DBWI: Germany Invades Norway Before Allies

I know that the race to invade Norway at the opening stages of World War II were close. I was wondering what the outcome of the war would be if Hitler had been a little more timely in his invasion of Norway before the Allies?
 
You mean instead of grinding to a horrendous stalemate in the east?

the fact that the british invaded a neutral did cool their relations with the US considerable. the us might even enter the war on the side of the european allies when japan attacks pearl harbour, so britain might escape that humiliating peace they got in 1941 since the flow of american arms and credit never stopped.

how war would end, could go only worse for germany, probably some defeat in 47 or 48
 
the fact that the british invaded a neutral did cool their relations with the US considerable. the us might even enter the war on the side of the european allies when japan attacks pearl harbour, so britain might escape that humiliating peace they got in 1941 since the flow of american arms and credit never stopped.

IC: I find that a little hard to believe. You make a good point about US and British relations, but I don't it would be enough for America to enter the European War like in the first World War. Remember, Germany was not obligated to declare war on enemies of Japan unless they attacked first.

For all of his other faults, I couldn't see Hitler declaring a needless war on the United States. That would be completely unnecessary.
 

Driftless

Donor
After watching the British and French get bogged down with small in scale, but intense fire-fights with the Norwegians and Swedes, and in diplomatic chaos with the Americans and other neutrals; Hitler was thinking he may have been lucky.

Hitler would to work out other arrangements with the Swedes for winter iron ore shipments, but would be managed in short order. Plus, this side-show would pin down naval, air, and ground forces from the allies just when the Germans were ready to launch the attack into France.
 
I also wonder what would have happened to Churchill. The whole Norway thing was his idea and very quickly everybody was calling it Gallipoli the Sequel. It completely sank his career and before long he was retired and living in Canada.
 
I also wonder what would have happened to Churchill. The whole Norway thing was his idea and very quickly everybody was calling it Gallipoli the Sequel. It completely sank his career and before long he was retired and living in Canada.

Indeed. It was just a reminder that while Churchill had incredible foresight, he was just not a good military strategist. The man should never have been Prime Minister.

Could Hitler declare war on the USA expecting Japan to reciprocally invade the USSR from the east?

I don't know. By this point, with Japan focusing on China and Indonesia for war material, I don't see them going back on their pact with the Soviet Union. They had too many resources devoted to the "Pacific War" to become involved in an earlier Soviet-Japanese War.
 
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