You are a sniper...

...in your sights you can see the following:
Hitler
Mussolini
Stalin
Von Runstead
Jochim Pieper
Gudarian

Which do you shoot? Hitler would be the obvious choice but perhapse he would just be replaced by someoen who was less, erm, maniacal and more calculating. How about Stalin? Well, what would Russia have achieved without him and who would have taken over? I just stuck mussolini in there as a kind of fall back option for those of you who couldent make up your minds. The rest were great commanders, what effect would their removal from the front have? Personaly I havent a clue who I would go for, but then, I aint a sniper....

 

First to take off the list would be Mussolini and Pieper.First because Mussolini is just Mussolini, but Pieper didn't command at a high enough level to change the course of the war. Then Hitler, I might just leave him in because his military thinking greatly helped his enemies. I would probly take out Stalin because more people actually ended up dying because of him then anyone else.

 

The only one on the list I would shoot if I had the chance would be uncle joe stalin. He was much worse than Hitler could have been.

Sort of: the lesser of two evils.

 

None of the above. Hitler, Mussolini, Von Rundstedt, Pieper, Gudarian because they were already losers. Stalin, because his assassination could only have helped Nazi Germany, despite his own shortcomings.

Chris Ray

 

Stalin because he was the most dangerous to the allies as well as the axis. Patton was right, the Russians would have gone all the way to the Atlantic if given the chance.

 

Glad im not alone in picking Stalin as the worst of the two maniacs.

The way I would look at it, through Roosevelt and Churchills eyes, would be that they knew Hitler wasnt in the best of health, but that he wasnt a candidate for the straitjacket just yet. However, stalin according to Churchill, was someone NOT to be trusted or dealt with except unless you were the one who had more "toys" to play with.

 

Carl do you know a site or book where I can find out about the invasion of the west the russians were planning before the Germans attacked.

 

Sorry i havent heard of a book devoted to that but, the subject is mentioned in a few books I have read. I think one of the books I saw it mentioned in was Stalingrad, by Anthony Beevor, but Im not positive on that.

I think it also might be mentioned in Remy Schrijnens book: The Last Knight of Flanders, by Allen Brandt.

I know I have books that mention that possibility, but unfortunately, they are all in storage about 40 miles from here, and I will not have access to them for possibly two more months.

In the meantime, if I see anything mentioned, I will pass it on to you. Sorry this wasnt much use for you.

 

Thanks for the help anways, it was more places to look then I had known of before.

 

Quite welcome, sorry I couldnt be of more service. Take care--Carl.

 

Panzergrenadiere - There is a book on the subject called "Icebreaker" but I'm afraid I can't remember the author. I remember he was either Russian or Eastern European, however.

Chris Ray