What can we learn from Anzac day?

[noirua]

Perhaps many have now learn't that blasting the enemy with Air Power is far better than sending in your troops to be crucified. However, it sometimes fails to work and we can see the greater sacrifice of the Anzacs in securing the eventual victory.

 

[2020hindsight]

Perhaps many have now learn't that blasting the enemy with Air Power is far better than sending in your troops to be crucified. However, it sometimes fails to work and we can see the greater sacrifice of the Anzacs in securing the eventual victory.

good point noirua - question is also, when it does work, is it for the short term solution only?

I mean, it's the difference between Anzac soldiers (and their close up faces) still being remembered in some French villages - and the bomber command being remembered for the firestorms in Dresden - as per Vonneguts account - he was one of 8 POW's there to survive as I recall (although bomber command was acting under orders of course)

As for recent bombing raids and US military attitudes, let's not even go there. Hard to remember that the planes are there to let you have a democratic vote (and such other positives) when you are being covered in broken bricks and rubble, and your family are being wiped out around you.

 

[basilio]

Thinking about "Patriotism" and "Fifth Columinists" .

Your an Australian in World War 1 fighting against the Germans. You discover that a wealthy, German Jew has rapidly climbed the military ranks and is now in very senior position. He is also an amateur soldier who spent his pre war years playing in the Army Reserves.

What should we do about this wealthy German Jew infiltrating our armed forces when we are in a fight to the death against the dastardly Boche ?

 

[SirRumpole]

Thinking about "Patriotism" and "Fifth Columinists" .

Your an Australian in World War 1 fighting against the Germans. You discover that a wealthy, German Jew has rapidly climbed the military ranks and is now in very senior position. He is also an amateur soldier who spent his pre war years playing in the Army Reserves.

What should we do about this wealthy German Jew infiltrating our armed forces when we are in a fight to the death against the dastardly Boche ?

Is this purely hypothetical ?

 

[basilio]

Is this purely hypothetical ?

No Rumpy. Not at all.

 

[SirRumpole]

No Rumpy. Not at all.

I presume you are speaking of John Monash ?

 

[basilio]

I presume you are speaking of John Monash ?

Might be worth putting a couple of hours aside to watch Monash and me on Iview.
https://iview.abc.net.au/programs/monash-and-me/DO1600W001S00

 

[SirRumpole]

Might be worth putting a couple of hours aside to watch Monash and me on Iview.
https://iview.abc.net.au/programs/monash-and-me/DO1600W001S00

The Murdoch's were up to dirty tricks even then.

 

[basilio]

The Murdoch's were up to dirty tricks even then.

True. But not just them. I suppose however the reach that the Murdoch Press had meant that the poisonous attacks on Sir John Monash had plenty of scope for publication.

By the way if you look at the story on Monash and me you'll discover that there were plenty of patriotic Aussies who wanted to disbar from public life anyone who had any touch of the Boche. As we discovered in the doco most of them were, in fact, fighting on the Western Front.

At the end it was very sad to hear of the fate of Peter Gestes four German Great uncles who had fought for Australia.

 

[Tisme]

The Murdoch's were up to dirty tricks even then.

Monash's reputation doesn't need to poisoned by dredging up racial prejudice. He was promoted throughout the war and rec'd the professional commendations the various nations saw fit. Having reservations about his alliances because of being a first son German Jew, while Australian troops are risking their lives fighting 100,000 German Jews at his command would raise some ire.

 

[basilio]

My respect for Sir John Monash increased exponitially when I saw his brilliance as a leader, military tactician and community leader after the war the doco.

The reference to the poisonous campaign carried out against him was about the role of so called patriotic Australians in trying to pull him down. If they had been successful, and they got very, very close, the Allies could not have won WW1 in the way they did. This was almost totally the result of Sir John Monashs battle planning and implemenation strategies. Indeed they might never have "won" the war decisively.

Perhaps that outcome could have spared us from WW2?