Summarize the war between USSR and Germany in one sentence.

[newquantum]

The two biggest rogues ever since Human's history began controlled two strongest countries in the world except US at that time to slaughter and ruin each other using all the wealth power, man power and intelligence power.
The above is the sentence I wrote in a Chinese civil cccpist forum. It was deleted nearly at once by the administrator who is extremely leftsided I think. In my opinion, if we throw away all the factors such as ideology, the eternal standard of distinguishing right and wrong can be left very simple and clear: whether you are friendly with others.

[Voyager13b]

Originally posted by newquantum
The two biggest rogues ever since Human's history began controlled two strongest countries in the world except US at that time to slaughter and ruin each other using all the wealth power, man power and intelligence power.
The above is the sentence I wrote in a Chinese civil cccpist forum. It was deleted nearly at once by the administrator who is extremely leftsided I think. In my opinion, if we throw away all the factors such as ideology, the eternal standard of distinguishing right and wrong can be left very simple and clear: whether you are friendly with others.

Stalin was a rogue dictator by most accounts (at least as bad as Hitler in my view), and in his time, he exacted a heavy price on the world, but I doubt that WWII could be described simply as a battle between the two biggest rogue leaders in human history.

First, considering the popluation of the world, and the distribution of that population at the time, there were other wars and killing sprees that had at least as profound an effect on the growth of civilization as did WWII. To compare in terms of body count alone has little to do with the total effect of the war, as there were far more (connected) people available to fight in WWI than there were in some of the major battles of the past.

That's similar to claiming that the defecit of the US is at an all time high. In total Dollars, that is quite true, but as a percentage of either total Dollars in circulation, or compared to the total number of Dollars that are active in the US economy from year to year, the effect of the large defecit is diminished.

The same with WWII. There were other wars in history that spilled far less blood, yet caused greater damage to the growth of civilization. The sacrifice made by millions of people during WWII ended up producing a bipolar world, but also made the globe so much smaller in an information sense, that the following cold war can be looked at as a relatively peacefull time in human history.

Second, even though I view Stalin as one of the worst human influences in history, I beg to differ about your idea that WWII was all about the will of two "rogue leaders". Hitler was all about expanding the German border well into the Soviet Union from the outset of the war. He used his hatred for communism as a tool to gain domestic and world support for his plans, but it seems to me that the real issue in play was that in Hitler's view, Russians (Slavs in general) were just not worthy of being in command of so much real estate, while the "pure race" centered in Germany was so humiliated at the end of WWI, and apparently limited in it's possibilities for geographic expansion for all time, that something drastic had to be done.

Stalin or no Stalin, the German beast with the funky haircut was determined to one day call central Russia his own property in the name of the Fatherland. Stalin or no Stalin, it was Russia, it's sons, and it's daughters that got their act together for the sake of survival as a people, and beat the beast back first to Berlin, and then to suicide.

Others here will argue that Stalin was as wonderful a leader as I decry him as having been a despot, but I think we can all agree that Hitler invaded Russia, and that in the end, Russians beat the hell out of Hitler. Stalin was still getting the ball rolling on his own version of hell on Earth while Hitler was getting his nuts roasted by the very people he thought to be backward and good for nothing in civil society. No offense, but in my view, neither the price paid, nor the immortal statement made by the defenders of Russia against Germany during WWII can ever be expressed in one sentence. Nor should the feat be attempted, as to do so can only result in offering to forget more than needs to be remembered.

Counting the numbers of nations that you are freindly with is no justification of self. Freinds are important in all levels of life, but freindships can suffer through a few years of of political ice age without one deciding to kill the other just because it would be nice to have a larger back yard.

Voyager

[T-34_Fanatic]

All in all Voyager is pretty well correct. Hitler wanted Russia's vast amounts of resources for his conception of an Aryan race. But as ruthless a leader Stalin was there is something he must be creditted to; that is his without his industrialisation of Russia tanks (T-34s hehe) would have not rolled out so fast or in such great numbers. The motivation of the Russian people some accredit to Stalin also but this is not the case. Russians and the Soviet people were still idealistic and optimistic of their newly found communist system, especially the Hebrew/Jewish population, and went to their deaths defending it. Whether Stalin was there or not, if it had been Trotsky for example the same result would have most likely applied. Stalin put technology and advancement before the welfare and lives of his people this resulted in an extravagant loss of lives, but it cannot be denied that he had an affect on civilization.

[newquantum]

First, thank you very much for your perfect comments.
Second, to Voyager13b, it's clear in the title that the war between USSR and Germany, never WWII.
Third, I never attempt to summarize completely about the war. It's impossible. But sometimes simple and one-sided expression can give some fresh and valuable viewpoint. I wrote the sentence from my mind spark that I realized under the battle smoke and the brilliance of marshal's medals, there are slaughter and ruin to averages. Unfortunatly, some common people enjoy the glory of victory on battle fields, even somehow have the desire for another battle, but are blind to the huge pain of themselves. I want to emphasize that all the wars are slaughters within human beings. Even though some wars are inevitable or could promote civilization, I don't wish to see them.

[harmonicpursuit]

Hitler ****ed with the wrong bear on the wrong day.

[MaxPower]

Originally Posted by harmonicpursuit

Hitler ****ed with the wrong bear on the wrong day.

Yeah!


No more needs to be said

[p_panzerschreck]

War between Germany and USSR in one sentence: “something that happened, 60 years ago.”