AHC Western and Soviet forces meet in Eastern Poland

Hmmm... tough.

How about Things go worse for the ussr, maybe no lend lease, and the germans get to baku. Which would both have to the result of some earlier pod.

Soviets push the germans out of the caucasus, but the germans destroy the infrastructure on retreating.

A couple of kursk like battles, and germany and the soviets agree to a truce. The soviets pull out of the war. Partly because stalin no longer believes the WAllies ,,second front,, promises.

Overlord happens more less on scedule, but faces much tougher opposition. By may 1945, the wallies have liberated much of france, but port facilities etc, are sadly lacking. The us had earlier decided on a 99 division army, and clearly thats not enough, so the arny has to be built up.

Finally, in august, two abombs burst over japan, and japan surrenders. The wallies cross the rhine.

Stalin decides hed better jump back into the fight and moves into romania, to cut off german oil, and poland.

October, atomic fire rains on three german cities, then a week later, three more. A coup ousts the nazis and a military junta surrenders to the wallies, rushing allied forces into poland.

Hows that?
 
I have the feeling this isn't possible.

If the WAllies do better, then Germany has to devote more forces to stopping them. Conversely, this makes the Red Army's task easier.
 
I'd have the peripherals go better for the WAllies: Norway could be a vitory but at a higher price for the Germans and lower for Britain. Avoid losing all the heavy weapons at Dunkirk, so the threat of invasion will be met more easily. More luck in the Uboat 'happy time', more uboat sinkings less merchant losses. Avoid Greece/Crete and clean up Libya in 1941. Better Battle of the Atlantic in 1941-43.

The upshot is when the time comes for offensives the groundwork is already laid so the schedule can be moved up.
 
Your challenge is for the Nazis to be defeated but with Western forces much further East.

No Operation Torch, no SIcily invasion, no Italian campaign

Just a steady buildup of US forces in England

Landing in France summer 1943-preferably at height of Battle of Kursk
Germans, not fighting in Italy, perhaps have more their forces in USSR than OTL

How likely US would avoid ground combat against Gemans for year and half
after entry to war? Dunno

How well would a US Army do in France in absence of any major ground combat experience beforehand? Dunno

But if Us & UK are pushing East at a time when Heer is deeper in Russia than OTL, that should give a meeting place further east
 
You need both for the Germans to do better in the East, and the Western Allies get some lucky breaks.

In the East, Hitler cancels Operation Typhoon much earlier allowing the Germans much needed time to prepare defenses. When the Soviet counterattack hits, the Germans inflict higher casualties and have their own reduced. Then in 1942, the Germans handle Case Blue better. 4th Panzer Army stays near the 6th Army and never heads south. This prevents the rout when the Soviets counter attack. The situation still leaves the Germans on the defensive by 1943, but the lower casualties and higher Soviet losses means the Red Army has a much harder time gaining ground.

General Sikorski lives and continues to lead the Polish government in exile.

In the West, the Allies successfully clear out the Scheldt Estuary in August 1944, enabling the Allies to cross the Rhine in three places by October 1944. At this time, German resistance in the west collapses. The Western Allies reach the outskirts of the Berlin area, but do not attack the heavy defenses surrounding it. Instead, they push southeast and liberate Czechoslovakia and Krakow. By the end of 1944, the Western Allies and Red Army link up near Lvov and Brest-Litovsk, aided by a general insurrection in Poland by the Polish Home Army. Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria agree to surrender, trapping various German units to the south. The Red Army crosses Poland during the winter of 1945, but with the Polish Government in Exile in control of central and western Poland. In spring 1945, a combined Soviet and Western Ally offensive takes Berlin, with the Soviets given primary responsibility for taking the city.
 

Hyperion

Banned
The Germans could pull out of Italy, sign a treaty whereby Italy declares neutrality, provided both German and Allied forces leave Italian territory. Aside from parking half a dozen or so divisions in the Alps, German could probably shift a good number of divisions and supplies to the east.

HMS Glorious and her escorts aren't sunk off Norway, and maybe another German warship goes down instead. Due to an extra carrier and another couple dozen Swordfish, Taranto is an even greater than OTL disaster for Italy, which has positive butterflies through the North African and Meditteranean campaign, weakening the Axis sooner and speeding up progress on the western front by three to six months ahead of OTL. German forces advance into the Soviet Union as in OTL, but due to Britain not being so bad off and some of the Commonwealth nations being stronger as well, Lend Lease to Russia is cut compared to OTL. The Soviets still come out as victors in the war, but they've taken more losses and don't get as far.
 
Yugoslavia joins the Axis and stays there, albeit as an unwilling member. Sometime later, it discretely informs the Allies that it would be willing to switch sides. As a result of this and some other factors, the Anglo/Americans decide to land in Yugoslavia instead of Normandy. Romania promptly switches sides, perhaps Hungary too. (Did they try (and fail) to arrange a joint egression from the Axis IOTL, or am I misremembering things?) Romania and Hungary bordered Poland, therefore an Allied offensive (if only to help the Soviets overrun the German army groups north of the Carpathians) could drive into some corner of Poland. Thus the terms of the challenge would technically be met.
 
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