AHC WWII Starts in March

I think the best bet for a war over Czechoslovakia might be a slightly different Munich conference. Molotov shows up, say, (whether invited or not:)), and while the Soviets can't get the return of Sudetenland to be nixed, they DO get a much longer timetable for it, allowing a more orderly removal of factories (or at least machinery), rebuilding new defensive lines, etc.

France and Britain, while worrying about Hitler, agree that a staged and orderly withdrawal makes a lot of sense, and agree.

Hitler (whether he signs the document or not), gets frustrated (he didn't expect the West to cave, IOTL, and was prepared for war), and goes to war immediately. With Czech defences largely intact, and Czech morale being buoyed by Russian support, the German invasion goes much, much more poorly than Hitler assumed it would. Meanwhile, the Soviets make arrangements to move men and equipment into Czechoslovakia (given how paranoid Poland and Romania are, the men and equipment probably have to be shipped separately, and some of the equipment 'falls off the back of the truck' as it were).

With Hitler being aggressive, and unreasonable (clearly his negotiation was in bad faith), France and Britain realize they have no choice but to declare war. With most of the first class troops busy in Czechoslovakia, the French are able to make some advances into Germany proper.

Germany loses, Hitler is deposed, the Nazis are discredited. The war is over by '41 (say).
 
Alright lets not focus on tanks, I realize that was a weak point for Jerry, In fact Herr Guderian complains of many junior officers using French tank tactics during the battle of France.

Im talking more about the infantry equipment which they seized without a fight.

THe Divisions mobilized before August 28th 1939 were equipped with German weapons.

Between September 39 and March 1940 9 Infantry divisions were equipped with Czech weapons and 4 with polish.

Between November 39 amd March 1940 additional 26 Infantry divisions were mobilized with German weapons.

So Czech and OPolis Equipment (other than Czech tanks) were only a minor factor in the German mobilisation.
 
Actually, they do have some stuff, anything that was in the Sudetenland has being theirs for a few months. Mind you, any supplies coming in through the North Sea ports has been lost almost half-a-year earlier than OTL, though I'm not sure how much of an effect this has.

There was nothing of military equipment left in Sunderland what could be moved. However with border after Munich war would be quickly over. Czechoslovak generality was aware that Army is not able to defend new borders. So Germans would capture industry and arms almost intact even if Czechoslovakia choose to fight in march 1939.

However there were speculations among some generals and politicians to evacuate Air Force and heavy weapons to Poland. It was dismissed for more reasons. One of them that weather was awful in March 1939 and air force was basically grounded, other was worry of German retaliation against civilian population.
 
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But would you be able to convince Chamberlain and Daladier (or Lebrun) to declare war after having already thrown the Czechs under the bus?
Plus, if war is declared, The British and French felt that it would take nearly one year to be able to be prepared to launch an offensive against Germany directly.
Even if an offensive was launched directly when the invasion of the Czecho-Slovakia happened, who to say that it wouldn't end like the Saar offensive as per OTL? It stopped (from what I've heard) because Poland had capitulated, and the Czechs would last much less time then the Poles.
I'm not saying that the Germans wouldn't be screwed if war was declared, but I don't see the Western armies Immediately going on the offense or even going on it before 1940 comes.
If that's the case, then with Chamberlain being... Chamberlain, what stops peace talks from being discussed? The French wouldn't give battle without Britain on there side.
With estimates of Czechoslovak command armed resistance with post Munich borders would last few days at best. In September 1938 Czechoslovak army was fully mobilized and had support of Czech but also Slovak population. In March it was not ready, lot of rearmament programs was cancelled, civilian population was demoralized and support was gone. In Slovakia after territory was handed over to Hungary and Poland support for Prague was gone too.
 
However there were speculations among some generals and politicians to evacuate Air Force and heavy weapons to Poland. It was dismissed for more reasons. One of them that weather was awful in March 1939 and air force was basically grounded, other was worry of German retaliation against civilian population.

If the Czechs had withdrawn those to Poland that would REALLY change WW2. How big was the Czech airforce at this point?

It would have a big impact on Czech-Polish relations as well.

fasquardon
 
Will the UK / France give Poland a guarantee if the Poles participate in the attack on Czechoslovakia? The war may start with the UK, France and Czechoslovakia on one side and Germany, Poland and Hungary on the other. But the Nazis and Soviets still have strained relations so there is no trade agreement to allow the Germans to avoid resource shortages. Germany without the captured Czech weapons will try to defeat the Western powers-they will probably fail and slowly get strangled by the Allied blockade.

Poland would be unlikely to attack Cezchoslovakia in this case. The historical incentive to occupy the Teschen district was to keep it away from Germany. In this case rebuilding the old alliance with France is much more important as it holds the possibility of German defeat and the occupation of more 'Polish' territory. All that is worth more than Teschen.

As CS says, if Poland would probably want irredenta from Germany more than Teschen. (But Poland would have wanted Teschen anyway - it was mostly populated by Poles, and had some useful mines and factories.) Poland might also try to stay neutral at first and attack once one side appears to be losing. Ideally, of course, Poland would want both those areas. If Czechoslovakia buys Polish neutrality with Teschen, and Poland then buys western recognition of its claims versus Germany in return for shortening the war by attacking the weakened Germany from the east...

But if war breaks out over rump Czechoslovakia after Hitler breaks the Munich treaty, it means Poland already has Teschen, and has no motive for attacking Czechoslovakia.

However there were speculations among some generals and politicians to evacuate Air Force and heavy weapons to Poland. It was dismissed for more reasons. One of them that weather was awful in March 1939 and air force was basically grounded, other was worry of German retaliation against civilian population.

How easy/hard would operating those weapons be if the industry, machine tools and other logistics remain in occupied Czechoslovakia?

Even if an offensive was launched directly when the invasion of the Czecho-Slovakia happened, who to say that it wouldn't end like the Saar offensive as per OTL? It stopped (from what I've heard) because Poland had capitulated,

Poland never capitulated to Germany. The Saar "Offensive" seems to have been more about preventing a premature capitulation of Poland by encouraging it to keep bloodying the Germans instead of surrendering.
 
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