The French are now only 110 km from Innsbruck, which is clearly the target for the 1e RSM. There is unlikely any significant German forces along the route, so the French could reach it in about 2-3 hours (assuming they don’t stop for a coffee break). The Brenner Pass is only another 30 km further away. They should both be firmly in French hands before the Italians even board their aircraft.
With the exception of Berlin and Warsaw, the Entente forces don't really have any particular targets - essentially they're following the best roads available to get as deeply into Germany as they can, as fast as possible. Normally this would be militarily suicidal, but in practice the German forces are no longer capable of effective resistance so it makes sense. Future military students will need to be careful what interpretation they put on it however.
Also, given the tug of war between the Italians and Germans pre-war over the Austrians, having an Entente aligned government post war is going to be interesting. I have *no* idea if restoring the pre-Anschluss government of Austria is acceptable to the Entente or not...
Austria is going to be occupied. The only question is for how long - the OTL bargain that left it neutral was heavily reliant on the fact that it suited both sides in the Cold War, so I can't see it being repeated - and a lot of the "First Victim" mythology vanishes with it.
They will probably want an election to be held if the Hungarian don't overstep their boundaries and think they are a great power.
I think Horthy is bright enough not to totally screw up. However, it's unlikely just to be a bilateral issue - I've pencilled in some sort of Congress of Europe which will address this as well as issues like how Germany and Austria are to be treated after the war, "population transfer", etc.
Here is the situation map for 7 Jan 1942. Per pdf's narrative, the French 6th Army has been transferred from the north end of the French line to the south to assist the 4th Army's offensive into Bavaria.
Thanks. These maps are enormously helpful in keeping things straight.
Hungarians really do not have much of a choice here. Sooner or later the bits of land they took from both Czechoslovakia and Romania? (Did that happen ITTL?) will have to be returned
Second Vienna Award doesn't happen - in OTL it was only possible because of the Fall of France and to prepare for Barbarossa.
Not to mention, that you have both Yugoslavia and Romania still in the game, bot of which are relatively pro-Entante, and I dare to say, their armies would be more then adequate arguments for Hungary to reconsider their position. By this time Yugoslavia would be rather better off militarily then it was in April of '41, it was rearming quite rapidly, and I am rather sure that even unreliable Slovenes and Croatians would not say no to shooting at the Hungarians, if only because they are not Germans...
Actually, relationships have improved somewhat during the war - they're all worried that the Germans and more recently the Italians have designs on them, so are trying to patch up their differences as much as they can. There was an agreement between Hungary and Romania to try and sort out their territorial dispute, which ended up with some land and population transfer plus a load of gold changing hands.
more like 9% in this case
They aren't something to drink a lot of - I'll have one of the small bottles of an evening - but they've got a really nice flavour and mouth feel that you just don't get from the weaker beers.
Regarding the latest advances, you'd think it'd be practical for the German command just to start surrendering properly; sure it's basically over, but even a general might get shot accidentally if the surrender isn't handled well. I guess the general up in Norway figured that out, now to get the rest to sign on.
Too many fanatics about still, at least in Germany. Denmark and Norway are conveniently isolated - although in reality there isn't much difference because any German army units outside a few spots who haven't already deserted are surrendering as soon as a they see an Entente patrol. The troops in Denmark and Norway are actually in a much better place and under better discipline, so a formal surrender is actually rather easier to achieve.
Great map, but weren't the Czechoslovakians a bit further into northern Austrian around the border? This looks like they actually withdrew from some Austrian territory in favour of the Hungarians which I can't seem them much minded to do.
Don't worry about the details - I don't think anybody really knows where all of their own troops are, let alone anybody else's.
If von Falkenhorst hasn't given the Commando order iTTL *and* is the one arranging the cease fire giving the Norwegians the non-Wehrmacht people they *do* want, he *might* be able to escape trial.
War crimes trials will be handled very differently OTL. No mention has been made in the story of von Falkenhorst or so far as I can remember of the Commando Order - the Commandos are being used in a different manner ITTL as well. The only ones operating in small groups are the Brigade Reconnaissance Force who are doing sneaky-beaky stuff and generally trying not to be spotted 99% of the time, so it's highly probable that the stimulus for the OTL order wouldn't happen.
Given that Norway is a member of the Entente (and Denmark is not), will von Falkenhorst's proposed Cease-Fire need to be brought to the Entente High Command or is this simply the Norwegian Goverment's Call?
Individual field commanders are authorised to accept the surrender of German troops. The field commander in this case is probably the head of the Norwegian Army due to the size of the German unit surrendering, but the principle still holds.
Sort of surprised at the German holdouts in Eastern Holstein north of Lubeck. If that is a particularly stubborn holdout area, the Danes might lend the British some small boats to help flank them.
It isn't stubborn holdouts but a lack of petrol for 4th Army to get there and occupy it.
Not sure when it was revealed in story, but that is a picture of (Not sure of rank at this moment iTTL) K. M. Cariappa. iOTL, he was one of the most senior Indian Officers in the Indian Army in 1939, the first Indian Officer to achieve the rank of Brigadier General in May 1945, one of the first Indians to undergo advanced training at the Imperial Defence College, and was Commander in Chief of the Indian Army in 1949.
He was a pre-war substantive Major with staff college experience, and had spent a month on attachment with the Coldstream Guards in February 1932. Given the fact that the British Army is rather larger than OTL and Congress is actually part of the Indian Government, the expectation is that his promotions would be more rapid than previously. There was also some nervousness about Indian Officers commanding Indian Regiments, so an appointment to a British Brigade seems likely - and his previous attachment to the Guards coupled with them having a vacancy at the time (and residual nervousness about his abilities ensuring that he's given a brigade where the more junior officers can cover for him if required) mean he gets the Brigade of Guards. This happens to be great propaganda in India, but isn't the reason for doing it.
Edit: To clarify, the front lines on the map show the most forward position of the Entente forces. This doesn't necessarily mean that there are any organized German forces on the other side of the line.
Exactly. The entente forces may well be truck-mounted patrols at best in any case - essentially large areas of Germany are currently No Man's Land.
nope. because france never fell, the japanese never occupied french indochina, so the us didn't embargo them (or at least, us embargoes are much reduced compared to otl). so right now, the japanese are chewing away at china, leaving everyone else alone.
The British and French are also looking much, much stronger than OTL, and the Dutch are still in the war.
If anything, it seems to me that the Japanese are holding a much weaker hand ITTL. The British, French, and Dutch are in a very much stronger position in every capability than they were historically.
Hugely so. The British Eastern Fleet in Singapore (under ABC and with significant French attachments) is about as powerful as the entire IJN, and the Americans are a threat too. Essentially they're unable to win a naval war, which given the reliance of the home islands on imports means they can't fight the Entente powers or the Americans. That just leaves the morass in China for them to double-down on: this is almost purely an IJA fight, which makes the internal politics even worse. And then there are the Soviets...
