Post by simpleton on Aug 28, 2017 21:36:30 GMT
Poland was the only other military dictatorship with a strong army and good leadership (far superior to Italy and a shield against the USSR). Instead of using the surprise factor of initiating a world war, Hitler attacked the only country expecting to be invaded. This provided time for Britain and France to mobilize, import armament, recruit, train, etc, After defeating Poland, the huge German armed forces consumed a lot of scarce grain, etc, cost a fortune and did nothing until the invasion of Denmark & Norway. Then Hitler had to fight Holland, Belgium, France and Britain on 10 May, 1940. The worst possible move for Germany was the one made OTL, allying himself with Stalin to wipe out the Polish army and yield 2/3 of Poland, the Baltic countries and Finland to the USSR, moving the Soviet border much closer to East Prussia and Berlin. Before the war, the Polish border was minutes from Minsk and very close to Kiev, Smolensk, Leningrad, etc,
Poland and Finland have excellent intelligence networks, much superior to Germany's. Poland had defeated the much larger red army in the early 1920s and with a little German armament and training, it would be an invaluable ally to secure other alliances, to defeat and control the URSS. If Poland captured the Baltic Countries allied with Germany, Stalin would not dare oppose both countries and probably Japan (allied with Germany and sharing intelligence about the USSR with Poland for many yaers) and the axis would be even closer to Leningrad, Smolensk and Moscow.
Holland was extremely weak in 1939 (even less prepared than in May 1940) and capturing it would bypass the strong forts in east Belgium and the Maginot line, effectively rendering Belgium and France untenable. Invading a 30 km swath of Swiss territory along the German and French borders also bypasses the Maginot line and leaves Switzerland exposed to Italian invasion and German bombers if it declares war on Germany and counter attacks. Oslo had one of two airports and it would be easy capturing it in peacetime, with troops hidden in merchant ships and landed in the airport. Even France, Britain and Switzerland were unprepared for war in April 1939.
Stalin had executed many of his best officers and the red army was completely unprepared for war in 1939, even worse than in 1941, when it had T-34, KV-1, more officers and had learn valuable lessons and experience invading Poland, the Baltic countries, Bessarabia and Finland and fighting Japan in Mongolia.
Japan was incurring heavy losses in China fighting a huge army in a huge area, with a small IJA, the expensive and mighty IJN was mostly idle.
ATL
in Nov 1938 Hitler convinces Poland, Japan, Thailand and Finland to form a secret coalition with Germany to secure and expand their countries. Poland will not only gain valuable territory, ports and population, but secure its flanks against a Soviet invasion after capturing the 2 larger, vulnerable Baltic countries. Japan will gain valuable European colonies, which are very weakly defended, a much better return on investment than invading China. Finland will not only gain territory, eventually invading Karelia, but will gain strong allies against to preempt a Soviet invasion.
Accordingly, in April 1939 Germany invades Holland (capturing a 30 km wide swath along the whole Belgian border within 38 hours, before Holland, Belgium, France and Britain can react effectively), Germany invades a 30 km swath of Swiss territory along the German and French borders, Denmark, Oslo (including invaluable Fornebu airport and capturing King Hakon and the government), Bohemia and Moravia.
Being in peace time, the coalition can infiltrate troops using trains, ships, buses, planes, etc, into critical areas (RR, bridges, roads, ports, airports, crossroads, etc,) and after securing these, motorized forces advance rapidly, any resistence being rapidly wiped out by the intact coalition aviation and naval guns).
On the same day, Poland invades Lithuania, Latvia & Slovakia. Finland annexes Estonia and the coalition is diclosed, with a warning that an attack on any member means war with all members.
The fall of Holland renders Belgium and France untenable and exposes them and Britain to bombing, U.boats, etc, from nearby bases. The coalition extends an ultimatum to Belgium and Switzerland, to grant passage to German troops to France or join the G-P-F aoalition (to gain French territory). Otherwise (if Switzerland counter attacks or Belgium denies passage) all Belgian and Swiss cities will be razed by bombing.
The Coalition also extends an ultimatum to Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Hungary to join it or be at war with it. Romania joins the coalition, which induces all others to do likewise.
After a costly, failed Swiss counter attack and the destruction of Lugano by German bombers, Switzerland joins the coalition. Belgium grants passage to German forces.
Japan and Thailand invade French Indochina, British Borneo (acquiring undefended, intact oilwells and refinery), Malaya, New Zealand, Tasmania, New Caledonia and Port Moresby.
After a week of stunning coalition successes and acquisition of new members, Italy and Sweden also join the coalition. Italy invades Corsica.
