Boundaries following a Stresa-Anschluss War

Had Germany defeated France, Italy, and the Austro-Fascists in a 1938 Anschluss War, what would have the post-war boundaries have been?

I exclude Britain because I get the vibe that Britain probably wasn't willing to go to war over Austria. Even before Stresa broke down, the British were having their own negotiations about lifting the constrains on the German Navy. Britain didn't seem too interested in going against Germany - especially when the demands were still considered "reasonable" by folks in the UK.


Alsace-Lorraine and South Tyrol seem like expected German aims. During WW2 though the Germans annexed Trentino, Trieste-Istria, and Friuli and looked at pushing the French border back to 1648.
 
Had Germany defeated France, Italy, and the Austro-Fascists in a 1938 Anschluss War, what would have the post-war boundaries have been?

I exclude Britain because I get the vibe that Britain probably wasn't willing to go to war over Austria. Even before Stresa broke down, the British were having their own negotiations about lifting the constrains on the German Navy. Britain didn't seem too interested in going against Germany - especially when the demands were still considered "reasonable" by folks in the UK.


Alsace-Lorraine and South Tyrol seem like expected German aims. During WW2 though the Germans annexed Trentino, Trieste-Istria, and Friuli and looked at pushing the French border back to 1648.

Nothing, because at that era the Wehrmacht wouldn't have been anywhere near ready for a war. Odds are the French and Italians would have hammered them.
 
Nothing, because at that era the Wehrmacht wouldn't have been anywhere near ready for a war. Odds are the French and Italians would have hammered them.

^ This.

The Wehrmacht of 1938 was not the same beast as the Wehrmacht one year later. Sure, I don't exactly hold high regard for the French Army or the Italian Army during this period either, but the Wehrmacht would definitely fare far poorly due to the lack of motorized and mechanized forces utilized for blitzkrieg vs. France, not to mention that such warfare was unsuitable in the Alps, which would be the predominant front line in Austria.

Chances are, you'd likely see a France gaining its Left Bank its loudest proponents so desperately desired, as well as the Nazis getting the boot.
 

BigBlueBox

Banned
^ This.

The Wehrmacht of 1938 was not the same beast as the Wehrmacht one year later. Sure, I don't exactly hold high regard for the French Army or the Italian Army during this period either, but the Wehrmacht would definitely fare far poorly due to the lack of motorized and mechanized forces utilized for blitzkrieg vs. France, not to mention that such warfare was unsuitable in the Alps, which would be the predominant front line in Austria.

Chances are, you'd likely see a France gaining its Left Bank its loudest proponents so desperately desired, as well as the Nazis getting the boot.
If Germany is clearly going down Poland would probably want its own slice of the pie. Silesia’s mines and industry are just across the border.
 
If Germany is clearly going down Poland would probably want its own slice of the pie. Silesia's mines and industry are just across the border.
Maybe not as significant but would East Prussia be tempting as well? Gets rid of an annoying exclave.
 

BigBlueBox

Banned
Maybe not as significant but would East Prussia be tempting as well? Gets rid of an annoying exclave.
The Slavic southern and western regions of East Prussia would probably be taken, and maybe Lithuania could get Tilsit. Konigsberg itself though could be too much trouble for too little gain.
 
Indeed.

Poland did try to forment an uprising back in 1919 in an attempt to flip the then Prussian province of Silesia to Polish rule, but that plan sank. Considering Poland had a more nationalist government in power (or at least appeared too, given the alliance between the moderate Mościcki and the right-wing Rydz-Śmigły) I could see Poland making a shot for Silesia & parts of East Prussia (I agree that Konigsberg itself would be too much of a pill to swallow here.
 
Given how popular Anschluss was, I doubt the Austrians are going to do much against the Germans other than defect.
 
Given how popular Anschluss was, I doubt the Austrians are going to do much against the Germans other than defect.

While I agree that Anschluss was popular, I can't help but feel it wasn't nearly as popular as the plebiscite that ended up happening, due in part because the faction that most desired Anschluss was the Austrian Nazis, and their actions did as much to sabotage their own movement than anything. I feel that, were it not for Hitler effectively forcing the hand of Kurt Schuschnigg, there would not have been a significant guarantee of the plebiscite's success...

...But then again, I wouldn't be surprised if Hitler knew this too and took the chance to do as he did because of this.
 
Had Germany defeated France, Italy, and the Austro-Fascists in a 1938 Anschluss War, what would have the post-war boundaries have been?

I exclude Britain because I get the vibe that Britain probably wasn't willing to go to war over Austria. Even before Stresa broke down, the British were having their own negotiations about lifting the constrains on the German Navy. Britain didn't seem too interested in going against Germany - especially when the demands were still considered "reasonable" by folks in the UK.

no need for a timeline, but it seems that for France the plan would be, "how do we get these two lunatics to fight one another" so they would not go to the mat over Austria? (and might even be restrained by UK? if they themselves did not wish to become involved?)
 

BigBlueBox

Banned
no need for a timeline, but it seems that for France the plan would be, "how do we get these two lunatics to fight one another" so they would not go to the mat over Austria? (and might even be restrained by UK? if they themselves did not wish to become involved?)
Mussolini isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer but he isn’t dumb enough to get into a war with Germany without France backing him up. In any case, the Stresa Front couldn’t have held together unless France actually showed some backbone and stopped the re-militarization of the Rhineland.
 
Mussolini isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer but he isn’t dumb enough to get into a war with Germany without France backing him up. In any case, the Stresa Front couldn’t have held together unless France actually showed some backbone and stopped the re-militarization of the Rhineland.

you are meaning, France would have had to act in 1936? if events remain somewhat close to historical?

although that would butterfly away any war over Austria? (likely?)
 

BigBlueBox

Banned
you are meaning, France would have had to act in 1936? if events remain somewhat close to historical?

although that would butterfly away any war over Austria? (likely?)
You can’t butterfly away something that didn’t happen OTL. Although yes, it is unlikely that Germany would risk Anschluss if the Rhineland has not been re-militarized. If he did it anyways though, it should be a Franco-Italian victory.
 
Given how popular Anschluss was, I doubt the Austrians are going to do much against the Germans other than defect.
The Fatherland Front did a pretty good job pruning liabilities from their ranks. I think the biggest problem for both the Fatherland Front and the Austro-Nazis would be desertion (as in simply not showing up when their militia calls them up) rather than defection.
 
Had Germany defeated France, Italy, and the Austro-Fascists in a 1938 Anschluss War, what would have the post-war boundaries have been?

I exclude Britain because I get the vibe that Britain probably wasn't willing to go to war over Austria. Even before Stresa broke down, the British were having their own negotiations about lifting the constrains on the German Navy. Britain didn't seem too interested in going against Germany - especially when the demands were still considered "reasonable" by folks in the UK.

Even without Britain, I think fending off France and Italy while taking Austria single handed would be a tall order. Poland and Czechoslovakia porbably wouldn't be too sympathetic to Germany either.

The Germans would have had a hard time taking Czechoslovakia even in a local conflict, seeing as this conflict would have happened earlier, and on two fronts, I doubt Germany would be able to achieve a decisive victory in both theatres.
 
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