If you could have stopped WWII, would you?

[Kramerman]

As you can see, I like hypothetical questions.

The question is simple, if you had a time machine, or if you had knowledge of the war well before hand, say 1914, and you had the power to some how avert WWII, would you have?

I personally would never mess with history. I mean, if WWII didnt happen, perhaps a worse war would have, but then again maybe not, depending on how you stopped WWII i guess. When you think about it, history has really worked out nicely since then. There was no nuclear WWIII like many feeared during the Cold War and stuff like that, so I am happy with the results, even though WWII and the wars since then have been devestating to millions.
Also, the war was a kick in the ass for the world economy, and the US economy in particular, if it wernt for that war, we may all still be in a depression today (though that is very unlikely. There were many signs before the war that we were coming out of the depression slowly, but surely, thanks to FDR's efforts, i say)

All and all, I would let history play itself out, at least from that point to this point.

Kman

[Dan Severn]

Definitely not. That would have meant the survival of Fascism.

Now WWI, maybe.

[Serb]

Aside USA some countries lost millions people during this war.

And if had an opportunity sure I stopped it to save 27 million Soviet people who died during this war. And after that more likely I disappeared, because more probably my grandmother never married my grandfather, because in that case she could married with someone else and one of my parents wasn't born.

[Kramerman]

Originally posted by Serb
Aside USA some countries lost millions people during this war.

And if had an opportunity sure I stopped it to save 27 million Soviet people who died during this war. And after that more likely I disappeared, because more probably my grandmother never married my grandfather, because in that case she could married with someone else and one of my parents wasn't born.

Time travel boggels the mind, doesnt it?

[Boris Godunov]

I doubt I'd be here, so no way.

[Bereta_Eder]

yeah i'd stop it if i could


but the most important thing would be to get my country out and far away from piss matches played by england france and germany

**** them all

[Lorizael]

Originally posted by Dan Severn
Definitely not. That would have meant the survival of Fascism.

Now WWI, maybe.

Preventing The Great War may very well have prevented World War II.

I think it all depends on how you prevent the war. If one simply killed Hitler, there still would have been depression (gah! tenses with time travel) and anger in Germany. But if you had made Europe stop Germany before they got to Poland, it would have just been a different kind of war. Too many possibilities. And I didn't even discuss the Pacific theater.

How would one prevent World War II?

And what about science? Where would science be without the Second World War?

[Bereta_Eder]

i think nobody in their right minds would give a **** about science if thinking of the millions of dead from WW2.

unless he was from a country which didnt fight or didnt fight true

[Dan Severn]

Originally posted by Lorizael
And what about science? Where would science be without the Second World War?

Good point. Space Travel, Computers, synthetic fibers, microwave ovens, radar... We might never have had them.

[Dan Severn]

Paiktis, would you rather see Millions exterminated by fascist regimes? Get my point?

[Lorizael]

Originally posted by paiktis22
i think nobody in their right minds would give a **** about science if thinking of the millions of dead from WW2.

unless he was from a country which didnt fight or didnt fight true

See there are two things, paiktis, that I believe in very strongly.

Violence is wrong and serves no purpose.
Science (knowledge in general) is the greatest thing we possess.

So if I could guarantee that our technology would be at the same level, then I would prevent World War II in a second. As it is... I would have to see if a world without the war would be any better. Dan's point about the continued existence of Fascism makes me wonder.

But then again if I've got a time machine, why am I worrying about science?

[Kramerman]

Originally posted by paiktis22
i think nobody in their right minds would give a **** about science if thinking of the millions of dead from WW2.

unless he was from a country which didnt fight or didnt fight true

I would definately look at science. It it werent for WWII, you prabably wouldnt be sitting at a 'computer' posting on a 'website' right now

Kman

[Kramerman]

Originally posted by Lorizael


See there are two things, paiktis, that I believe in very strongly.

Violence is wrong and serves no purpose.
Science (knowledge in general) is the greatest thing we possess.

So if I could guarantee that our technology would be at the same level, then I would prevent World War II in a second. As it is... I would have to see if a world without the war would be any better. Dan's point about the continued existence of Fascism makes me wonder.

But then again if I've got a time machine, why am I worrying about science?

If you stopped WWII by a Marshal plan type thing after WWI, the depression in Europe (one of the causes of the depression in America, cause Europe defaulted on their loans from the war to American gov and banks) and the ensuing fascism may never have occured, WWI may indeed could have been the war to end all wars (in western Europe anyway). But there are to many factors, the future would be uncertain, as well as the tech thing. It seems their would be conflict no matter what you did. I would just let history alone.

Kman

[Drake Tungsten]

I think that there are two very important lessons that can be drawn from "The Dirty Dozen II" and applied to this question...

1. If you are going to engage in a covert operation deep within Nazi territory, for god's sake don't bring along a black soldier. What the hell was Lee Marvin thinking?

2. Don't shoot Hitler when you have the chance. It won't stop the war or solve the underlying problems.

So I wouldn't stop WWII.

[Dan Severn]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
"The Dirty Dozen II"

A reliable source for historical accuracy.