Posts made by Field Marshal

It’s unfortunate when players won’t acknowledge that they’ve lost. I just ended a game early with a loss to prevent a IPC grabbing-endless-number-changing match. Why delay the inevitable? Move on. There’s always a next game…

What else do you have?

The intent is justice (revenge?) for 9/11.
Whether or not the Taliban or Bin Laden’s terrorists are involved totally is irrelevant. Do you really think most Americans care what happens to Afghanistan?

P.S. This is not my feelings or my opinion; only my observation here in New England, USA.

I wonder if there are still 75+ year old Japanese soldiers hiding out on Pacific islands waiting to fight Americans not knowing the war ended 57 years ago???

Agreed, I like to do the same. Imagine WWII fighting on into the early or mid 1950’s !!!

The Colonists wanted a say in Parliament on taxation in the American Colonies. This means private enterprize had to dip into their retirements to pay for new taxes. Of course it’s easier to raise prices. This displeases everyone - blame the Crown. It didn’t take long for the professionals and business leaders to figure out Americans could keep all the money for themselves. Why give it all to Britian? Ah, the birth of liberty. North America is vast and would tie down a pressed English military. We could lose most of the battles and win the war, given the proper time. Look what happened! They were no fools. It took this country time to get it together, but it really paid off…

The radicals on both sides keep the violence going. Moderates in both camps would eventually win if more people wouldn’t turn to the extreme after violent acts. That’s holding it all up. The violence perpetuates itself in this manner.

In reference to Arafat, he made himself look real bad not taking that last proposal. The Israeli’s were giving in to alot. It gives alot of belief he is with the radicals. Personally I don’t know, but I never trusted him.

I think the best chance is long term. It may take another 50 years, but eventually they will all get sick of the killing. Keep in mind - that’s alot of dead until then. Eventually enough will be enough. Arafat won’t live forever. Will someone take his place? Who knows. I won’t speculate what various long term solutions may be. Leave that for the experts. It is clear - in the future, they’re going to have to “All get along”…

Just wondering if your “liberal citizen” comment was directed towards me. I was in Jerusalem as an American Naval serviceman on tour in the Med at that time. Trust me, myself and my shipmates were bigger targets than your normal American. We had to sign waivers to enter the country and were forced to have legal wills drawn up before we departed the US. The Navy made no mistakes warning us of possible danger. I’ll never trade that experience for anything.

You can label the Arab peoples any way you like. Whether you call them Palestinians, Canaanites, Jordians, Syrians, etc. They all have rights to the land. Your correct, Arab citizens living in Jewish towns have a better standard of living, it’s to be expected. It be great if they could all live under one rule. But they can’t. It would definitely solve all problems if both sides could have involvement in a mutual government. That’s impossible considering all that’s happened.

I’m not trying to argue with you. Your opinions are solid and your history correct. But let’s face it - peace has no place there until one side is eliminated. Too many deaths and lives destroyed going back entire generations. Peace talks don’t cure this. The US or anyone else can’t make it “right”. That’s all I’m trying to point out. I’m not trying to belittle any deaths that occur there. They’re all wrong for whatever reason. I saw the land when I was there, it’s not all worthless desert. I’d fight for it too.

As I said in my last post, this bloodshed did not start as a result of the creation of Israel as most people think. Just the latest war lasting the last 50 years or so. Both groups settled the area about the same time 3 or 4 thousand years ago. That’s the root of the conflict. They both feel it’s theirs alone. But they both have claim to it. You can’t draw boundaries on mutual property. You can quote all day long on who killed who when and where. Depending on when and where you fit into the history will decide what side you’ll take and rightly so. If a friend or family member of yours is killed by one side you got a reason. Unfortunately there are several agendas working on both sides that want different things. Obviously the more radical groups (again on both sides) want death. Others are tired and want peace. Then you have hundreds of others in between these 2 extremes with a variety of different wants. You can’t get them all to agree, look at the past 50 years, it’s impossible. Alot of OLD hate there.

Guys I’m not saying any post here is right or wrong. Obviously, people who kill using terrorist methods need to be brought to justice. The same goes to soldiers of any army abusing their power. Or nations and political groups doing things such as these. But who brings them to justice? They can’t do it on their own without bias. The US justified attacking Afghanistan to bring the muderers of 9/11 to justice (I as most Americans agreed with this action). Does any world power have the right to walk in and fix this? I’d say no - since it probably would have been done already if the world thought this was correct action.

So where are we left? Daily killing, both sides. If you lose you brother, do you care why? You want answers quick. You want who did it dead. Do you care that the PLO want land back? Do you care about Israel’s security? No. It can happen to us all. I went to Jerusalem in 1990. I could have been killed. People WERE killed in the city 2 days later. It’s a real mess over there, I find it hard to think what it’s like now 12 years have gone by.

There is NO solution to this problem. It has taken it’s own life and it is beyond any control. The real victims are ALL the people over there trying to LIVE their lives. Going to work or school knowing death could be around the corner. I met them 12 years ago, Israeli’s and Palestinian’s. They want what everyone wants - the right to live as they want. Raise their kids, go to school or work, go have FUN. Without all this bloodshed. Unfortunately their cries go unanswered. Alot sucked into one side or the other for reasons justified as we’ve said.

Others just die.

Good point as well, we may be worrying about something intentionally left vague by the game designer.

