attacked the Soviets before they could attack the Germans. And, they would have.

The details of the campaigns...up to that point...and Hitler's VERY accurate predictions if things did not go their way, were dead on. Anyway, as a student of history, I find this kind of stuff fascinating.

[tech70]

Do you think the massive amount of drugs he was being injected with caused him to make some really bad decisions ? I am not saying the drugs caused his treatment of jews or other people that were not German . That baffles me as when he was down and out a Jewish family helped him when he was trying to be an atrist.

[dawg80]

Hitler's viewpoint of the Jews, and those others whom he blamed for Germany's defeat in WWI, was born out of his devotion to Germany. His viewpoint was shared by the vast majority of the German army officers and rank and file. They maintained they did NOT lose the war (WWI), just that the political leadership sold 'em out. For Hitler, he blamed the Jews the most and he thought the Jews benefitted the most (financially/politically) from Germany "quitting." Remember, the German Army was not defeated militarily in WWI. They had invaded France in 1914, and by November, 1918, they were still in France!

Hitler's drug abuse? Well, that's why the Germans were actually chanting "High Hitler!" Okay, bad joke aside...I don't know what effects drugs had on him. Most accounts say Hitler used drugs, opiates and other "uppers," to stay awake and stay alert for long periods of time. He appeared to only "lose" it, i.e. lose touch with reality, in the final week of his life. Like his ordering the 12th Army to attack the Soviets and break out of Berlin. His generals pleaded with him stating the 12th Army, like the rest, was used up. But Hitler insisted. Of course the commanding general of the 12th knew that would be suicide and refused to order his army out of their trenches. Hitler had him shot. Before he faced a firing squad, that general said he was thinking of his soldiers, "they have given all that any army could be expected to give. I will not order their certain death."

Hitler ranted about it, down in his bunker. In his twisted and no doubt drug-enhanced delusional state of mind, he imagined the 12th Army was still at full combat strength. He said as much. Instead, its ranks had been filled with old men and young boys, and wounded soldiers rousted from hospitals.

Prior to that, even a month before, Hitler still had control of his faculties. So, I don't think drugs had much influence on who he was. JMHO.

[tech70]

Thanks for the intelligent response .

[dawg80]

The last of the ISIS creeps are giving up in Syria. A fierce battle raged between the creeps and the Kurds in the village of Baghouz. After a week of heavy combat, the remaining 150 ISIS fighters surrendered. Over 500 captives have been rescued. Among them are Yazidi children, ages 8-13, they have been held for 5 years as slaves. They were as young as 3 when kidnapped. They are lucky to be alive.

US Special Forces came under attack while searching a region of caves in the nearby hills. Airstrikes were called in and apparently two caves collapsed trapping the scumbags inside. Then they could slowly suffocate to death. There are isolated pockets of ISIS turds still holding out and sporadic fighting will continue. The Kurdish colonel in charge of this area estimates another two weeks and it will be over, all ISIS scum will have either been killed or captured.

That's the good news...the bad news is US Intelligence estimates there may be as many as 10,000 ISIS scumbags scattered across Syria and Iraq, perhaps having escaped, for now, into neighboring countries. Most of these have hidden their weapons and blended back into the population, biding their time to rise up again. I hope that number is an over-estimation.

[dawg80]

And this...

The Gray Eagles...known officially as Echo Company, 160th Special Forces Regiment...has been kicking ISIS azz for months in Syria. They have more confirmed kills, and more assumed kills, than any US unit operating in the theater. The unit is HQ'd in Iraq, and every man assigned to the unit is in Iraq. What is carrying operations? DRONES!

Coordinating with troops on the ground, the drones, the Gray Eagles, attack designated targets with Hellfire missiles. Such missiles recently took out an ISIS command bunker which was dug into the side of a mountain. It was estimated over 80 ISIS officers and another 170 fighters were killed in the attack. Officially, the unit has 315 confirmed kills overall.

I can think of somewhere else in the world the Gray Eagles should be deployed...

[TYLERTECHSAS]

dawg80, I love your history info. and updates!

Thanks!

[dawg80]

As has been mentioned on numerous occasions, there is nothing new about Islamic conquest. It's been their whole history.

For 200 years the single finest, most dominant military unit in Europe for sure, and probably the whole world, was the Polish Cavalry, known as "The Winged Hussars." Most of that 200 years was spent battling invasions by Muslims, especially the Ottoman Turks. They won many battles. But, if one battle could be singled out, it had to be this one. Borrowing a phrase from Winston Churchill..."it was their finest hour." September, 1683, the Battle of Vienna, Austria.

From June to September, 1683, a large Ottoman Army, numbering some 300,000 strong had rolled through eastern Europe, defeating one Christian army after another. Often the Christians were badly out-numbered. The key target of this invasion was Vienna, Austria. Taking it would cut Christian east Europe in two and allow the Ottomans to destroy the rest of the defenders piecemeal.

On September 9, 1683, a Christian army of 80,000 boldly marched out to meet the juggernaut. But, the Turks were too many, and the smaller Christian army was routed. They aimed to retreat back into the walled city of Vienna and make a final stand. But, the Polish king, and commander of the Winged Hussars said, "What good is cavalry behind walls?" Joined by 15,000 cavalry from The Holy Roman Empire, the 3,000 Polish Hussars aimed to make a gallant, desperate charge. The Polish king led this 18,000-man force on an all-night march over the mountains to get behind the huge Turk army. On September 11, 1683, as the Turks pressed their attack against the strong defenses of Vienna, the Christian cavalry appeared, arrayed for battle....behind the Turks. The charge had the desired effect. The Turks panicked. They retreated away from the hard-charging cavalry...the mere sight of The Winged Hussars was enough to strike fear into an enemy's heart...and they moved toward the city. The 85 heavy guns and tens of thousands of musketeers poured fire on the Turks. Trapped between the charging Polish Hussars, and the walls of the city, it was a slaughter!

What was to be a gallant suicidal charge turned into an impossible victory. The huge Muslim army was defeated and the remnants barely escaped to limp back to Turkey.