In order to avoid military conflict, is it important to sit down and talk instead of using displays of power?

After the invasion of Poland in 1939, should someone have told Churchill that dialogue was necessary to ease tension instead of military provocation? Why did Churchill provoke the situation by using military force? Isn't it more important and wise to sit down and negotiate?In order to avoid military conflict, is it important to sit down and talk instead of using displays of power?Poland was the last in a long list of broken promises by the Nazis. Sudentland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, the Rhineland and the whole sorry "non intervention" joke that was the Spanish Civil War.



Appeasement had been tried, negotiation had been tried, the "sit down and talk" had been done to death. The Nazis thought the British and French would just look the other way yet again while they gobbled up Poland, but FINALLY they honoured their promises to support Poland and declared war on Germany-TWO DAYS after the invasion started. Then then proceeded to do very little to actually help the Poles! There were no real "displays of power" until April 1940 when the Norway campaign started and the Royal Navy intervened at Narvik.





In general, sitting down and negotiating is admirable and should be the first choice. It was the first choice in your example, way back in 1936 when the Germans started throwing their weight around in Spain.



Lastly, when negotiaiting, just like Woodrow Wilson said, "Talk softly and carry a big stick". Having some vulgar displays of power on hand to convince your enemy you mean business is very useful in any negotiation. Why do you think Dresden was firebombed, and why were Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuked?

"Hey Stalin! You better stick to what we said in Potsdam and Yalta. We gotta big bomb and we aint afraid to use it! Have a look at Dresden-ya want Kiev to look like that? Well DO YA, PUNK?"



Coarse but effective-there was no direct "hot" war in Europe until the Balkans blew up again in the 1990's.In order to avoid military conflict, is it important to sit down and talk instead of using displays of power?That is exactly what we are doing right now. We sit down, and negotiate ourselves into the grave. An umarked grave for infidels, that is. Perhaps not quite as much in America, but most certainly in Europe.



Now you understand why sometimes 'no means no' has to be backed up with other means than a big mouth?In order to avoid military conflict, is it important to sit down and talk instead of using displays of power?One would think so, but Eden's appeasement was on his mind.