It was one of Hitler’s fantacies. Impossible considering the best logistics. Perhaps a possibility early on, but at the time of his “dream” no chance. Rommel would have to take the Suez, the Middle East, and then push north. Time consuming and difficult under the best of circumstances.

It’s easy to get emotional about this conflict. Bottom line though - one side won’t rest until the other is eliminated. You can talk peace all you want. It won’t cure 3 thousand years of hate. It really doesn’t matter who started what or who killed who. Both sides are in it for the win at ALL costs. This is the problem at hand. It has no solution…

I came up with 3 months or 1 season as well last year. Most of my games were lasting 15 to 20 turns with a defeat or surrender, which LOOSELY equates to mid 1945 or end 1946. Remember, if the Allies needed to invade Japan proper, the war could have lasted another year or so…

They’ve been fighting a war since the creation of Israel after WWII. Do you really expect them to stop for ANY reason?

Rommel quickly noticed the difference in the troops working on the Atlantic Wall compared to the troops under his command in Africa. The Afrika Korps were well disciplined, top-notch German soldiers. The Italians, even though Rommel initially downplayed their effectiveness, turned out to be very good soldiers as well (as he later admitted). At the Atlantic Wall, Rommel found undisciplined younger and older German soldiers. They and their officers had little heart in their defensive preparations. As last posted, he had the foreign national troops to deal with also. It was quite an assortment of men, equipment, and defenses to get up to speed before the Allied invasions came.

Rommel had approximately 6 months to prepare. He did a fairly good job turning troops over to a fighting force and getting defenses improved (even with supply materials limited). Given 6 more months, D-day would have been much bloodier. Given say a year, the Allies might have got thrown back into the sea. Rommel knew the battle was won or lost on the beaches. Unfortunately for him, he did not have supreme control over France and lost the arguement to have the Panzers close to the beaches. Rommel saw what Allied air supremacy did to his men in Africa. France would be worse, and it was. Armored divisions never made it close enough to Allied beachheads to be effective. German men fought bravely, with heavy casualties. Movement was reduced to after dark and under cover with minimal advances…

Hitler complained about the US engaging in “war like” activities in the Atlantic, but took no real action towards declaring war on the US on his own. After Pearl Harbor, he hoped Japan would keep the US busy enough and out of the European/African theaters. Again, he grossly under-estimated US power and production capability.

He also lived in the illusion of a Germany/UK Axis. Western attitudes towards the Communists were no secret. He failed to realize the British would never settle for peace after the fall of France and would ally with Moscow to defeat the common enemy. The attrocities in the camps were hitting intelligence circles early on…

The strategists in the Axis camp knew it was only a matter of time before America would join the war with it’s WW1 Allies. Germany could have defeated England alone with or without US backing, but not the Russians and English together. In order to win, Germany would have first have to defeat England on English soil. The Americans would have then been cut off from the war indirectly. After the UK surrendered, Russia could have been next. Hitler got too impatient and started the eastern war too soon. Japan should not have attacked Pearl and the Axis probably could have kept the US out of the war for a number of years which would have taken Russia and neutralized China. Only with this scenario did they have a chance. The US HAD to stay out of the war for Axis victory. It may have worked with competent Axis leadership and co-operation. We know that wasn’t the case…

Most generals agreed the war was over before it started. Germany could never sustain a two front war with the US as an untouchable base for the then European Allied powers. Hitler’s early political and military achievements silenced all early critics and the SS and Gestapo silenced the later ones…

Horten,
Where exactly did Rommel “blunder”? He lost a war of attrition against the British. Monty took no chances. He had the time and the resources. Rommel knew he had to win fast in Egypt before American production tipped the scales against him. Once that occured, he knew the war was lost.

Reviewing the desert war, both sides had their share of tactical mistakes. Little did Rommel know at that time, Hitler and his top brass considered Africa more as a diversion rather than a serious front. It kept the UK/USA out of Europe - temporarily. Anything Rommel needed or requested was 2nd to the Eastern Front. Hitler, on more “sane” days, initially never considered Africa more than just “helping” their Italian Allies. A purely “political” decision. Only after it was too late, did the Reich understand Africa’s true importance. Soon after, the vaunted “Afrika Korps” surrendered.

Rommel learned his first lesson of Hitler - the intentional sacrifice of German soldiers. Hitler’s orders were to fight to the last man, delaying a European invasion as long as possible. Good strategic sense. Bad for the possible thousands of lives that could have been lost for nothing. Luckily, the German commanders in charge did surrender against orders.

After wars lines are re-drawn and cities re-built. But all that is really accomplished is that many lives are lost. In this case, because of one madman.

Rommel’s level of arrogance was displayed at his failure at the attacks on the fortress at Tobruk. Probably his greatest failure, he was counting on the wave he road of successes from Tripoli. He attacked with poor intelligence about the enemy strengths, positions, and reserves. He was beaten back horribly with heavy casualties. Poor communications and Rommel’s need to “lead from the front” also led to the failure. This quality, many times criticized, was part of his “magic”. He had a keen sense, almost a sixth sense, for battle. He used every advantage in his favor and exploited all enemy weaknesses. He was good with the men and shared all their hardships. He had great respect for his enemies and treated all prisoners as his own troops.

Given the proper logistical support, which would have been no easy task (maxing out all occupied port capacities), Rommel WOULD have taken the Suez and Middle Eastern oil fields. India would have been cut off and Russia would have faced a more southern front. There is little doubt in that.