Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I've spoken to citizens of Britain who lived through the war. It was pretty grim, but everyone pulled together and made whatever sacrifices they needed to make to support their troops and didn't complain about it. They were tough, those Brits, who lived during WWII
The reality that Ireland refused to fight the Nazis and many in Ireland supported them. It 'flies in the face' of the famous Irish 'victim mentality' that they like to project to the world.
The reality that Ireland refused to fight the Nazis and many in Ireland supported them. It 'flies in the face' of the famous Irish 'victim mentality' that they like to project to the world.
The IRA sought links with the Nazi's back in the 1930's and during WWII even helped the Nazi's.
The statue of Seán Russell in Fairview Park in Dublin is always being attacked by Anti-Fascist groups as a result.
The statue has even been beheaded in the past, as well as covered in paint and attacked with numerous implements over the years.
As for Hitler, he was raised as a Catholic and there have been numerous alleged links between the Nazi's and the Catholic church over the years, including that the Catholic Church actively helped the Nazi's in WW2 and after WW2 helped wanted Nazi's escape. The Church has already admitted to some of these allegations.
Having recently watched the Sky Documentary about 'Mother Teresa', it seems that a lot of the funds raised for 'Mother Teresa' ended up in the Vatican Bank, never to be seen again, and the Vatican had close links to the Italian Mafia.
Roberto Calvi an Italian banker, dubbed "God's Banker" by the press because of his close association with the Holy See, was found hanged under Blackfriars Bridge in London in June 1982, and the case has never been solved. Calvi was Chairman of Banco Ambrosiano, which collapsed in one of Italy's biggest political scandals.
Banco Ambrosiano collapsed in June 1982 following the discovery of debts between US$700 million and US$1.5 billion. Much of the money had been siphoned off through the Vatican Bank, which owned ten percent of Banco Ambrosiano and was their main shareholder.
The murder was linked to the Italian Mafia with alleged links to Francesco "Frankie the Strangler" Di Carlo and others, although this has never been proved, whilst there was a trial in 2005 in Italy however the defendants, were all cleared by the Italian courts.
Mother Teresa was also ordered by the Catholic Church, not to visit poor areas but to visit wealthy US areas, where there had been allegations of sexual abuse by the Catholic Church, in order to deflect the allegations and to help restore the churches popularity, and as a means to raise ever more money.
Furthermore Charles Keating donated $1.25 million of stolen money to the Mother Teresa, and was involved in defrauding and taking the life saving of numerous Americans and destroyed many Americans lives. Mother Teresa used to fly around on his private jet before he was convicted, and even after conviction Mother Teresa wrote a letter to the Judge asking for leniency.
Whilst Mother Teresa is also accused of employing and defending, Chicago Priest Donald McGuire, who she employed (and was personally close to) despite the allegations, and despite the fact he always had a young boy with him, wherever he travelled who he had sex with. Donald McGuire, was later convicted of horrendous sexual abuse in the US courts and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Can I play? I vote the best European country to be in during the 1940s would be any in which you're not being bombed.
Start with Turkey. For the milder weather and the superb cuisine. And the sights of Istanbul and the view of the Bosphorus and the beautiful blue waters of the Sea of Marmara. Turkey was also neutral in the war, up to the point where it became obvious. Until then there was lingering doubt that Germany could invade them. Turkey was also a nest of spies on all sides with their intrigues such as the famous Operation Cicero.
Anyway, that'd be my first choice. Second, in der Schweiz. Switzerland. There was however a good deal of pro-German sympathy among the Swiss. And cold there in the Winters. But you could go yodeling your way across the alps.
Sweden would make the list too except for those brutal Winters. Ditto for Iceland.
Spain and Portugal would rate high. All the obvious reasons. And Spanish is a real easy language to learn. Oh, one thing most don't know. The Germans tried hard to convince Franco to join them as an ally in the war. Franco said no. But do you know a major reason why? The Germans' own chief spy, Admiral Canaris, was secretly a double agent for the British and told Franco to stay out of the war because Germany was going to lose. AH found out about Canaris, with predictable results.
Who's left? Ireland. Great choice. Unless you're thinking Northern Ireland in which case would you be drafted by the British? I don't really know.
And that leaves maybe Liechtenstein, which I honestly don't know if they followed Austria into the war on Germany's side.
But that's about the run down, unless you're looking at a Monaco or Andorra or something along those lines. Or one of France's foreign colonial territories...
But that's about the run down, unless you're looking at a Monaco or Andorra or something along those lines. Or one of France's foreign colonial territories...
Monaco would be out, but Andorra, now that's something. Hanging out high in the Pyrenees for the decade...
Vichy France officially co-ruled Andorra in the war, and the Germans climbed the Pyrenees but were turned away by the Spanish that were at the other crossings.
But post-war recession in Andorra wasn't good. Nowhere in Europe was great post-war 40s. Outside Andorra la Vella, Andorra was really, really rural: no electricity, no running water.
