Instead, there would probably have been a cease-fire much like that between North and South Korea after the Korean War. What if the Germans had not paused but had instead continued the attack and struck a crippling blow against the Allied Armies? HistoryNet.com is brought to you by Historynet LLC, the world's largest publisher of history magazines. Taking into account all the setbacks that Doenitz had, was it not possible that Churchill used it as an excuse to gain Roosevelt’s sympathy? You hear this same argument from people discussing the US Civil War. Germania 2: A slightly more plausible map of what Germany might look like if it won WW2 by 1Blomma via DeviantArt. Harry F. Byrd Jr., first independent ever elected to US Senate by a majority of the popular vote (Virginia). In reality, the British introducing new tactics and the Germans switching to civilian bombing allowed the RAF time to recover its numbers. An Allied convoy heads eastward across the Atlantic, bound for Casablanca, in November 1942. He would just restrict Britain’s ability to fight a war, demanding no reparations or territorial losses apart from Gibraltar, which Germany would then have given to Spain in exchange for them joining the Tripartite Pact treaty. It wasn't that close. If he had managed to take Britain and therefore divert troops to North Africa no one could have formed a beach head against Europe save the Russians. A hypothetical Axis victory in World War II has become a common concept of alternative history and counterfactual history.Such writings express ideas of what the world would be like had the Axis powers of Germany, Italy, and Japan won World War II.Numerous examples exist in several languages worldwide. If Britain was unable to recover from these losses, might they then have considered some kind of conditional surrender or negotiated a peace settlement with Germany? It might mean that Britain would no longer have the numbers needed to defend its homeland. However, there might be one event that, if it had been done differently, could have had a domino effect that might have resulted in Germany winning the war. Dick Wolf, television producer (Miami Vice, Law & Order). Or what if Germany had developed an atomic bomb and a system to deliver it effectively? During World War I, the German Empire was one of the Central Powers that lost the war. – Battle of Britain (1940): What if the Germans had not switched during the Battle of Britain from attacking RAF Fighter Command to the civilian population centers? The stalemate during trench warfare in WW1 was just that, a stalemate. Both the South and Germany just too stupid to realize the war was lost 2 … In just a few months, the Allied armies were totally defeated and Europe was under the control of Nazi Germany. The concurrent German effort to blockade Britain by sea is more problematic—it started out with too few U-boats and as they grew in numbers, so did the escorts and anti-submarine measures to counter them—but there is no disputing the Battle of Britain as a tipping point in the war. “A single blow must destroy the enemy… without regard of losses… a gigantic all-destroying blow.” – Adolf Hitler. For a time, it all seemed to be going in the right direction, with Germany achieving an incredible victory in France in 1940, followed by Japan’s attack at Pearl Harbor in 1941. In the middle of The Battle of France, a very large Allied force found themselves surrounded in the Northern French seaport of Dunkirk with no chance of either being relieved or breaking out. Whereas for Japan, as the war dragged on, they were slowly starved of the natural resources they so desperately needed to fight effectively. How close was Germany to bringing Great Britain to its knees in WW2? You hear this same argument from people discussing the US Civil War. The RAF would have been totally destroyed and the cities would be relentlessly bombed. America would have had some degree of satisfaction from the situation, perceiving a kind of victory at not having not been dragged into yet another costly foreign war (with Germany) and happy that they seem to have defeated Japan without having to fire a shot. Towards the end of that campaign, a sizeable force (around 400,000) of Allied troops found themselves surrounded and hemmed in by the Germans at the French seaport of Dunkirk. It is thought he hoped to win favor with the Japanese and gain their support in the war in Europe once they had defeated America. Winston Churchill would have fled to America, branded as a war criminal by the Nazis. – Declaring war on America (1941): Germany was part of a Tripartite Pact with Italy and Japan. It was unlikely there would have been a Russian surrender or a peace treaty as the countries were so ideologically opposed. Photo: Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-342-0603-25 / Ketelhohn [Kettelhohn] / CC-BY-SA 3.0By August, Britain was losing more pilots and aircraft than it could replace. But none could have forever turned a blind eye to the mass disappearance of their Jewish neighbors and the increasing amount of Nazi propaganda in the heavily controlled “free” press. Anonymous. Germany in WW2. It was hoped these early victories would force their stunned opponents to the negotiation table. Partition amoureuse by Tatiana de Rosnay. The Germans were closer to winning WW2. Update: This goes to the vote, Thanks all. The German campaign of 1940 in France, Holland, and Belgium was nothing short of sheer brilliance. The German Strategy was of course to crush the USSR by a two-front attack: The German Panzers were to roll into the USSR from the west, which actually took place on June 22, 1941, and the Japanese Imperial Army was to attack Siberia from the east, which never took place. The failures in Russia were major factors, but the late entrance of the U.S. tipped the scale. He might have resisted going as far as the Treaty of Versailles (1919). Taking into account all the setbacks that Doenitz had, was it not possible that Churchill used it as an excuse to gain Roosevelt’s sympathy? Here are a few facts to consider before making your own judgement. Clay Blair seems to refute the belief Britain was about to fall. 3 years ago. Therefore, they