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  1. Derek Pullem

    Ming conquer Indian Ocean

    First answer is that they wouldn't gain control of the Indian Ocean trade as they would probably be deposed by the "Mongols" / Jurchen earlier than OTL if they didn't strengthen the army and rebuild the wall defences. Second answer is that actually fighting a war is forbidden by the...
  2. Derek Pullem

    WI: An Anti-Appeasement Popular Front in Interwar Britain

    There is a difference between appeasement and remilitarisation. Churchill was strong on remilitarisation, less so on appeasement until it became egregious. And that is the problem - many potential Popular Front supporters did not want to remilitarise but equally didn't want Germany too either...
  3. Derek Pullem

    What if the evacuation of Dunkirk had failed?

    Would Germany ever return them? They never returned the almost 2 million French POW to Vichy France. I think that Germany would hold them as a bargaining chip to ensure UK did not diverge from the Nazi position in Europe.
  4. Derek Pullem

    What if the evacuation of Dunkirk had failed?

    Sorry that was a general not specific reply! I didn't mean that as a direct response to your post but a general retort to those who would try to label Churchill; as more bad than good. He had his flaws but we could never have negotiated WW2 with Chamberlain continuing and Halifax as his...
  5. Derek Pullem

    What if the evacuation of Dunkirk had failed?

    Yes a collapse of British will to resist is possible and to some degree was what was behind Halifax's questioning of Churchill on hypotheticals "If Hitler offered such and such then what should we do?". Churchill already signed off on Halifax preparing an approach to Mussolini for terms but he...
  6. Derek Pullem

    Operation Unthinkable in Mid-April 1945 - Germany/US/UK coming together

    From the JCS history I linked earlier. The JIC prepared a report on Soviets intentions in January 1945. Which in hindsight was pretty much bang on.
  7. Derek Pullem

    What if the evacuation of Dunkirk had failed?

    Operation Paul per se is historical fact. It was an extension of the plan to mine Norwegian waters (Operation Wilfred) by mining the Swedish waters around the port of Lulea. Wilfred (and the potential follow up plan R4 to occupy Norwegian and Swedish ore mines) which was overtaken by events...
  8. Derek Pullem

    Operation Unthinkable in Mid-April 1945 - Germany/US/UK coming together

    Not considered in US war planning prior to Korean War. You can check out the plans here https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:gf917dt8506/vol_2.pdf
  9. Derek Pullem

    Avoid the 2008 crisis

    Why does that stop someone doing what they did IOTL and make even more money (Greed is good......)?
  10. Derek Pullem

    What if Germany Won the Battle of Stalingrad?

    Yep. Barbarossa relies on the Soviets folding rather than the Germans winning. To be fair, everyone Hitler had challenged had folded previously (with exception of UK and the 22 mile anti-tank ditch)
  11. Derek Pullem

    Operation Unthinkable in Mid-April 1945 - Germany/US/UK coming together

    Why all the Churchill hate recently? Given that USSR had originally sided with the Nazis to invade Poland and was now sitting on half of Europe wouldn't it be entirely sensibly for the "vile old fox" as you put it to have contingency plans. I mean lets be honest - if you are developing a plan...
  12. Derek Pullem

    What if the evacuation of Dunkirk had failed?

    Not exactly more recent - if you had read the original article I liked to the author was responding to a piece by David Carlton (the same author of your link) had written back in 1976. Basically Carlton is rehashing the same argument 17 years later and quoting such luminaries as Clive Ponting...
  13. Derek Pullem

    Salvage post Soviet Russian naval & airforces

    Boomers were credible as second strike weapon. But learn from UK - you only need 4 (or maybe 5 if you have Soviet reliability). IRBMs work well for most purposes and are cheap as chip compared to boomers and ICBM. Go slow on decommissioning nuclear SS-20. Build a few SS-25 / Topol but scrap...
  14. Derek Pullem

    What if the evacuation of Dunkirk had failed?

    Best way to "find" is misquote or misattribute comes from an alleged statement in a secret meeting i.e. not a direct quote The second "quote" Comes from this larger quote from Churchill dismissing a hypothetical as a basis for discussion. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20096791
  15. Derek Pullem

    What if Germany Won the Battle of Stalingrad?

    Stalingrad isn't really the issue. The flanks of Stalingrad are the issue. Germany can't really seal off the eventual counter-attack by the Russians as they don't have the troops or the logistical support to reach the Volga which would give then a secure front line Stalingrad could have...
  16. Derek Pullem

    Saudi oil owned by Private company till today

    We're not in the ASB forum - how do you propose this is achieved? Are you suggesting an "East India Company" look alike in the 20th century controlling a quarter of the world's oil reserves in 1980 backed by a few Sheikhs in the desert? Why wouldn't someone just roll in and annex them? Or are...
  17. Derek Pullem

    Sir John Valentine Carden Survives. Part 2.

    Nashorn is likely - an early Jagdpanzer IV with the long 75mm is also possible but IOTL the Nashorn was the quicker to production and I don't see the reasons for changes yet. May even skip to Ferdinand / Elephant directly if experience with the Victor suggests the 75mm won't cut it. EDIT...
  18. Derek Pullem

    Saudi oil owned by Private company till today

    It would be nationalised by whatever faction retained control of the area as the Saudi's eventually did. Too much money for any state / warlord not to want to take control.
  19. Derek Pullem

    Consequences of Leningrad falling in 1941-42?

    I guess the point I was making about the chance of success was not reaching the end point of the campaign but actually achieving something when they got there. As others have pointed out the chances of Nazi Germany benefiting from the Caucasus oil was virtually nil. They could have denied the...
  20. Derek Pullem

    Consequences of Leningrad falling in 1941-42?

    More radical question - could the fall of Leningrad have persuaded Hitler that a Northern strategy to end the war was feasible. Something that focussed on the isolation of Moscow and the rail hub rather than the lunge into the Caucasus. Which we can see had zero chance of success but looked...
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