Would You Volunteer to Fight Nazis?

[Ozy_Flame]

Nazis were known to have landed in Newfoundland and Labrador and set up weather and surveillance stations. Locals beat down them weather stations though. Now you see where Homer Simpson gets his motivation from.

[mikey_the_redneck]

Originally Posted by SeeBass

Im so sick of that defence it shows such poor thinking.

Because the average citzen has a gun they could hold off the German army....right.

You are so sick of something that has been said once?
I don't recall another CP thread discussing how we could kill Nazi invaders...

Well of course the citizens wouldn't fight them off alone, ...but the Nazis would have great difficulty rounding up gun-toting Americans like they did with the Jews....that is for sure.

[IliketoPuck]

I think the vast size of North America would be a serious headache *if* Nazi's had made it this far.

Let's be honest though, that would have happened maybe 5 years after Europe was conquested, simply due to the logistics of getting enough bodies in place to make a serious effort.

There is no way in my mind that the German's could realistically have taken North America. Yes I did it in Civilization 2, but that doesn't really count now does it.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by mikey_the_redneck

You are so sick of something that has been said once?
I don't recall another CP thread discussing how we could kill Nazi invaders...

Well of course the citizens wouldn't fight them off alone, ...but the Nazis would have great difficulty rounding up gun-toting Americans like they did with the Jews....that is for sure.

Absolutely. I would imagine trying to invade somewhere like Texas would be a lot like the invasion of Iraq. Total guerrilla warfare.

[IliketoPuck]

I can just imagine the laughter of the American government when they supply the Rednecks with a bunch of heavy machinery, and tell them to go out there and woop some Nazi a$$.

"Alright bubba, here's your m-60 grenades and a BAR, go get em tiger!"

[IliketoPuck]

"It's just like hunting squirrels, Pa!"

[valo403]

Originally Posted by SeeBass

Im so sick of that defence it shows such poor thinking.

Because the average citzen has a gun they could hold off the German army....right.

Not to mention the fact that the average citizen in most of the country doesn't actually have a gun.

[mikey_the_redneck]

Originally Posted by valo403

Not to mention the fact that the average citizen in most of the country doesn't actually have a gun.

According to this article, Americans bought approximately 14 million guns in 2009!

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source...AP2eqt7w7es8dA

There is plenty to go around...haha..

[valo403]

Originally Posted by mikey_the_redneck

According to this article, Americans bought approximately 14 million guns in 2009!

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source...AP2eqt7w7es8dA

There is plenty to go around...haha..

And the average person in much of the country doesn't have one of those guns. There are plenty of guns in the US, but there seems to be a perception that the average person totes one around or has one in their house. I lived in Michigan for four years, not exactly an area devoid of guns, and only a handful of people I knew owned guns.

[Locke]

I wouldnt volunteer, I mean, thats dangerous work, maybe if I was getting paid...

[troutman]

[Ozy_Flame]

Keep in mind that people back in the 1930's and 40's were destitute and many were under the poverty line. The Depression had its gruseome grip on lower and middle-class North America, and joining the military was a quick way to be guaranteed food, shelter, an escape from boredom and unemployment, and an easy way to see the world (at least for some). Coupled with the patriotism that resulted from the bombing of the London air raid and the attack on Pearl Harbour, and you have millions of Canadians and Americans volunteering their services to the war effort.

Nowadays, that same patriotism is a lost cause. I suspect much of the attitude around volunteering for war service (fighting Nazis or other) would change significantly after catastrophic events, such as 9/11.

[Matata]

Originally Posted by IliketoPuck

I think the vast size of North America would be a serious headache *if* Nazi's had made it this far.

Let's be honest though, that would have happened maybe 5 years after Europe was conquested, simply due to the logistics of getting enough bodies in place to make a serious effort.

There is no way in my mind that the German's could realistically have taken North America. Yes I did it in Civilization 2, but that doesn't really count now does it.

The german forces were completely depleted towards the end of WWII, even if they held the russians at bay (not likely, Russia was going to be in the winners circle one way or another). It would be decades before the germans would be able to seriously consider assaulting NA, by then, it would be difficult to convince his people to start another war, the economic conditions that catalyzed the war would be long gone and the citizens of the reich would be at peace.

Hitler wasn't even interested in conquering the UK, he had a lot of respect for the english and, in the long term, hoped to establish good relations between them and the Reich. I imagine he would take a similar attitude with NA.

E: as a scottish canadian (6 generations) my family and people are part of a storied history of whupping nazi ass, sounds like fun.

[kdogg]

I have previously spent time fighting Nazi Zombies, so why not?!
________
HOW TO ROLL BLUNTS

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I believe that after we declared war most volunteers didn't do it as much about fighting evil as a chance to go on a glorious adventure.

That's really it and that's even more amazing considering the horrific slaughter of WWI was still relatively fresh.

