# World War 2 Question?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-war-2-question/663913>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 19, 2013, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-war-2-question/663913 "2013-07-19T07:25:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-war-2-question/663913/21 "2013-07-20T08:45:20Z")

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Relating German Generals’ opposition to Hitler’s provocations, and the Conference of Munich:

[A coup by the top Generals “to immunize Germany from the madman” was scheduled for 8 PM on 14 September 1938.](http://books.google.com/books?id=4Bef1fpsMyQC&pg=PA23&lpg=PA23&dq=%22immunize+Germany+from+this+madman%22&source=bl&ots=fDf-Q7MnJn&sig=xoadRP5nzSCvQr06kJp2u81lP9A&hl=en&sa=X&ei=iUvqUZKiJM2Trgf3voHIBQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22immunize%20Germany%20from%20this%20madman%22&f=false)

But when at 4 PM on that very same day, Neville Chamberlain announced he was flying to Munich, the Generals stood dawn in awe of their inspired Führer and his skill at bluffing.

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**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-war-2-question/663913/22 "2013-07-20T13:17:30Z")

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Officially the USSR had not received the [ultimatum](http://ww2today.com/the-british-ultimatum-to-germany) that caused the declaration of war on Germany. It’s a good question though; as many in France and Britain despised the Soviets almost as much as Hitler. The nearest we actually came to war with them [came in the Winter War](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franco-British_plans_for_intervention_in_the_Winter_War) when Stalin invaded Finland; the French were particularly keen to send troops to aid the Finns.

Churchill in _The Second World War_ writes that the possibility of hostilities with the Soviets was not an impossibility;  
“And what of the supreme, measureless ordeal in which we were again irrevocably plunged? Poland in its agony; France but a pale reflection of her former warlike ardour; the Russian Colossus no longer an ally, not even neutral, possibly to become a foe.”

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