Slovaks were OTL not under threat of being gassed, deported or killed and still resistence to pro German government in Army as well as among government officials was preparing raising. And no it was not just because they wanted to be on wining side though it helped to get some support.
A Blunted Sickle - Thread II
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Donald Reaver
Donor
I would think it likely the allies are telling the Danes don't do anything just wait. They do not need a distraction of a Danish uprising that they may have to divert troops to. Some unorganized actions perhaps, not a national effort.
Ian_W
Banned
Although, for what it's worth, that was the Entente's policy towards the Polish Home Army as well.
I think the Union will be more circumspect than Hungary was though.
To be frank, I don't see the point in a Danish uprising.
It's obvious the Germans have lost, because the Entente are spending the blood and treasure needed to roll back Nazi conquests. Unless the ongoing occupation is more painful than an armed uprising would be, the pragmatic choice is to just sit back and wait. My understanding is the occupation of Denmark was relatively light, so there simply isn't a need to speed up the German ejection by a few weeks or months.
It's obvious the Germans have lost, because the Entente are spending the blood and treasure needed to roll back Nazi conquests. Unless the ongoing occupation is more painful than an armed uprising would be, the pragmatic choice is to just sit back and wait. My understanding is the occupation of Denmark was relatively light, so there simply isn't a need to speed up the German ejection by a few weeks or months.
Eric S. Raymond
Banned
You can readily find both terms "The Great War" and "First World War" in period sources back to the 1920s. "World War I", OTOH, didn't emerge from noise level until there was a "World War II". As someone pointed out upthread, the "First" originally had the sense of "first of its kind" rather than "first of a series".
Confusion on this point is understandable, as the terms "First World War" and "World War I" blur together to the modern eye.
The following Google Ngram reveals a crossover point just about where you'd expect it, in the early 1940s.
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=World+War+I,First+World+War,Great+War&year_start=1900&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1;,World War I;,c0;.t1;,First World War;,c0;.t1;,Great War;,c0
Donald Reaver
Donor
Polish Home Army is was in a different situation though, they have the Soviet Union right there, which they rightly fear. Denmark has no real worries about anyone other than the Germans, and they are well on the way to defeat.
On the other hand, the Germans are much less of a worry now than they were a few weeks ago, when there still seemed to be a whole campaigning season to go. If the Danes rise up after the Dutch reach Hamburg or the British the Baltic coast, they really only have to convince a handful of guys to hand in their guns now rather than next week.
Besides, they also only need to convince these Germans to surrender to the Danes rather than to the Entente, and the Germans might find such an offer quite tempting.
Why just *some* Germans...
Goering's plan to live.
1) December 31, declare war on Denmark.
2) January 1, surrender to Denmark.
3) January 2, Georing personally surrenders to Denmark and is jailed.
(note, if *that* doesn't work, he tries it with the F/S Union and if *that* doesn't work, Japan.)
That was back when they were planning on getting there in March/April. Are things in the balance the same?
Ian_W
Banned
Right now, half a dozen university students with a fake gun could possibly get a German garrison to surrender.
Donald Reaver
Donor
Ah no, if you want a trigger happy garrison who is believes it may be wiped out, is a good idea go ahead and try that.
As a comment to this great TL: how about utilizing air mobility to further advances? Even flying bombers with fuel barrels to captured airfields would probably have greater effect than just going on pulverizing enemy infrastructure? Paratrooper operations, at this point where resistance is crumbling might be succesful, or just flying over light infantry detachments with utility aircraft to snow covered fields if you equip your aircraft with skis?
"The Nazis in their hybris thought they could make this outlandish idea work, but look at the way they failed at the Netherlands. Airborne assaults are a pipe dream."
Yep, as they usually are, but against a crumbling enemy when you're short of time but definitely not short of aircraft... In this one could greatly gain from tactical, instead of operational or strategic, air landings.
They're probably flying in some fuel, but there is a limit to how much they can do: a Wellington is a high-tech heavy bomber of the period, and a Harrow is about the best transport available. Throw in the fact that it's the middle of winter with limited daylight and the weather is probably also putting a severe crimp on operations, and there is a limit to how much you can do. Remember we're on the cusp of a transition from rail and horse-drawn logistics to motorised ones, and that means the RASC and their French equivalent are simply not up to the task they're being asked to carry out. If the Germans were in any state to fight, this would be a disaster - the military professionals know this, but also know that the Germans are in real trouble and that there is an overwhelming political drive to relieve the Poles.
Artaxerxes
Banned
"Jinkies, the platoon commander is old man Hitler!"
"And I would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for you medaling kids!"
Yes, and if they captured Hitler, I'm sure they be medaled.
