"Foresight War" for other countries

[R. E. Lee]

You may know the alternate history novel "The Foresight War," in which a British and a German historian are sent back in time to 1934, and use their expertise to avoid mistakes and focus the efforts of their governments on technologies that were technically possible, but that didn't have the necessary theories behind them (for example, the StG 44 and electroboot were made years earlier in Germany, and a single tank design [with sloped armor] took place of the Panzers III and IV). Not only that, but the advice of the historians also changed the strategic decisions of their respective countries, for example the British didn't send an army to France to avoid Dunkirk.

What would happen if, say, and American or Japanese historian was sent back instead? What advice would they give their countries, and how would they change the technology used and strategic decisions made?

 

[Rekjavik]

I think it would be very interesting if a French or Italian historian is sent back.

 

[Amerigo Vespucci]

I believe someone did a lengthy timeline (or at least there was a discussion of one) about an American version of it. I'd suggest searching to see where it is.

 

[The Red]

Paul Adkins did a story called Foresight America (http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/ForesightAmerica.htm) where all of the big six got a historian, except he somewhat diminshed the Soviets and Japanese by having them kill off their historian early on. Basically Italy stays neutral, Japan makes the same idiotic mistakes and the European war is somewhat similar to the one in the actual book (albeit the Russians don't get hammered quite as badly).

 

[Grimm Reaper]

Our own Tony Williams is the author of The Foresight War so if you have any specific questions you can reach him from this very site.

 

[R. E. Lee]

Paul Adkins did a story called Foresight America (http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/ForesightAmerica.htm) where all of the big six got a historian, except he somewhat diminshed the Soviets and Japanese by having them kill off their historian early on. Basically Italy stays neutral, Japan makes the same idiotic mistakes and the European war is somewhat similar to the one in the actual book (albeit the Russians don't get hammered quite as badly).

Aha! This is what I was looking for, and my search function wasn't agreeing with me. Thank you!

 

[Deleted member 2186]

Greasy idea I have in my head and it called.

Foresight Netherlands

Which is about a Netherlands professor giving history lessons at the Royal Netherlands Military Academy , who is transported back from 2004 to 1934.

Now whit his fast knowledge about the Netherlands in world war II , can the professor help the Netherlands prepare themselves for the upcoming war , that will kill hundreds of thousands of his country men , and change the outcome of a war that will kill millions of people around the world.

 

[Tony Williams]

An Italian friend has also gone a long way to writing an interesting - and very different - novel based on an Italian "throwback", but it isn't finished or available yet.

 

[perfectgeneral]

I'd like to see a foresight book based on the Little Entente and/or Poland. Empowering the 'victims' has a strong appeal and the possibilities for these states are less well known.

 

[The Red]

I'd like to see a foresight book based on the Little Entente and/or Poland. Empowering the 'victims' has a strong appeal and the possibilities for these states are less well known.

I wrote a small story where Polish agents travel back to 1936 and launch a pre-emptive strike against Germany in early 1939. It's on this site search "Polandwank"

 

[perfectgeneral]

I wrote a small story where Polish agents travel back to 1936 and launch a pre-emptive strike against Germany in early 1939. It's on this site search "Polandwank"

Found it by searching through your thread starts:
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=126513

I feel it needed more planning and research. Given a 1936 start, an ISOT'd advisor would have little opportunity to revamp Polish industry to the point of overtaking Germany.

The discussion on this thread looks at some options (including my own view about joining and supporting the Little Entente)
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?p=3002670

Skoda SIIc/T21

CKD V-8-H

Czech tanks could be advanced to a reasonable level by 1938, but a Polish advisor would be likely to warn the Czechs before then to deal with the Sudeten German agitators. Compulsory purchase and expulsion to Germany might make Czechoslovakia seem undemocratic and harsh on dissidence, but it would shore up the border against the Nazi fifth column. The ZB30 (the original Bren gun) was made in Yugoslavia and Romania as well as it's Czech homeland. Then there is the classic BESA medium machine gun.

