WW2: German Intellectuals Tells It Like It Is

[dps]

So Stalin thought that moving the Germans closer and giving their Army, still rebuilding from the Versailles treaty, time to rebuild itself was actually advantageous to the Soviet Union?  With the German economy being far larger so they could increase their forces far faster than the Soviets?  Wow what an idiot.

His choice in 1939 wasn't between a Germany with its post-1919 eastern border and a Germany with its eastern border in the middle of Poland--it was a choice between a Germany with its eastern border in the middle of Poland and a Germany with its eastern border where the eastern border of Poland had been.  And with a population far larger than that of Germany, in the long run it was reasonable for Stalin to think that time was on his side.

[dps]

I disagree.  1939 wasn't perfect for the allies but the best time would have been 1936 or earlier, when Germany was still sufficiently weak, or some point after 1938.  In 1938 the UK and France were at a bad point. 

I doubt the Soviets would intervene unless they had real material benefit to gain from it.

Well they claimed they would and Romania and Poland were falling overthemselves to stop it since the Soviets would have had to cross their territory.

Losing the Czechs as an ally was bad but handing over the Skoda works and the excellent Czech 38 tanks was disastrous.  I have a hard time seeing how the Allies came out ahead.

The Soviets had a tentative agreement with the Romanians to allow passage of Soviet troops to Czechoslovakia in the event the Germans attacked the Czechs.  Though the Romanians put so many restrictions in it that I don't know if would have been of much use.

[jimmy olsen]

I think the most obvious reason was lack of money.

Well the whole thing was a waste of money that should have been spent on better weapons, training, armor, and the tragically neglected air force.  If they had extended it to the Channel the French military would have been just that much more neglected for the things it really needed.

The Maginot Line was not worth a sous in my opinion.

Given the trouble Patton had attacking Metz I think if the line had been extended, you'd be proven wrong.

[The Brain]

The Russians even started an institute for historical correctness. What more do the Germans want?

[Malthus]

Hmm, I dunno.
The idea that Chamberlin was a machivelian genius skillfully buying time for the inevitable war is of course wrong but equally false I think is the traditional widespread view that he was a ignorant moron who fell for Hitler totally.
I'd tend in the middle, he hoped Hitler could be true to his word and thought there was a chance of this but he certainly wasn't placing any bets on that.

I'm not claiming Chamberlain was a moron. I think that in hindsight he was quite obviously wrong, but his choice wasn't wholly irrational, merely based on the wrong assumptions : it was simply impossible for him to truly understand the motivations of a guy like Hitler.

He certainly was "placing bets" on Hitler keeping his word: he bet his political future on it - and lost.