After deploying troops in Belgium, the coalition issues an ultimatum to France to join the coalition to gain territory in the USSR and wipe out the red army (which has more tanks and planes than the rest of the world combined), securing European civilization. Otherwise, France will be invaded from Belgium, Italy and Switzerland and Paris will suffer the same destiny as Lugano. France has lost Indochina, Corsica and New Caledonia and it knows that it cannot stop the coalition's huge air force and army. France joins the coalition, greatly boosting its navy and forcing Britain to do likewise (with the French, Italian, German and Polish navies and air forces, the invasion of Britain is guaranteed. The coalition now is invincible.
Poland and Finland have excellent intelligence networks, much superior to Germany's. Poland had defeated the much larger red army in the early 1920s and with a little German armament and training, it would be an invaluable ally to secure other alliances, to defeat and control the URSS. If Poland captured the Baltic Countries allied with Germany, Stalin would not dare oppose both countries and probably Japan (allied with Germany and sharing intelligence about the USSR with Poland for many yaers) and the axis would be even closer to Leningrad, Smolensk and Moscow.
Holland was extremely weak in 1939 (even less prepared than in May 1940) and capturing it would bypass the strong forts in east Belgium and the Maginot line, effectively rendering Belgium and France untenable. Invading a 30 km swath of Swiss territory along the German and French borders also bypasses the Maginot line and leaves Switzerland exposed to Italian invasion and German bombers if it declares war on Germany and counter attacks. Oslo had one of two airports and it would be easy capturing it in peacetime, with troops hidden in merchant ships and landed in the airport. Even France, Britain and Switzerland were unprepared for war in April 1939.
Stalin had executed many of his best officers and the red army was completely unprepared for war in 1939, even worse than in 1941, when it had T-34, KV-1, more officers and had learn valuable lessons and experience invading Poland, the Baltic countries, Bessarabia and Finland and fighting Japan in Mongolia.
Japan was incurring heavy losses in China fighting a huge army in a huge area, with a small IJA, the expensive and mighty IJN was mostly idle.
ATL
in Nov 1938 Hitler convinces Poland, Japan, Thailand and Finland to form a secret coalition with Germany to secure and expand their countries. Poland will not only gain valuable territory, ports and population, but secure its flanks against a Soviet invasion after capturing the 2 larger, vulnerable Baltic countries. Japan will gain valuable European colonies, which are very weakly defended, a much better return on investment than invading China. Finland will not only gain territory, eventually invading Karelia, but will gain strong allies against to preempt a Soviet invasion.
Accordingly, in April 1939 Germany invades Holland (capturing a 30 km wide swath along the whole Belgian border within 38 hours, before Holland, Belgium, France and Britain can react effectively), Germany invades a 30 km swath of Swiss territory along the German and French borders, Denmark, Oslo (including invaluable Fornebu airport and capturing King Hakon and the government), Bohemia and Moravia.
Being in peace time, the coalition can infiltrate troops using trains, ships, buses, planes, etc, into critical areas (RR, bridges, roads, ports, airports, crossroads, etc,) and after securing these, motorized forces advance rapidly, any resistence being rapidly wiped out by the intact coalition aviation and naval guns).
On the same day, Poland invades Lithuania, Latvia & Slovakia. Finland annexes Estonia and the coalition is diclosed, with a warning that an attack on any member means war with all members.
The fall of Holland renders Belgium and France untenable and exposes them and Britain to bombing, U.boats, etc, from nearby bases. The coalition extends an ultimatum to Belgium and Switzerland, to grant passage to German troops to France or join the G-P-F aoalition (to gain French territory). Otherwise (if Switzerland counter attacks or Belgium denies passage) all Belgian and Swiss cities will be razed by bombing.
The Coalition also extends an ultimatum to Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Hungary to join it or be at war with it. Romania joins the coalition, which induces all others to do likewise.
After a costly, failed Swiss counter attack and the destruction of Lugano by German bombers, Switzerland joins the coalition. Belgium grants passage to German forces.
Japan and Thailand invade French Indochina, British Borneo (acquiring undefended, intact oilwells and refinery), Malaya, New Zealand, Tasmania, New Caledonia and Port Moresby.
After a week of stunning coalition successes and acquisition of new members, Italy and Sweden also join the coalition. Italy invades Corsica.
After deploying troops in Belgium, the coalition issues an ultimatum to France to join the coalition to gain territory in the USSR and wipe out the red army (which has more tanks and planes than the rest of the world combined), securing European civilization. Otherwise, France will be invaded from Belgium, Italy and Switzerland and Paris will suffer the same destiny as Lugano. France has lost Indochina, Corsica and New Caledonia and it knows that it cannot stop the coalition's huge air force and army. France joins the coalition, greatly boosting its navy and forcing Britain to do likewise (with the French, Italian, German and Polish navies and air forces, the invasion of Britain is guaranteed. The coalition now is invincible.
