DBWI: East Germany didnt have Silesia or Pomerania?

JJohnson

Banned
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We all remember East Germany, or those of us growing up in the 80's still do. But I remember reading a plan to use the Oder river or the Neiße or something else as a new eastern border. So, what if East Germany hadn't included what would become Germany's Silesia and Pomerania today after reunification? What would a smaller Germany be like? Would Breslau or Stettin be Polish today?
 
A border on the oder? It wouldn't even be a viable country, this reminds me of all those independent Austria threads that involve that first victim nonsense (I'm mean come on the Hitler himself was Austrian)
 
Breslau I could maybe barely see, but Stettin? It's as German as Berlin. No way that's ever gonna work as Polish.

Sure the Soviet plan wasn't to simply split East Germany along an Oder-south line so that the countries are weaker?
 
Impossible without massive ethnic cleansing, remember those areas and (east) Prussia are overwhelmingly German-populated. Sure maybe Stalin would try to pull it off, but the Western Allies wouldn't tolerate it one bit. They may not have liked the Germans in the first years post-war but sure as hell would've work to prevent any unnecessary harm done to German civilians. If anything, an Oder-Neisse border would be incredibly counter-productive. East Germany's economy would be near-nonexistent, both Germanies would see a huge influx of displaced Eastern refugees , and expect a slower de-nazification process.
 
East Germany would probably be more resentful of the USSR and we might see the USSR fall apart as opposed to reforming itself.
 
East Germany had been a economic powerhouse in europe along with its western Counterpart, I don't think it would be possible without silesia or pomerania..
 

James G

Gone Fishin'
The Czechs would feel rather less threatened with reunited Germany having such long borders around them. Your Oder-Neisse idea would still be troubling for them but the situation they find themselves in now - even with 'friendly' Germany - would be less worrying for them than what they have now. They remember 1938.
 
Only really possible if Leon Trotsky , Chairman of the Soviet Union had not ousted the ruthless Georgian and instead became victim to his plotting and paranoia. This hardline Soviet Union that is not necessarily pro Jewish and somewhat pro-German as it was under Trotsky would probably seek to punish Germany even further after capturing Berlin in October 1943. Expanding Poland at the cost of Germany would indebt them to the Soviets and help the Georgian hold onto his newly gained sphere of influence.
 
East Germany would probably be more resentful of the USSR and we might see the USSR fall apart as opposed to reforming itself.

Well, it still collapsed in 2001 so it only gave it more time.

Either way, Poland would have love the greater access to the sea, and Breslau. Poland would be a bit stronger these days.
 

James G

Gone Fishin'
Well, it still collapsed in 2001 so it only gave it more time.

Either way, Poland would have love the greater access to the sea, and Breslau. Poland would be a bit stronger these days.
The Eurasian Federation - Russia - keeps Poland down, not Germany. Yet, I agree that a stronger Poland would be possible with more territory. They do have the moral high ground over the Czechs tho with no post war expulsions of Germans.
 
There was a reason USSR let east germany have silesia and pomerania. It was so that stronger east germany would be a deterrent for NATO forces during cold war..
 
I mean, what would the Soviets even do with East Silesia and Pommerania if not give it to East Germany? Give it to Poland? Yeah, like that'd happen.

Honestly, I reckon they'd be more likely to just create an extra Germany, to make sure their vassal states are divided.
 

James G

Gone Fishin'
I mean, what would the Soviets even do with East Silesia and Pommerania if not give it to East Germany? Give it to Poland? Yeah, like that'd happen.

Honestly, I reckon they'd be more likely to just create an extra Germany, to make sure their vassal states are divided.

East-East Germany?
I always thought that they should have made the two regions Polish. That would have made both East Germany and Poland square-ish on the map. Not so ugly-looking. But then, you know, population transfers would have had to be done there. What happened with Czechoslovakia caused them too much negative PR... oh and it was damn evil too.
 
More so than just neutering East Germany, I can't see the Soviets giving the Poles that much land and industry. Hell, they barely agreed to give Poland Prussia, and even the population transfers there were a complete nightmare, between the Germans fleeing Prussia and Poles moving in after the Soviets drove them out of the bits of Eastern Poland they'd annexed. That was the part of East Germany that kept the country productive and solvent, giving it to Poland might weaken East Germany but it would boost Poland - they didn't want East Germany to be a money sink, but they certainly didn't want a Poland or East Germany to be more than puppets. Hell, Poland was defiant even WITHOUT the addition of prime East German industry.
 
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