The reality that Ireland refused to fight the Nazis and many in Ireland supported them. It 'flies in the face' of the famous Irish 'victim mentality' that they like to project to the world.
Ireland was neutral in official policy in WW2, however Irish intelligence services there was a collaboration with the M15 and Ireland would not at all tolerate the Nazis the use Ireland as a base for operations against the UK.
Once Ireland had established a counterespionage department under the control of the Department of Defence in 1938 with Britain's encouragement, personal relations between British and Irish intelligence officers were "extremely friendly" despite the "strict political control" exerted upon the Irish department in Dublin. When the war began, MI5 generally found itself playing the role of "persuader" when gleaning information from Irish intelligence on German activity. The continuation of the Dublin link (between MI5 and the Department of Defence) was, as far as MI5 could establish, "entirely dependent" on the political relationship between the two governments. The security service noted, however, that when the Taoiseach, Mr de Valera, declared Ireland's neutrality at the outset of the war he added a rider that he would not allow Ireland to be used as a base for operations against Britain. From Britain this position was seen to provide Ireland with the political justification for Irish co-operation with Britain on counterespionage and security matters.https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/h...-war-1.1258712
Irish neutrality was supported by the population of Ireland.[4] Irish citizens could serve in the British armed forces, as at least 50,000 in the British Army did, as well as in the Merchant Navy and Royal Air Force, with some rising up the ranks rapidly, such as the youngest wing commander fighter ace in the RAF's history, Brendan Finucane.
A total of 4,983 members of the Defence Forces deserted to fight with the British and Allied armed forces. After the war they faced discrimination, lost their rights to pensions, and were barred from holding government jobs. They were finally formally pardoned by the Irish Government in 2013.[5]
Travel passes and identity cards were also issued to 245,000 people to enable them to travel to Britain to work.[6]
Viscount Cranborne, the British Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, wrote a letter on 21 February 1945 to the British War Cabinet regarding Irish-British collaboration during 1939–1945:[59]
# They agreed to our use of Lough Foyle for naval and air purposes. The ownership of
the Lough is disputed, but the Southern Irish authorities are tacitly not pressing
their claim in present conditions and are also ignoring any flying by our aircraft over
the Donegal shore of the Lough, which is necessary in certain wind conditions to
enable flying boats to take off from the Lough.
1. They have agreed to use by our aircraft based on Lough Erne of a corridor over
Southern Irish territory
and territorial waters for the purpose of flying out to the Atlantic.
2. They have arranged for the immediate transmission to the United Kingdom
Representative's Office in Dublin of reports of submarine activity received from
their coast watching service.
3. They arranged for the broadening of reports by their Air observation Corps of
aircraft sighted over or approaching Southern Irish territory. (This does not include
our aircraft using the corridor referred to in
(b) above.)
4. They arranged for the extinction of trade and business lighting in coastal towns
where such lighting was alleged to afford a useful landmark for German aircraft.
5. They have continued to supply us with meteorological reports.
6. They have agreed to the use by our ships and aircraft of two wireless direction-
finding stations at Malin Head.
7. They have supplied particulars of German crashed aircraft and personnel crashed
or washed ashore or arrested on land.
8. They arranged for staff talks on the question of co-operation against a possible
German invasion of Southern Ireland, and close contact has since been maintained
between the respective military authorities.
9. They continue to intern all German fighting personnel reaching Southern Ireland.
On the other hand, though after protracted negotiations, Allied service personnel
are now allowed to depart freely and full assistance is given in recovering damaged
aircraft.
10.Recently, in connection with the establishment of prisoner of war camps in
Northern Ireland, they have agreed to return or at least intern any Germa
prisoners who may escape from Northern Ireland across the border to Southern
Ireland.
11.They have throughout offered no objection to the departure from Southern Ireland
of persons wishing to serve in the United Kingdom Forces nor to the journey on
leave of such persons to and from Southern Ireland (in plain clothes).
12.They have continued to exchange information with our security authorities
regarding all aliens (including Germans) in Southern Ireland.
13.They have (within the last few days) agreed to our establishing a radar station in
Southern Ireland for use against the latest form of submarine activity
Last edited by Buck_Mulligan; 05-11-2022 at 06:13 PM..
They were neutral, despite allowing a few aircraft access and some small home defence type cooperation.
No one has claimed they were not neutral. Everyone acknowledges that neutrality was the official policy. No one disputes that some, not all, in the IRA were willing to cozy up to the Nazis in an attempt to exploit British difficulties. That's a far cry from the country as a whole.
Quote:
In 1936 De Valera reintroduced the 1931 Public Safety Act banning the IRA and imprisoning its commander Moss Twoomey. He had finally severed his links with the revolutionary army that he was once a member of and he was not afraid to bring it to justice when needed.
People are responding to easthome's absurd claim that Ireland was "practically on the side of the Nazis", which he notably hasn't attempted to defend.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
