NATO in Moscow!

[bc1871]

I'm amazed that a Canadian contingent didn't march in the parade, since after all the Canadian Siberian Expeditionary Force lent aid to the Imperial Forces against the Bolshevists.

[onodera]

I was recently watching a PBS documentary on WW1 and I was very interested in Herbert Hoover's famine relief efforts in post war Europe, especially Germany and Russia. I wonder if it is remembered in Russia that during the period of 1919-1926 the US government operated over 3000 civilian famine relief stations in Russia providing all of them with money for staff, food to be distributed to the hungry, and doctors to provide free medical care. I know the communists made much propaganda about American soldiers sent to Russian ports to retake war material the Tsarist government ordered but never paid for before the revolution but the fact that the American government was feeding 2 million Russians a day seems to be forgotten.

No, it's not taught in schools and ergo, not remembered. You are more remembered as Allied interventionists, assisting enemies of the young Russian state.

[Dinner]

The US was also especially generous to Germany in that both the British and French governments insisted on the naval blockade being maintained until the Versailles treaty was ratified. That meant that starvation in Germany would continue for a full year after the war ended but Herbert Hover insisted the blockade was unjustified and convinced Wilson to use the US navy to escort relief ships to German ports. Virtually the only ships with food, clothing, and supplies which made it to German ports were American relief ships and they only made it because the American Navy threatened to fire upon British or French warships which tried to stop them. After an exhausting war the western European power no one wanted to actually fight the Americans who had a navy larger then even the Royal Navy while France wanted to keep the US happy because an Army of 1 million Americans was stationed in France.

In the end the American efforts were to small even though they made a massive increase to the food supply in famine wrecked Germany and Russia. The Americans continued to supply thousands of famine relief stations in Germany and Russia but it was too small. In Germany the Americans were butting heads against the British and French while in Russia the Bolsheviks promised to kill anyone who ate bread at American famine relief stations. To compare the Americans said they didn't care who ruled Russia (which was then in civil war) but they demanded that government pay the massive debts the Tsarist government had run up with American banks (second only to Germany's debt after the Versailles treaty) but the Americans did provide free medical care and food to all Russians (no matter their politics) in all areas they could operate. Unfortunately, the communists claimed they were foreign agents and turned back food trains even though it meant Russian citizens would starve. The communists deemed the famine was politically useful especially if they could demonize foreigners even though it meant millions starved to death who could have been saved.

[Patroklos]

For those of you wondering what those uniforms are that the Americans are wearing they look like the new Multi-cam uniforms. The ACUs were designed to be a jack of all trades accross all enviroments and is thus master of none. In Afghanistan the pattern was particularly sub optimal so they designed this new version for use there and select other locations. It is based off of a patern the SEALS developed and have been using for awhile.

ACU:



Multi-cam:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MultiCam

[Serb]

Full version of the parade:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCNKuiDc-UQ&annotation_id=annotation_237442&feature=iv

Allies:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuuK5WpLs3k&annotation_id=annotation_201179&feature=iv

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ceZjJQK4wg&annotation_id=annotation_31957&feature=iv

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvf5GMMttMc&annotation_id=annotation_364480&feature=iv

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3Vp2EY6aBQ&annotation_id=annotation_367765&feature=iv

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ljH__9nrOg&annotation_id=annotation_834279&feature=iv

[onodera]

They put on different uniforms for the parade. Looks like blue class A service uniform with oxford shoes and braided trousers.

[Al B. Sure!]

Patroklos:

But the multi-cam is desert, not green and the multi-cam is also not digital. Those are green digitals in that picture.

[bc1871]

Gotta hand it to the Russkies, they put on an entertaining parade.

[Patroklos]

Its just the yellow light then.

[Patroklos]

Finally got to watch it.

I think its still kind of funny that Russians insist on blanketing every inch of their uniforms with medals of some sort. The must get an Order of Putin for every liter of Vodka downed. Eh, all in all it looked like a cheap Truimph of the Will knockoff. Cheap knockoffs of western products being the Russian MO of course.

I nice ceremony, I think it was cool for the Russians to invite others to participate even given some of our contemporary spats.

[Serb]

Now Russians insist on blanketing another inch of Allied participant's uniforms with medal for participating in this parade. All foreigin participants have been awarded with a special medal.

[Serb]

Its just the yellow light then.

Yes, it's just a light. Their uniforms weren't green as you can see on this video:

Èíîñòðàííûì âîåííûì âðó÷èëè ìåäàëè çà ó÷àñòèå â Ïàðàäå Ïîáåäû

[Serb]

Gotta hand it to the Russkies, they put on an entertaining parade.

Yeah.
And T-34s are still running even after 65 years since the end of war. Soviet quality. The best medium tank of WW2 for sure

[Thoth]

You mean you are still using 60+ year old hardware?

No wonder you aren't a world power anymore.

[Serb]

You mean you are still using 60+ year old hardware?

No wonder you aren't a world power anymore.

No, you moron. We don't use them since a long time, but they are still running, like the SU-100 self-propelled artillery that participated in the parade too.