A different 1938 war

Eurofed

Banned
Instead of the tired and worn clichè "WI Germany and the West fight over Czechoslovakia", I've decided to go for an IMO more original and interesting PoD.

Let's assume that Czechoslovakia refuses to implement the Munich Agreement, because it has got strong guarantees of military backing from the Soviet Union. Germany declares war on Czechoslovakia, soon followed by Hungary. The USSR decides to send troops to Czechoslovakia, asks for right of passage to Poland and Romania, and declares war to Germany & Hungary. Britain and France, true to their word at Munich, and worried at seeing the Red Army in Central Europe, remain neutral. Poland, scared at seeing the Red Army crossing its territory and deployed all along along its southern border, and eager to get its share of Czechoslovakia, refuses passage to the Soviets. Stalin orders the Red Army to force Polish borders open, and Poland declares war to Moscow and Prague. Yugoslavia decides to be true to its alliance to Czechoslovakia. Mussolini, always eager to join an anticommunist crusade and grab long-standing Italian claims in Yugoslavia, declares war to Belgrad and Moscow. Romania wavers between conflicting alliance committments to Czechoslovakia and Poland, refuses passage to the Soviets as well, but eventually decides that the USSR is the bigger threat, and joins the anti-Soviet coallition.
 
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This is pretty much the dream scenario for the western allies. They get the time they need to rearm while the Hun and the Bear tear each other apart. They will learn from a distance the lessons of modern mobile warfare, without having to do it the hard way. And they can grow rich from supplying whichever side looks to be losing, so prolonging the carnage. Hopefully both the Soviets and the Nazis will be so exhausted and bankrupt at the end of the struggle that neither will be ready to pose a threat to the west for at least another generation.
 

Eurofed

Banned
This is pretty much the dream scenario for the western allies.

Well, it is very much the scenario they were trying to implement with the appeasement, only here it works.

They get the time they need to rearm while the Hun and the Bear tear each other apart. They will learn from a distance the lessons of modern mobile warfare, without having to do it the hard way. And they can grow rich from supplying whichever side looks to be losing, so prolonging the carnage.

So very true, and much better for Europe & the world.

Hopefully both the Soviets and the Nazis will be so exhausted and bankrupt at the end of the struggle that neither will be ready to pose a threat to the west for at least another generation.

Or more hopefully, and more likely, the Nazi and/or Soviet regimes are so spent by the war effort that they collapse soon after the end of the world.

However, Germany is not going to stay exhaust and bankrupt for long, esp. if it can cast off lousy Nazi leadership. In all likelihood, it is going to suffer as many casualties as OTL at the very most, likely rather less as it is fighting a one-front war, it is not going to suffer any real devastation of its territory, and it ends the war in full possession of its 1939 territory plus Czechia at the very least, plus having a sphere of influence on at least part of Central and Eastern Europe. Its post-war recovery is going to dwarf the OTL one and in a few years it is back to great power status and the leader nation of Europe.

Soviet casualties likely are just as great as IOTL, likely suffers a bit less physical devastation as the Axis forces reach somewhat deep within Soviet territory but not as deep, its final outcome may vary, but most likely it ranges from pre-war borders to a Brest-Litovsk peace. If it can cast off the Soviet regime, it greately speeds recovery, it is quickly back to be a great power as well, bu not in a good shape as Germany.
 
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