Barbarossa: how would you do it?

On the 22nd June 1941 Germany unleashed Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. I know this as been discussed to the death in this forum, including all its aspects: military strategy and tactics, civil, economical and political sides as well.

Nevertheless what I would propose is: what would your strategy be if you had the command of the Axis forces that attacked the SU. There are those who would go all the way for Moscow in order to cripple the SU ability to use its railways hub there before the winter sets in. Others would prefer to go for the oilfields in the Caucasus. Others claim that using the freed populations in order to keep the insurgency behind the lines to the minimum would also make a huge difference. Other claim that whichever the tactic Germany would be always defeated in the end.

The goal is the same as the original: Destroy the SU as a credible threat and occupy most of European Russia. How would you go at it? Let’s say that after a couple hours by some magical trick the German Nazi leadership is gone and some form of military government takes its place. The invasion is in full swing from the Baltic to the Black Sea. You are the supreme leader of the Axis forces. What will your orders be?

Go.

First..

Co-op the Non-Russians within the Soviet Union to be friendly and join them as militia groups to hunt down Soviet Partisans..

Second..

Co-op the Russians that hate the Soviet Communists and join the Wehrmacht as a para-military force against any Soviet-Communistic Partisans that are left behind when the German Advances forward..

Third...

Get rid of the German Death Squads ' Einsatzgruppen ' and convert them all into Combat SS Waffen as Elite Assault Troops instead..

Fourth...

No DANG Death Camps... in fact ...
close all Concentration Camps and release all folks back to their original homelands ...

And recruit these Camp Guard Troops and send them into the Waffen SS as Elite Assault Troops...

If possible, implement this in 1938 and instead concentrate on winning the hearts and minds of the folks to join in a war against the Communistic Soviets and their desire to conquer Western and Eastern Europe...

But since this OP states that it is June 1941...

Then Do it now... stop all the activities in the Concentration Camps, transfer all the folks in these camps back home with warnings to follow the dictates of the German High Command and serve the Reich...

Fifth... Standardize all transports to a few vehicle types so as to reduce the logistical logjam of getting essential parts & equipment and spares to the troops....

In fact, try to standardize all military equipment to a few so as to expand the availability of excellent weaponry over mediocre ones

But I guess the later statements are in hindsight or something...

kclcmdr said:

First..
Fourth...

No DANG Death Camps... in fact ...
close all Concentration Camps and release all folks back to their original homelands ...

And recruit these Camp Guard Troops and send them into the Waffen SS as Elite Assault Troops...

Then Do it now... stop all the activities in the Concentration Camps, transfer all the folks in these camps back home with warnings to follow the dictates of the German High Command and serve the Reich...
But I guess the later statements are in hindsight or something...

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This would also release a lot of rolling material and railways for the transport of troops and equipment which were wasted transporting millions to their deaths in the KZs. It would have a rather positive effect in the situation of German logistics in the East.

Russia has a winter - troops will need winter clothing even if we expect to win by Christmas..............

Are you flexible on the late June beginning of the divergence? A lot of bad assumptions/preparations were already built into the invasion plans by then and probably couldn't have been undone in time to make much difference.

Rewind back to maybe February or March 1941 and it might be possible to do more. Of course that might also butterfly away the element of surprise.

kclcmdr said:

Get rid of the German Death Squads ' Einsatzgruppen ' and convert them all into Combat SS Waffen as Elite Assault Troops instead..

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the Einsatzgruppen were far from elite assault troop, and probably could not be moulded/trained to become such units

they were ideologically committed to murdering unarmed civilians in cold blood

anything more "heroic" than that would be beyond them, AFAIK

the only way Barbarossa could have succeeded was if a genocidal psychopath wasn't in charge

I would not do it

von hitchofen said:

the Einsatzgruppen were far from elite assault troop, and probably could not be moulded/trained to become such units

they were ideologically committed to murdering unarmed civilians in cold blood

anything more "heroic" than that would be beyond them

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I may be wrong but I thought that was the point

Elite Assault troops being tounge in cheek - let them exponge their crimes with their blood....

I would surrender to the Western Allies, honestly.

ruisramos said:

This would also release a lot of rolling material and railways for the transport of troops and equipment which were wasted transporting millions to their deaths in the KZs. It would have a rather positive effect in the situation of German logistics in the East.

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Lot depends on what you mean by "lot". It is about a 3% increase in rail and truck capacity.

Many of the men used were 2nd or 3rd rate men. Old, injuries, etc.

Orry said:

Russia has a winter - troops will need winter clothing even if we expect to win by Christmas..............

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Clothing existed, it was a distribution and logistical issue.

BlondieBC said:

Clothing existed, it was a distribution and logistical issue.

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Failure to plan is planing to fail......

Oh and order an increase in spare parts manufacture. Better to have 6 tanks that work than 8 tanks with 3-4 out of action through lack of spares

Gosing said:

I would surrender to the Western Allies, honestly.

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There was no Western Allies at the time. The U.S. wasn't in the war and if you wanted peace you wouldn't have the surrender. Churchill would have been more then happy to make peace for a return to 1937 borders.

