This day in history - June 26

[seamusTX]

1917 - The American Expeditionary Force arrived in France ("Over there...").

1934 - President Franklin D.Roosevelt signed the law that established credit unions

1950 - President Truman committed U.S. military forces to the Korean War.

1959 - The St Lawrence Seaway opened, allowing large ocean-going vessels to dock at ports on the Great Lakes.

1963 - President Kennedy, speaking in West Berlin on the 15th anniversary of the beginning of the Berlin airlift, made the famous statement, "Ich bin ein Berliner."

That was a time when the communists were sure that they were on the cutting edge of history, and the free world was not sure that they were wrong.

- Jim

[bryang]

"Ich bin ein Berliner"
"I am one with the people of Berlin" - President John F Kennedy


Ah, yes, the good old days...a communists under ever rock, behind every door, lurking in the shadows ready to pounce upon you when you walked by.

-geo

[seamusTX]

Don't forget the godless communist jezabels who would seduce men.

Here's a recording of part of the speech with a good video montage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK907TwM7q0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim

[bryang]

Don't forget the godless communist jezabels who would seduce men.

Here's a recording of part of the speech with a good video montage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK907TwM7q0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim

Thanks, Jim, I didn't know it was on youtube. I guess there is no limit as to what you can find on youtube.

There sure were a lot people there and did you notice....he didn't even use a teleprompter.

Yeah, I had forgot about the jezebels. A lot of weird stuff went on during those days.

-geo

[seamusTX]

Whatever one may think of JFK, he was a top-notch orator with good writers. At that time, politicians still made speeches to live people instead of television cameras.

- Jim

[seamusTX]

1917 - The American Expeditionary Force arrived in France ("Over there...").

1950 - President Truman committed U.S. military forces to the Korean War.

1963 - President Kennedy, speaking in West Berlin on the 15th anniversary of the beginning of the Berlin airlift, made the famous statement, "Ich bin ein Berliner."

This link still works: " onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What's with the coincidences?

- Jim

[ELB]

1917 - The American Expeditionary Force arrived in France ("Over there...").

1950 - President Truman committed U.S. military forces to the Korean War.

1963 - President Kennedy, speaking in West Berlin on the 15th anniversary of the beginning of the Berlin airlift, made the famous statement, "Ich bin ein Berliner."

This link still works: " onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What's with the coincidences?

- Jim

When I looked at that list, I remembered that Operation Barbarossa started in June. When I looked it up, it was 22 June. So it's not just us.

[seamusTX]

Napoleon's invasion of Russia started 24 June 1812.

If ya wanna invade Russia (which is one of the top three stupidest things to do in the world), ya gotta start in early summer when the weather is warm and the days are long.

Weather and daylight were critical factors before we had mechanized warfare and radar. Even the Viets made good use of the weather.

BTW, this is one of, possibly the most famous graphic chart of all time:


The width of the lines represents the strength of French forces.

- Jim

[ELB]

If ya wanna invade Russia (which is one of the top three stupidest things to do in the world), ya gotta start in early summer when the weather is warm and the days are long.

- Jim

Not only Russia, I think. Summertime has traditionally been war-fighting season in places that have real winters, particularly when armies had to march to get there. Crops are planted, not ready to harvest yet, less likely to freeze to death, hunting/foraging was good. There are exceptions of course, but if you are planning a campaign, as opposed to being forced into one by events, summer looks like a better bet.

[seamusTX]

Summertime has traditionally been war-fighting season in places that have real winters,...

European lords of the Middle Ages treated war like a sport, the way that Americans used to do with baseball before every stadium had lights if not a roof (a pox on the Chicago Cubs' management, but I digress).

However, as you know, many decisive strokes were dealt in the worst times of the year:
25 Dec 1776 -- Merry Christmas, Gen. Washington:


7 Dec 1941 -- This photo was taken from the cockpit of a Japanese attack aircraft:


2 Dec 1805 (Austerlitz):


Dec 1814-Jan 1815 (New Orleans), I could go on.

- Jim

[ELB]

Oh, I thought of the the Battle of Trenton even as I wrote -- as one of the exceptions that proved the rule, since what made it successful were the Hessians being in winter quarters), it was Christmas, and the weather was lousy, thus making it a successful surprise attack. Also note that the Hawaii and New Orleans were not exactly places that have "real winters." WRT to Pearl Harbor and WWII, the areas the Japanese chose to wage war were basically without severely cold winters (and it was summer for part of the region), with the exception of the Aleutians.

I am not saying that no one ever fought in the winter. I am saying that campaigns generally were waged in summer in places where that provides the better weather. Mechanization has altered this to a degree, but seasons still have heavy influence on timing and success.

[seamusTX]

It's true that the Pacific theater of WW II was largely southeast Asia, and the timing of the Pearl Harbor attack had much to do with the lengthy internal debate among factions in the Japanese ruling class, and the Hull Note being dropped on their desk, so to speak.

The notion that the U.S. was simply minding its business and whistling Dixie when the dastardly Nips attacked is one of the comfortable lies told in history class when I was a kid.

- Jim