Double-Edged Sword: The Nazi-Soviet Alliance in World War II

[ThirdyLovesAH]

waiting for the next update..... WATCHED!!!

 

[GDIS Pathe]

Edit: Thanks to Omar04 and Tannenberg for pointing out that Islamabad didn't exist yet. This update has had some minor retcons and so has the next chapter, which should get posted later today.

The entry of the Soviet Union into the war forced British strategists to confront something about which they had been having nightmares for over a century- an imminent Russian threat to India. On the surface, there was still mountainous Afghanistan dividing the two, but it was clear that one side would have to violate Afghan neutrality at some point. The British army in India was small but skilled and consisted of a mix of white and native soldiers. It had last seen action in a border skirmish twenty years ago, and as such wasn’t considered prime material. Nonetheless, its strategic focus had been on repelling the Russian bear, and that was what it was situated to do. At the start of the war, only one brigade was in position on the Northwest Frontier of present-day Pakistan (referred to ITTL by its colonial name of Sindh Punjab), but by the end of September, that number had swelled to four. These were all volunteer units with little military skill, but they knew the area well and it was hoped that they’d put up such a strong defence in the mountains that the heartland of India would have time to prepare its defences. Meanwhile, a further six brigades- the Fifth through Tenth (1)- were stationed in India proper. Naturally, these forces would swell throughout the conflict, but it was essential that they do so rapidly. The notion of sending South African, Australian, or New Zealander units to India was discussed, but in the autumn of 1939, nothing came of the proposal

The British Indian Army was hardly "small" in this time period numbering well over 130,000 men under arms not even counting the various Princely Armies or other Territorial forces, it would certainly be able to move faster than the Red Army in reinforcing its forces along the Northwest frontier following the outbreak of war. This isn't considering British and Commonwealth reinforcements from Burma, Malaya, and points west.

Furthermore, the Red Army would be crossing through Afghanistan hardly the most welcoming of territories when it comes to sustaining military operations, not helped by the fact that Soviet Central Asia was never particularly well developed in terms of transportation links in the first place. To suppose the Red Army would be able to overrun most of Modern-day Pakistan or push through the Khyber pass with only scattered Indian and British resistance is hardly likely, with the Red Army likely being hard-pressed to sustain its forces following a handful of significant engagements.

 

[Changundramon]

Interesting take on the Unholy Alliance. I think Japan would not like Germany much in this timeline, but it also might feel emboldened to attack the DEI and other such places.

 

[mrmandias]

Subscribed, great TL.

I like how responsive you are to suggestions and corrections.

 

[mrmandias]

Does anyone have a link to this Two Vipers TL someone mentioned upstream?

 

[Omar04]

Does anyone have a link to this Two Vipers TL someone mentioned upstream?

The Twin Vipers: A TL of the Berlin-Moscow Axis

World War II has been, for nearly eighty years, characterised not by the efforts of the millions of soldiers who fought in it, or by the sweeping social changes that followed it, but by the infamous, and bizarre, alliance of the two most evil dictators to ever rule: Hitler and Stalin. Two men...

www.alternatehistory.com