Orry said:

Failure to plan is planing to fail......

Oh and order an increase in spare parts manufacture. Better to have 6 tanks that work than 8 tanks with 3-4 out of action through lack of spares

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O there was a plan, it is just Hitler ignored it. The logistical commands had reports on the major deficiencies, and recommended not attacking. They thought you should have 6 months of all expendables on hand for such a big attack.

I wouldn't it. I'd finish off the Western Allies via bombing Britain into peace or submission. Focus on the USSR in 45 or 46.

For the op I would disband the SS and merge it with the army. I would allow for free and independent states in Eastern Europe. I would recall Rommel from Africa and replace him with an Army Group Commander fighting in the East.

Rommel's unique talents would have been far far better served as an Army Group commander on the Eastern Front in a timeline such as this then in Africa. By unique talents I am not talking about moving around tanks and battle tactics lots of German generals were very good at that I am talking about him being in my opinion WW2's best field commander at winning over local populations as well as understanding the importance of public perception and population centric strategies.

In terms of German industry I would put it on a Total War footing and make sure things are better prepared for the winter and most importantly make clear though actions and deeds that the goal of the fight is not to dominate Eastern Europe, but to liberate it from Stalinism and return control of the future of the people there to the people.

I would make peace with Stalin in late 1942 before Soviet industry really got going leaving Mother Russia intact and then focusing my attention on tiring out the UK and US to make a reasonable peace for Germany before the U.S. produced nukes.

If I had the same knowledge of the situation as Hitler did OTL, I probably wouldn't change very much. The Soviet Union couldn't handle Finland, how do they have any hope against my panzer divisions? I would try not to antagonize the United States, but that's tangental to my war in Russia.

With hindsight, I'd have to go the Wunderwaffen route. Germany can't win conventionally. A crash atomic bomb program would be started, and if my scientists tell me it can't be done soon enough, maybe a Hail Mary with nerve agents. There's little possibility of it working out, but it's better than trying to win a conventional war against the entirety of the industrialized world.

BlondieBC said:

O there was a plan, it is just Hitler ignored it. The logistical commands had reports on the major deficiencies, and recommended not attacking. They thought you should have 6 months of all expendables on hand for such a big attack.

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Beg your pardon, the 'plan' such as it was, was impossible. It's entire logistics broke apart after first 600 km into Soviet Union. Beyond that point, Germans started improvising as their basic assumption that Red Army could and would be destroyed in frontier battles came to naught. After this fail they just trudged on, hoping it would happen after one more battle. Only at Moscow the reality caught up with them and they realized the massive potential of Soviet Union to make war totally outstripped Germany, even with entire Europe under her boot.

IMHO, the best thing to do is to allow for the operation to run its course, then attempt to negotiate piece with Stalin, provided his offer is genuine. If this succeeds then at greatest possible speed prepare for inevitable round two and attempt to wrap up the entire western war.

Shaby said:

IMHO, the best thing to do is to allow for the operation to run its course, then attempt to negotiate piece with Stalin, provided his offer is genuine. If this succeeds then at greatest possible speed prepare for inevitable round two and attempt to wrap up the entire western war.

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Good point about round 2. Free and independent states in Eastern Europe would do alot of good here. I can imagine in my TL a democratic Ukraine mass mobilizing its population after the first round of war to prepare to defend itself for the second and these would be the front line places that would have to build up defenses with German help in the period between the first round in the East and the inevitable second round.

Boom22 said:

I'd finish off the Western Allies via bombing Britain into peace or submission.

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Easier said than done, like everything Hitler attempted - RAF Fighter Command would butcher the Luftwaffe if they chose to attack en masse in daylight again

they would merely be making the same strategic mistakes as the USAAF and RAF did with their bomber offensives, only with smaller resources and less capable aircraft

the U-boat threat might be a better bet, but that was fraught with difficulties and may drag the USA into the war earlier

the invasion of Russia was of maximal ideological, geo-political and economic importance to Hitler and the Nazis, everything Hitler had done prior to 22.06.41 was merely preparation for it...

Shaby said:

Beg your pardon, the 'plan' such as it was, was impossible. It's entire logistics broke apart after first 600 km into Soviet Union. Beyond hat point, Germans tarted improvising as their basic assumption that Red Army could and would be destroyed in frontier battles came to naught. After this fail they just trudged on, hoping it would happen after one more battle. Only at Moscow the reality caught up with them and they realized the massive potential of Soviet Union to make war totally outstripped Germany, even with entire Europe under her boot.

IMHO, the best thing to do is to allow for the operation to run its course, then attempt to negotiate piece with Stalin, provided his offer is genuine. If this succeeds then at greatest possible speed prepare for inevitable round two and attempt to wrap up the entire western war.

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You should read what I responded too. Context is important. While your canned answer may or may not have merit, it does not apply to what I posted. There was a plan for WINTER CLOTHING. Hitler ignored it. There were also studies of expendable which showed there were not enough of many categories. The Logistical command recommended not to attack.

My analysis of stockpiles of war materials was not an analysis of the rail and road network in the Soviet Union. It is not an analysis of whether the Soviet Army can but cutoff and destroyed.