A deal with Hitler: Was Churchill wrong?

I doubt a deal could've been done with Hitler that wouldn't have lead to a Eurasian Nazi Empire that would probably have been nigh-on unbeatable. Which would quite definitely have been A Bad Thing.

As for appeasement, after about 1936, and especially in 1938, it was probably a 'good' thing in so far as that it allowed the Brits time to build up their Armed Forces (most importantly the RAF) to fight the Germans when the time came.

However, in 1935, when the Wehrmacht re-militarised the Rheinland, they were ready to run back across the Rhine at the first sign of trouble, we should have sent in a coupla divisions and given them the smack down right there and then. Might have toppled Hitler internally, and certainly would've put him off'f the whole Austria/Sudeten business.

Yeah, only problem with that bit is the fact that between 1935-1940, germany rearmed faster than Great Britain, France or the United states of america.
Also the main factor for the defeat of operation sealion was not the British air superiority, it was the fact that to refuel a british plane could land on his own turf, and the German planes would have to fly back to france

I don't believe Germany could ever have been the superpower it wanted to be. Admittedly its economy was in top form in the late 30s, but it was a nation preparing for war and invasion. Economies cannot last in this form, particularly when you're confiscating property and sending large chunks of the wealthy and entrepreneurial to death camps. Eventually I believe the Reich would have run out of steam, found fairly reasonable borders and eventually Hitler would have been ousted. I don't think Germany had the ability, at that point, to become a significant threat to British interests.

Admittedly they were genocidal and thoroughly revolting regime, and at the risk of being incredibly naive, I am glad we got rid of that - but perhaps simply created a new monster instead in the form of the Soviet Union running through Europe. Either way, the fact that we didn't secure a free Poland should be a point of fairly significant historical shame.

However, in 1935, when the Wehrmacht re-militarised the Rheinland, they were ready to run back across the Rhine at the first sign of trouble, we should have sent in a coupla divisions and given them the smack down right there and then. Might have toppled Hitler internally, and certainly would've put him off'f the whole Austria/Sudeten business.

Also the main factor for the defeat of operation sealion was not the British air superiority, it was the fact that to refuel a british plane could land on his own turf, and the German planes would have to fly back to france

I don't believe Germany could ever have been the superpower it wanted to be. Admittedly its economy was in top form in the late 30s, but it was a nation preparing for war and invasion. Economies cannot last in this form, particularly when you're confiscating property and sending large chunks of the wealthy and entrepreneurial to death camps. Eventually I believe the Reich would have run out of steam, found fairly reasonable borders and eventually Hitler would have been ousted. I don't think Germany had the ability, at that point, to become a significant threat to British interests.

Admittedly they were genocidal and thoroughly revolting regime, and at the risk of being incredibly naive, I am glad we got rid of that - but perhaps simply created a new monster instead in the form of the Soviet Union running through Europe. Either way, the fact that we didn't secure a free Poland should be a point of fairly significant historical shame.

To be fair, the ugly death camp business only started after the war had already begun. As for the success of Germany's economy, this is still often wildly exaggerated. It was always plagued by the spectre of hyper-inflation, not to mention that it "stretched and sagged" so that there was an unsustainable allocation of resources to certain sectres at the expense of others, and disproportionate diffusion of the relative benefits of the "miracle economy". Furthermore, it was not, as is commonly believed, re-armament that caused the economic boom - rearmament only started in earnest in 1935/6. But you touch on something important: not a few historians now believe that there were strong economic reasons that made war a matter of imperative urgency to Hitler's domestic and foreign policy.

I had thought Germany's economy was ailing when it went to war, following its handover from Schact to Goering, who had no economic understanding and overheated the economy.

You're correct about the economy being in a bad shape under Goering. There obvioulsy a huge focus on rearming in preparation for war. Had the economy stayed under Schact then it would have been in a much better state.

I think in the long term the war against nazi germany was very bad for both of us. We are very similar to the germans, the actualy normal british person and german had so much in common. its just the germans were under the grip of a fascist dictator.

I would not have considered any deal that made us puppet to a fascist state, but i think had the nazi party been democratic and "transparent" then we could have been freinds because the germans our in many ways natural allies. Especially in todays world.

Because we are so similar, similar language, similar customs, similar religion. I have deep respect for the germans, they are intelligent hard working folks.

And a German Monarchy. Germany's natural strength in Europe made her anything but a natural ally in the first half of the 20th century, and now in the EU, if you ask me. Since at least the French Wars of the late 17th/early 18th century, Britain has always sought to prevent any power having too much dominance on the Continent.

That was then, the world power balance has totally changed. Back then the big powers were britain, france, germany, usa etc.

Now its basically the USA. and a few smaller powers.

Anyway, in a world where our populations are reducing and immgiration is out of control it would be better to have some national socialists in charge. From the perspective of native citizens.

Instead we've sided with america, with money being the main priority. i think we made a mistake in that.

edit, just to clarify. i think churchill was right to refuse any deal. Because of our values of freedom, democracy etc.