RamscoopRaider
Donor
Assume that the Winter of 1941-1942 is of an average sort and duration instead of much colder and longer than usual. How does this effect WWII?
If this needs to be moved tell me
If this needs to be moved tell me
1. Without the extremely harsh and early winter of 41 the Germans would have conquered Moscow and probably even Leningrad - a Soviet counter offensive - should the USSR not have collapsed by that time- would have pushed the Germans back to a OTL December 41 front line. Best scenario.That means Moscow is conquered in the Summer of 42 at the latest - while at the same time Stalingrad falls because Soviet forces had been split up to protect bouth cities.That means disaster for the USSR which will likely lead to a defeat/surrender - or at least a stalemate.2. Your talking about the same Russian people that fought with the Germans even in 43/44? Hundreds of thousands of Soviet soliders volunteered to fight against the Communists - and when the Red army advanced in 43/44 Millions of people fled west with the Germans.And the Chinese didnt much fight with the Japs - they were too occupied fighting each other. China was also just too big and densly populated for the Japs to conquer and even in 44 - when they were fighting on all fronts their offensive in China nearly managed to collapse all resistance.The Germans may well encircle Moscow, and the Red Army would probably suffer badly for trying to break the encirclement. Moscow won't surrender if encircled, the Germans will have to fight street for street for it. Meanwhile, the Soviets will instead of launching their historic Winter 1941 counteroffensive, aim for clearing or at least being able to resupply the Capital.
Short of a full success in this effort, the Germans undoubtedly go for and gain a razed Moscow in 1942.
Like the Chinese in their fight against Japan, the Russian People understand that life under the Nazis would be hellish, filled with rape, medical experiments, slavery and untimely death. The Loss of Moscow, and perhaps even the loss of Stalin himself, might lead to compromises on the edges; the Russian people will beg the West for aid, perhaps even troops. It may be possible to sue for terms with Finland. Ultimately, though, they're going to fight as best they can.
Many more people will die in the East, but if the Chinese can hold on without their capitols and without major industry by a sheer hatred of the Japanese alone, so can the Soviets. WWII ends, though, as Germany recognizes that the Allies can utterly destroy their cities with single weapons.
WWII is longer, more bloody, and has cost millions more of lives. The Soviet Union may well collapse, it certainly is in no position to reject American aid to rebuild.
Like the Chinese in their fight against Japan, the Russian People understand that life under the Nazis would be hellish, filled with rape, medical experiments, slavery and untimely death.
The Germans may well encircle Moscow, and the Red Army would probably suffer badly for trying to break the encirclement. Moscow won't surrender if encircled, the Germans will have to fight street for street for it. Meanwhile, the Soviets will instead of launching their historic Winter 1941 counteroffensive, aim for clearing or at least being able to resupply the Capital.
Short of a full success in this effort, the Germans undoubtedly go for and gain a razed Moscow in 1942.
the germans where exhausted by the time they reached 20 miles from Moscow (regardless of weather) their infantry divisions where down 30% or more in the still functioning divisions; many of the panzer divisions had less than 20 tanks left; ten's of thousands of horses necessary for towing the artillery had died from exhaustion. And the army simply couldn't supply that far forward without a multi week pause which allows the russians to bring up reinforcements, Guderian's spearheads where out of fuel even before winter came and locked them in place
First of all this is a hindsight though, many of the things only came out after the war. But most important...how does it differ from life under stalin which is hellish, filled with rape, slavery, famine and untimely death.
I figure that the better the Germans do in Typhoon, and the worse the Russians do in their winter counteroffensive, the better the Russians do by scaling back, if not cancelling, their spring offensives. And I second Usertron's comment that rail conversion is the real limit on the German offensive.