thought their new and cutting-edge equipment such as the MP38 sub-machine guns, the Panzer III & IV tanks, Me 109 fighter aircraft, and Type VII submarine U-boats would be sufficient for this kind of war. The immediate effect of this suspension of hostilities would have allowed Hitler to indulge in his growing fascination with new technology. The situation looked truly dire. After all, the British and American bombing campaign in itself did not win the war, but combined with D-Day and the victory in the Battle of the Atlantic, these actions had a serious impact in the war in favor of the Allies. The British slow moving and badly armored Valentine Mk2 tank with its 2-pounder (37mm) guns would not have stood a chance. Because Germany was so short on oil, steel and (most critically) ... the Nazis would have had to crush their enemies completely in the first phase of the war in order to have any chance of winning. Having said that, GB AND RUSSIA deserve most of the credit for winning WW2. The country was neutral up until the very end of WW2, and then became a major U.S. ally and member of NATO. In turn, America and maybe Russia would have quite quickly developed their own nuclear deterrent, thus creating a global stalemate with Germany. -New Technology (1943-45): It is often said that the Germans relied too heavily on the idea that a new generation of “Wonder Weapons” would win them the war. Both the South and Germany just too stupid to realize the war was lost 2 years before it actually ended. – jwenting Aug 29 '16 at 11:33 At the start of the war with USSR , during the first 4 months, Germany had 3 mill. How close did Nazi Germany come to winning WW2? 9 years ago. The South never had a chance as long as the North had the will to continue the fight. As mentioned before the spring offensive of 1918 was a point where Germany at least seemed to get close to a final victory in the war. Instead, sensing a quick victory, he would have concentrated on gaining air superiority by completely destroying RAF Fighter Command and it’s infrastructure. What if Hitler had resisted on December 11, 1941, and had not declared war on America? 10 Answers. Maybe this would be enough to break the British fighting spirit. In this alternative, less effort would have been made on the invasion of Britain (Operation Sea Lion) and the Luftwaffe would not have suffered the mauling it did at the hands of the RAF. 2015-07-15 18:29:13 2015-07-15 18:29:13. Then, much to their amazement, the Germans halted their advance for three days in order to regroup. – Stalingrad (1942-43): What if Hitler had not been so obsessed with Stalingrad and instead had by-passed the city altogether? Imagine the impact a sizeable number of Panther tanks with their long-barrelled 75mm guns and thick sloped armor would have had in the desert of North Africa in 1942. None of these changes by themselves would have won the war for the Germans. Read another story from us: How Communists in Germany Allied with Nazis to Destroy Democracy. At first, this proved to be a good philosophy, but later they became far too worried about introducing new models in case it disrupted wartime production. In early September 1940 Germany was probably as close as it would ever come to conquering Britain. Many say war is about which side makes the fewest mistakes. But Hitler saw it as an excuse to come to Japan’s aid. For the Allies in World War Two, the defeat of Germany was their priority. This was the kind of war that neither countries had planned for and, more importantly, a war they were unlikely to win. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, the Germans were under no obligation to declare war on American as Japan was the aggressor. Clay Blair seems to refute the belief Britain was about to fall. Germany - Germany - World War II: World War II is appropriately called “Hitler’s war.” Germany was so extraordinarily successful in the first two years that Hitler came close to realizing his aim of establishing hegemony in Europe. Once relocated, Stalin would have probably carried out a second set of Purges like the ones he carried out in the 1930s, but they would have been motivated by blaming other people for the catastrophic defeat. George Roy Hill, film director (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting). Perhaps this would have turned such important battles such as those at El Alamein (1942) and Kursk (1943) into German victories. Answer. Even their early victories were flawed, like the Battle of France in the summer of 1940 that raged on for six weeks. 42 43 44. Maybe a decisive German victory at Dunkirk would have brought about the French collapse a few days sooner. Would that have led them to gain air superiority over Britain and subsequently led to a successful invasion? 33 Answers. captives, most of which were eager to fight against USSR regime. Or if he had let Field Marshal Paulus breakout of Stalingrad when he had wanted to? Robert J. More Questions at Ask Mr. History. So here are some of the key moments in the war when, if Germany had acted differently, the outcome might have been very different. Adam Powell, Welsh game designer; co-founder of Neopets and Meteor Games companies. The odds were always stacked against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan winning World War Two. invade the Soviet Union in the hopes of getting access to more resources. For all his many failings Ribbentrop was closer to the truth than he might have realised. What if the disposable Panzerfaust 60, which did not come into full production until September 1944, instead was available on the Russian front in 1943? Relevance. The German campaign of 1940 in France, Holland, and Belgium was nothing short of sheer brilliance. How close was Hitler to winning the WWII, really? The South never had a chance as long as the North had the will to continue the fight. Learn the story of the secret commando raid to destroy Germany's Heavy Water facility. As a result, the Germans would not have launched Operation Barbarossa to invade Russia on June 22, 1941, but would have been able to take advantage of the first good weather of that year at the beginning of April, nearly three months earlier than the invasion actually took place. Germany lost by a wide margin. Most Westerners don't like to admit that the Soviets probably would have eventually won the war against Germany … The Germans were unaware of the size of the evacuation until after it had happened. This would have lasted for decades, despite much tension, mistrust, and occasional violent flare up between the two countries. Answer Save. Its radar network would have had large blind spots in it, and German bombing raids would have frequently used these spots to sneak in undetected. Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 proved to be the undoing of Hitler’s military campaign. Who knows? But by 1945, the German Federation of Europe would have been a true super power with a strictly maintained dictatorship that was here to stay… for now. Three more days or weeks of the Battle of Britain would have given it to the Germans. The Germans were desperate to win as winter was around them. So what if the Germans had attacked earlier and in greater numbers? By October 1940, it would have been all over: the Germans would have totally destroyed the RAF, and then the German bombing raids would have started in earnest against British civilian populated areas and factories. But the simple fact that these two nations held out until 1945 shows how strong and resilient they were. Most likely it would have been the case that not so much valuable German equipment would have been lost. This allowed the Allies to secretly evacuate over 330,000 Allied troops back to the British mainland using an armada of big and small boats. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 5,000 articles originally published in our various magazines. “If we are weak in fighter strength, the attacks will not be bought to a standstill and the productive capacity of the country will be virtually destroyed.” – British Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding. Could some of the three-quarters of a million Axis casualties at Stalingrad have been avoided? Consequently, Japan would not have attacked Pearl Harbor, fearing a United States which could have potentially turned its full military and industrial might against it. The bombing of London and other cities from that month on never achieved the “terror” factor Adolf Hitler sought, but it did give the RAF the reprieve it needed in the nick of time. At the same time one had one of the top U.S. diplomats to London, Joseph Kennedy, not only writing off Britain’s prospects of survival, but actually applauding its imminent downfall (sentiments not shared by his son John). Hitler, ever the diplomat, would have offered lenient terms for peace, even though it would be hard for him not to be tempted to be vengeful and extract out of them harsher terms. A look into why the Germans could not pull a win out of the war with the realities they found themselves in. Nazi Germany was winning until mid 1942 and early 1943 when the battle of Stalingrad started. I ask this because I have heard wildly different assessments by different people. Discussion in 'WWII General' started by DangerousBob, Feb 20, 2014. How close was Germany to bringing Great Britain to its knees in WW2? How close were the Nazis to winning World War 2? Then Germany and Japan could secure favorable terms ensuring that they both emerged as new world powers. What if the Germans had planned from the beginning for a much longer war and started to develop weaponry like the initially unreliable Panther tank much sooner? And though the Americans might admire his oratory skills and sympathize with him, ultimately they would not have wanted to be drawn into a European war, especially as it seemed to be all over. The only reason the UK survived is because of the English Channel and Germany's lack of a proper navy. Harvey Firestone, industrialist and tire maker. For instance, according to Soviet records, they captured vast amounts of German equipment including 10,722 trucks and 12,701 heavy machine guns. The only other real point where the Germans were close to this victory was during it's first offensives in Belgium and France. Did Germany come closer to "winning" WW1 or WW2? This would have allowed for new weapon designs to be better thought-out and arrive in service significantly earlier. A lot of British would have fooled themselves that the Peace Treaty with Germany was not that bad, the only real difference being that their armed forces were slowly dismantled and the occasional German air patrol passed over their cities and towns. As a result, we shall see what actually happened. Both had gambled on a war that was quick, with decisive victories that would win them significant territorial gains. But to give an opinion: if everything had gone according to the German plan, there would have been no WW2. The result was that both Germany and Japan were drawn into destructive long-term wars. Tags: ww1 vs ww2; Page 1 of 2 1 2 Next > ... That said yes France at points was close to surrender except much had been done to remove that problem. But his triumphs were not part of a strategic conception that secured victory in the long run. Instead, Japan would have backed down and negotiated the best trade deal it could with America instead. How close was Germany to developing an atomic bomb in World War 2? Nazi Germany had four main weaknesses, namely: 1. – Dunkirk (1940): The Germans decided to take a 3-day pause to reorganize before attacking a highly vulnerable Dunkirk. Research Director Germany was now forced to fight the war on too many fronts with a weak ally (Italy) being more of a hindrance than an asset. Imagine large quantities of Me 262s jet fighters attacking American Bomber formations in early 1944. This would have weakened the Russian war machine even further as top military figures and designers were shipped off to prison camps to die for their perceived failure to halt the German onslaught of 1941. Quite quickly, Germany would have developed long range bombers with nuclear bombs followed by nuclear tipped missiles. - U.S. had not of joined into the war with military force. Not close at all really.They plowed through a bunch of weak and unprepared countries. 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