WWII PODs

[JHPier]

My vote goes to Hitler being blown up in the Bürgerbraükeller two months after the attack on Poland. It would be fascinating to see how his successors would conduct the war (no Barbarossa at all maybe?)

Runner-up: The Japanese join in Barbarossa, Stalin gets Churchill to declare war on Japan (he did promise to give the Russians all possible help after all).
Wahat does the US do?

 

[Peter Cowan]

Here are a few of my favourite PODs in WW2 (favourites because they rarely ever seem to appear in the usual course of events - of course that may just mean they aren't particularly feasible)

1/ No Battle of Britain. Hitler decides he isn't going to invade the UK and just blockades it - U Boats and bombing the channel convoys. In effect, for Britain to carry on the war, she has to take the offensive.

2/ Maybe tied in with the above. De Valera gives the Germans basing rights in the Free State, perhaps in exchange for the Six Counties in a subsequent post war peace treaty. How would US public opinion react to the knee-jerk invasion the British woud have to do?

3/ Mentioned in an earlier post - Japan only attacks the European Asian colonies. A big risk leaving the Philipines across the Lines of Communication but again would the US go to war to save the European empires?

4/ Instead of Midway, the Japanese invade Ceylon

5/ Anglo-French forces invade Norway just before the Germans do - it was a close run thing.

6/ Anglo-French forces try to bomb the Azeri oilfields to reduce the amount of oil Hitler's ally Stalin was shipping - again planned but wiser counsel prevailed

7/ Rashid Ali's coup in Iraq gets more effective German aid and leads to a wider arab revolt against the British

Any comments welcome

 

[Diamond]

4/ Instead of Midway, the Japanese invade Ceylon

That's a fascinating idea, one I don't recall seeing done. Did the Japanese have the wherewithal for such an attempt? I'm assuming they would've had to take and hold Singapore and everything else in the East Indies. No problem, but what happens when allied intel starts reporting massive troop buildups pointing towards India? Won't Japan have to divert significant resources to guard against Australia?

A lot of your ideas would tie in together nicely, perhaps:
1 and 2, tying up Europe in Europe, with no time or ability to worry about the Pacifice, then bring in 3 and 4.

 

[Dave Howery]

None of the above. My favorite WI for WW2 involves Churchill not sending troops from N. Africa to Greece... thus, Wavell goes on to smash Italy's forces and grabs Libya before Rommel and the AK get involved... the war would be very much affected by having no see-saw war in NA...