A Mosquito and Hurricane design revamped with bubble canopy, laminar flow wings, armoured seats, Meredith effect exhaust and 4x 20mm cannons would be possible to build given detailed designs. Due to their wooden structures they would be less demanding for a rapidly expanding industry. The Little Entente offers four times the number of aircraft factories to build them in. Poland has some excellent pilots to make full use of them.

An 'alliance' Yugoslav Hurricane:

Rumanian made ammo/fuel/recovery tractor and trailer to a French design:

Able to tow a 47mm AT gun or greater instead of the trailer. These tractors allow rapid refuel and resupply of tanks to multiply their capability. Capacity of 350kg plus 600kg (trailer).

The Polish TKS could be refitted earlier as 47mm SP gun, 37mm tank destroyer and 20mm gun scout tankette. Mortars are easy to mass produce in 60mm, 90mm and 120mm sizes. Bazookas are an old classic of ISOTs. The 'Ma Deuce' is hard to improve on for a heavy machine gun.

As I said in the other thread, logistics and communications are going to make the Eastern Europeans more useful in the field. Radios and code bombs will stop the Axis before they start. Cede Upper Silesia and East Prussia at the peace table.

 

[Petike]

I think it would be very interesting if a French or Italian historian is sent back.

Maybe then they wouldn't underestimate de Gaulle and his inter-war lobbying for a greater emphasis on domestic tank development and the creation of well-organized motorbrigades in the French army.

 

[Jack Uphill]

Would a Chinese historian be of any help in Foresight China? And I guess another factor is which side would they have aligned with: Nationalist or Communist?

 

[tallwingedgoat]

Would a Chinese historian be of any help in Foresight China? And I guess another factor is which side would they have aligned with: Nationalist or Communist?

That would depend on the politics of the individual. Generally speaking if such a person could get the ear of the Chinese government, they would certainly recommend basic improvements such as relocating manufacturing industry in land to places like Chongqing earlier so that arms production could keep up with demand. Expanding the rail networks to link up with Vietnam and Burma would also help a lot.

Given the extremely inept and complex nature of Chinese government at the time, whatever change would only alleviate problems rather than solve them. Best hope for China is to delay the war as long as possible.

 

[Teleology]

Would Foresight Japan hold out for a few months, with the knowledge of FDR's plan to lift the embargo; and begin shifting resources away from their biochemical warfare labs to the atomic program in order to be ready for the Cold War solidification of borders of the nuclear powers?

 

[Tony Williams]

The problem with a 'Foresight Japan' is that the most important message from the future would be "don't attack the USA!", which if followed would make for a rather boring story....

 

[perfectgeneral]

The problem with a 'Foresight Japan' is that the most important message from the future would be "don't attack the USA!", which if followed would make for a rather boring story....

Unless they go to war with the Commonwealth and stay at war with China.

 

[jacobus]

A Foresight Spanish Civil War would be interesting. I guess a pro-Nationalist historian from the future, while taking comfort in the fact that his side won anyway, might try to help Franco win the war faster, and with fewer Nationalist casualties. Maybe he could convince Franco that France had no designs on Catalonia, and was too afraid of a two front war to ever consider intervening in Spain.
A pro-Loyalist advisor from the future would really have his work cut out for him, trying to get the various Republican factions to cooperate and trust each other. The SIM, the Republican secret police, were zealous and paranoid, accusing nearly everyone of being a rightist. I guess I'd try to persuade Negrin and his government to avoid the battles that allowed the Nationalists to employ their superior artillery and air power so effectively, and instead employ tactics that today's strategists would call unconventional warfare, to make the war last into 1940 or even 1941, when a wider European war might save the Republic.

 

[Tony Williams]

The Italian TFW I referred to earlier actually devotes a first, large part of the story to the Spanish Civil War - lots of stuff there I didn't know about.

 

[Minchandre]

Unless they go to war with the Commonwealth and stay at war with China.

The problem remains, though, that the Philippines are between Japan and anything else. Unless Japan is completely certain that the US won't intervene (and they can't be certain of that), attacking the US is a prerequisite to Pacific hegemony.