Anung Un Rama said:What about inventing Jets, in say 1940 and using them for the Battle of Britian?
Forum Lurker said:A) Switch to a full war economy after the invasion of Poland, at the latest.
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How many times do I have to post on this topic? Clearly you do not lurk on this site ENOUGH.
The Nazis had a full war economy from about 1936.
Wozza said:I think DMA's U-boat alternative is interesting, but I wonder if there are blockages.
I am not sure different tactics in the Battle of Britain would make much difference, Fighter Command still has plenty of reserves in 12 Group when the switch is made to bombing London.
Wozza said:I am suprised no-one has mentioned not pushing straight for Moscow in summer 1941, that was a real missed opportunity and may have been decisive.
Wozza said:Also of course, accepting Stalin's 1943 peace offer might have been an idea.
Derek Jackson said:The World would have been in a lot of trouble had the effort put into terror weapons had gone into jets.
The key thing required for a German victory in WW2 is for Hitler not to be taking any major military / diplomatic decisions after say June 1940
Fellatio Nelson said:But the 300 U-boats idea was thought of pre-Fall of France, wasn't it?
With the fall of France and use of submarine bases on the French coast, shorter transit times and avoidance of the defences in the Channel and North Sea would reduce casualties and keep more boats on station. Probably could have conducted a far more effective blockade with far fewer numbers.
DMA said:Well the 300 plus U-Boats plan was what Dornitz said would be required for the U-Boat blockade of the UK. he lost out, though, when they made the decision to build Bismarck & Tirpitz. The decision to do otherwise would have to be made in around 1935.
Wozza said:1935 is the year of the Anglo-German naval agreeement, remove that and a lot will change very rapidly, particularly Anglo-Italian and Anglo-Russian relations.
Also I wonder about the resources required for so many u-boats, more even than those two ships surely? Resources will have to come off some other programme, with consequences...
Finally Doenitz does not even have full command of the u-boat arm at this stage, he is one voice amongst many, although, of course, an extremely perceptive one.
Wozza said:The Peace Proposal: Made between the Back hand blow and Kursk in 1943
I can find nothing about it online!! It is a very glossed over topic, Jeremy Blacks's the Second World War is the best source that comes to mind.
It involved offering Germany Belarus, the Baltics, and maybe the Ukraine, I cannot recall. I think there is still serious controversy about how serious it was.
DMA said:True about Dornitz's position at the time. The resources, which Bismarck & Tirpitz took up would have, thanks to their cancellation, been used to construct the U-Boats. So I can't see a problem there.
Of course the Anglo-German Naval Treaty maybe a different story, but it's not as if the Germans ignored that in the OTL whenever they wanted. As it was the Germans had about 50-60 U-Boats when war commenced. Not to mention both Bismarck & Tirptiz were bigger than the treaty permitted, as were all of the pocket-battleships.
Wozza said:2 battleships = 250 u-boats?? Are you sure?
Wozza said:Also it's training, bases, repair facilities,dockyards (I know you have covered this partly by having a 1935 POD)
It all takes time to build up, and resources.
jolo said:Still Missing:
- Melting pot instead of race politics: Masses more people available as soldiers, workers, scientists, engineers, and so on. Allies develop bomb later. Conquered territories are quickly turned into allies, many more enemies surrender.
- More cooperation among axis: Japan attacking Russia ('39) and wondering why Germany couldn't help them wasn't too bright. Italy starting a war against Greece while Germany could use some help in North Africa also wasn't too good. In both cases it would have been wiser for the according nations to wait until the waters are safer for their actions - by concentrating on the problems they already had.