That’s 35,000 trained conscripts, starting from zero trained conscripts.
Does that seem small? Well, that’s because the UK did not start peacetime conscription until mid-1938, conscripts took six months to train, and war was declared in 1939. Do the math.
But before that, in May 1939, the UK greatly expanded its conscription efforts. Which means that while only 35,000 conscripts were trained by September 1939, there were 200,000 conscripts trained by December.
I think you are the one who is not taking this seriously. There is ample evidence that the UK was preparing for war throughout 1939, and you are grasping at whatever figures you can find to deny reality.
Your own link proves my point. There is a sharp increase in military personnel in 1939. You incorrectly assume that all of this increase took place after war was declared in September, but this is simply not the case - conscription was ramped up in several stages throughout 1939.
In any case, you are shifting the goalposts. Originally you suggested that Western democracies ignored Germany, now you are arguing that they should have done more, which presumes they recognized the Nazi threat. But there is no question that all of the Allies could have been better prepared. How else do you explain the nearly 500K Soviet casualties at Smolensk, with less than 40K German KIA/MIA?
We will deploy 1 million troops to the border with Germany in Poland to deter Hitler by next week
Ah yes, the generous offer made by Stalin literally during his negotiations of a non-aggression pact with Hitler. I wouldn’t have trusted it either.
That’s 35,000 trained conscripts, starting from zero trained conscripts.
Does that seem small? Well, that’s because the UK did not start peacetime conscription until mid-1938, conscripts took six months to train, and war was declared in 1939. Do the math.
But before that, in May 1939, the UK greatly expanded its conscription efforts. Which means that while only 35,000 conscripts were trained by September 1939, there were 200,000 conscripts trained by December.
I think you are the one who is not taking this seriously. There is ample evidence that the UK was preparing for war throughout 1939, and you are grasping at whatever figures you can find to deny reality.
Your own link proves my point. There is a sharp increase in military personnel in 1939. You incorrectly assume that all of this increase took place after war was declared in September, but this is simply not the case - conscription was ramped up in several stages throughout 1939.
In any case, you are shifting the goalposts. Originally you suggested that Western democracies ignored Germany, now you are arguing that they should have done more, which presumes they recognized the Nazi threat. But there is no question that all of the Allies could have been better prepared. How else do you explain the nearly 500K Soviet casualties at Smolensk, with less than 40K German KIA/MIA?
Ah yes, the generous offer made by Stalin literally during his negotiations of a non-aggression pact with Hitler. I wouldn’t have trusted it either.
I have literally already included these in our discussion above. You are going in circles.