Why didn't Germans resort to terrorism?

[Anonymous]

Here's an interesting question. Why do you think the Germans and Japanese didn't move to terrorist attacks once their conventional armies were defeated?

Germans could have had a field day with terrorism if they wanted to.

[an2001on]

Because the Japanese and Germans who lived in US, UK, SU were in the camps once the war started. They simply couldn't even think of joining the party (even if they wanted which I doubt). Once they lost the war, there was some terror (in Lithuania, Latvia, and Prussia) but that was over within a year or two. There were several isolated Japanese fighters who continued for a while until they heard about Hiroshima & Nagasaki. Once they realized they could be completely annihilated they stopped fighting.

[Anonymous]

Germans weren't in camps. They could have done major damage with terrorism since you can't even tell them apart.

Lets get a better answer than that.

[Guerilla poster]

I don't think most Germans in the US had any special feelings about Hitler.

Also, what was there motive after the war - other than pure hatred. The current terrorists have a motive irrespective of how far-fetched it seems to us.

[Patience]

Almost all the Germans loyal to the cause went back to Germany to fight. I doubt any significant number stayed here to wreak havok or considered it. It would have been cowardly to hide out till after the war, just in case to blow up a few buildings in anger.

[Anonymous]

Different goals. The Germans and Japanese wanted to conquer large sections of the world. The Arab terrorists just want to assuage their (well-deserved) feelings of inferiority by making us as miserable as they've made their own subjects.

[ne11er]

Isn't there something said about the wars along the lines of WWI was chemist war. WWII was the physicists war. Now this War on Terriorism (WWIII????) is the biological war? I think terrorism wasn't used by the Germans because the technology and precision wasn't there like it is today. Maybe I'm wrong though. Just a thought...

But, I also read in my last mathematics course that the next war might be the mathematicians war? When do math nerds get the chance for war? Just kidding on that one...whoever wants a chance at war is crazy.

[an2001on]

Just some comments.

VOR, You're correct, the Germans were not in the camps in the US but they were in the camps in SU (with, probably, another 10% of population). Your another point was about Japanese. It's not so easy to tell Japanese apart from, say, Chinese if they are hiding. When Japanese were fighting with China as undercover spies and Special Forces, it wasn’t easy for Chinese to spot them. Why do you assume it would be easy to do in the US or SU?

Back to the original question, it seems like there was enough hatred back then as well. It seems that AFTER 5 years of war it's much more difficult to successfully do terror than BEFORE the war.

[Aaron Brachowitz]

On 2001-10-23 13:07, Voice of Reason wrote:
Here's an interesting question. Why do you think the Germans and Japanese didn't move to terrorist attacks once their conventional armies were defeated?

Germans -- those in the West were probably grateful not to be under Soviet occupation and perhaps glad to be rid of Hitler. Those in the East lived in a police state.

Japanese -- seemed to accept the US/MacArthur as the new emperor. MacArthur had to issue a proclamation against bowing to him.

[Laocoön]

Because there was no point. They'd lost the war. Hitler and some of the more diabolical Nazis no doubt would have been willing to lob a nuke at London the day before Berlin was overrun, but they didn't have one. The rest of the leadership realized that they'd lost, and that any pointless violence would just make conditions after surrender worse.

[Anonymous]

Lao,

OK the Germans had lost the conventional war, but so have the Muslim extremists.

Why is it that when Germans lost the conventional war they stopped, but when Muslims lost the conventional war (some of) they organized into terrorist mafias?

Think about it, if the Germans wanted to, they could have caused major havoc in American society via terrorism. I'm trying to understand why their response was different.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Voice of Reason on 2001-10-23 16:28 ]</font>

[Griffin 1]

What conventional war did we fight with the extreme Muslims?

[Damn, Dirty Ape]

The Germans and Japanese became very prosperous after the war. It's harder to recruit terrorists when your country is doing so dam well.

[Aaron Brachowitz]

Germans and Japanese are very rational people. Terrorism usually produces the opposite effect of the stated intent -- more repression, not less; more resolve to continue a particular policy rather than give in to terrorists. The Arab hijackers committed a highly irrational act, partially motivated by extreme religious beliefs. Germans and Japanese just wouldn't do this.

[independent]

On 2001-10-23 18:00, Aaron Brachowitz wrote:
Germans and Japanese are very rational people. Terrorism usually produces the opposite effect of the stated intent -- more repression, not less; more resolve to continue a particular policy rather than give in to terrorists. The Arab hijackers committed a highly irrational act, partially motivated by extreme religious beliefs. Germans and Japanese just wouldn't do this.


Let me get this straight. Are you saying that the G&Js are genetically pre-disposed to rational thought, and the Arabs aren't?

[Griffin 1]

Let me get this straight. Are you saying that the G&Js are genetically pre-disposed to rational thought, and the Arabs aren't?


Where did you "genetically" in AB's statement?

[Mr. Grim]

Yes, the Germans were more rational - they thought by killing all the Jews they could have a superior race.

The Arabs think by destroying America, they can once again dominate culturally.

I don't see one being more irrational than another.

Rationality depends on your beliefs.

[Rockhound]

Different cultures have different values (it's probably not "genetics").

After WWII, the U.S. occupied Japan, and impossed western values on that country--constitution, democracy, meritocracy, we made the emporer renounce his god status, we taught them baseball. As a result, Japan is a thriving democracy, and is no longer a threat to the world.

In Germany, the US and USSR, each imposed their own veiw of the "right" culture on their separate sectors. In this case, the western values being imposed were far less foreign, except on the governing structure. In the Eastern sector, the cultural change never completely took hold. Eventually as we all know, the cultural values of democracy and capitalism triumphed completely over the leftist socialism and communism of the Soviet bloc.

The Arab/Moslem/Terrorist culture is another one that eventually needs to be completely revamped--that needs to be our end-game plan in this conflict.

[Actuary321]

On 2001-10-24 10:10, Rockhound wrote:
we taught them baseball. As a result, Japan is a thriving democracy, and is no longer a threat to the world.

That's it, we need to teach the arabs how to play baseball. I always thought that baseball was special, but until now I had not realized it was the answer to world peace. Thanks Rockhound. When baseball brings peace to the world, I will nominate you for a Nobel Peace Prize. :wink:

[Aaron Brachowitz]

What would today's PC crowd be saying if we had just defeated Germany and Japan and were about to "impose our values" on them a la 1945? (Of course, political correctness is a luxury of a country without real problems and could not have survived WW2.)

[Griffin 1]

On 2001-10-24 11:07, Actuary321 wrote:

On 2001-10-24 10:10, Rockhound wrote:
we taught them baseball. As a result, Japan is a thriving democracy, and is no longer a threat to the world.

That's it, we need to teach the arabs how to play baseball. I always thought that baseball was special, but until now I had not realized it was the answer to world peace. Thanks Rockhound. When baseball brings peace to the world, I will nominate you for a Nobel Peace Prize. :wink:


Now this is a good example of pulling a statement out of context.

[Rockhound]

Thanks Rockhound. When baseball brings peace to the world, I will nominate you for a Nobel Peace Prize.

I'll share it with these guys:

Terrance Mann to Ray Kinsella:

"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, is a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good and it could be again."

[Laocoön]

Clearly, the DH rule is the source of most of the evil that has befallen our nation.

[The Mad Hatter]

I would argue that the Germans did resort to "terrorism" near the end of WWII. Specifically, the V1 nad V2 weapons were intended to terroize the British population. They were of little military value because they could not be accurately targeted and anything. I recall reading somewhere that they were working on a improved version of the V2 that could hit the U.S.