But lives were different then. Canada was still a largely agrarian society and getting off the farm to see the world - even if you're getting shot at - sounded a lot more interesting by comparison. Millions in Europe and elsewhere joined armies in the early moments of WWI for the same reason. It was an exciting thing to do.

There was also tremendous peer pressure throughout the conflict to "do your bit."

As illustration, in a country of about 12 million Canadians, about 1 million wound up wearing a uniform in WWII. That would work out to a total of about one in three eligible, adult males.

It wasn't just the rubes either. The NHL had it's ranks decimated of some of it's best talent which had joined up.

By 1944, however, increasing casualties and an increasing lack of volunteers caused the Federal Government to introduce conscription . . . . which led to the Conscription Crisis in Quebec.

World War II was essentially the first conflict where Canada made its decision to fight independent of the British declaration.

The USA didn't enter the conflict for two years on the notion that what went on in Europe wasn't really it's business . . . . although it was clearly and openly helping the British as those years progressed.

By the end of WWII, 25% of USA GDP was devoted to defense spending versus about 9% for Vietnam and about 4% to 5% currently for Iraq/Afghanistan.

In the new media age, where there are no secrets as to where an enlistee will go or what they will face, it's been fascinating to see Canadian Army recruitment levels doing very well. Last month, the Armed Forces announced it was no longer taking new infantry recruits, although other Army trades were still open.

Would I go fight the Nazi's? I think my answer is the entirety of Farley Mowat's "And No Birds Sang."

Cowperson

[valo403]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Keep in mind that people back in the 1930's and 40's were destitute and many were under the poverty line. The Depression had its gruseome grip on lower and middle-class North America, and joining the military was a quick way to be guaranteed food, shelter, an escape from boredom and unemployment, and an easy way to see the world (at least for some). Coupled with the patriotism that resulted from the bombing of the London air raid and the attack on Pearl Harbour, and you have millions of Canadians and Americans volunteering their services to the war effort.

Nowadays, that same patriotism is a lost cause. I suspect much of the attitude around volunteering for war service (fighting Nazis or other) would change significantly after catastrophic events, such as 9/11.

Sounds pretty similar to the current state of much of the US.

[Stranger]

Originally Posted by IliketoPuck

I can just imagine the laughter of the American government when they supply the Rednecks with a bunch of heavy machinery, and tell them to go out there and woop some Nazi a$$.

"Alright bubba, here's your m-60 grenades and a BAR, go get em tiger!"

Kinda like this, but 65 years ago.

[SeeBass]

Originally Posted by mikey_the_redneck

You are so sick of something that has been said once?
I don't recall another CP thread discussing how we could kill Nazi invaders...

Well of course the citizens wouldn't fight them off alone, ...but the Nazis would have great difficulty rounding up gun-toting Americans like they did with the Jews....that is for sure.

You may be shocked to learn this but there are other places that people talk.

[SeeBass]

Originally Posted by Russic

Absolutely. I would imagine trying to invade somewhere like Texas would be a lot like the invasion of Iraq. Total guerrilla warfare.

If the invading army's hands are tied to public opinion like the US in Iraq then yes it would be.
A Nazi invasion of the US would not be the same. If there was an armed population the Nazis would just flatten the town by air as a statement to the next town. They wouldnt be knocking on doors looking for the enemy like the US has to do in Fallujah.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Matata

The german forces were completely depleted towards the end of WWII, even if they held the russians at bay (not likely, Russia was going to be in the winners circle one way or another). It would be decades before the germans would be able to seriously consider assaulting NA, by then, it would be difficult to convince his people to start another war, the economic conditions that catalyzed the war would be long gone and the citizens of the reich would be at peace.

Combine that with the problem that Hitler didn't have a fleet that could truly project power in terms of air power and long range bombardment, and the German's never really gained experience in sea borne assaults, the chances of Hitler actually invading the U.S. were slim.

However the German's worked very hard on long range aviation, with planes on the board for heavy bombers. The German's were also far ahead of the world in terms of rocketry, and were actively trying to build nuclear weapons. Hitler wanted to batter the American's but he knew he wouldn't be able to conquor them. I think he was hoping that an alliance with Mexico and the other South American states would provide him with a land borne invasion strategy.

Originally Posted by Matata

Hitler wasn't even interested in conquering the UK, he had a lot of respect for the english and, in the long term, hoped to establish good relations between them and the Reich. I imagine he would take a similar attitude with NA.

I disagree with this. Hitler had a lot of respect for the English, and he hoped that national socialism would florish there at some point. But the Battle of Britain was the opening stage of the operation Sea Lion, which had the following pre-requisites.

Elimination or sealing off of Royal Navy forces from the landing and approach areas.
Elimination of the Royal Air Force (RAF).
Destruction of all Royal Navy units in the coastal zone.
Prevention of British submarine action against the landing fleet

Fortunately for the British, non of those conditions were met, so he turned his eyes to the East and Russia. But Hitler very much wanted to take the UK as it would probably have put the American's out of the war as they would have had an even tougher time with Atlantic crossings.