Agathocles
Banned
Ban
OTL
It was absurd to waste the surprise element of starting a war, force Britain and France into the war, eliminating most of the Polish army and allow Stalin to move his border far to the west, just to secure 1/3 of Poland in 1939.
It was absurd to invade simultaneously the Netherlands, Belgium and France (deploying no airborne forces at all in France), just to defeat France.
It was absurd to secure a pseudoalliance with Italy, which refused to invade France together with Germany and only did so, after Germany alone trounced the French army (much like Stalin invaded Poland, only after Germany had trounced the Polis army). It made a lot more sense to invade Italy and acquire the valuable fleet, shipyards, industry, agriculture, etc,
It was absurd to redeploy nearly 30 divisions from Greece and Yugoslavia to Poland and Romania and then to try to invade the south Caucasus, going around the Black Sea, instead of simply forcing Turkey to grant right of way and RR use, to invade invaluable Iraq and the south Caucasus.
ATL
Germany pulls out of Spain in Dec 1937, leaving incompetent Franco and Mussolini without air support, etc, and incurring heavy casualties.
On 21 June, 1938 (the longest day of the year), at dawn and without war declarations, Germany invades Slovenia, Italy, Denmark, Luxemburg and the Netherlands (the last 3 have almost no army). Italy has troops in IEA, Libya and Spain and it is completely unprepared against invasion.
A German division invades Denmark, which capitulates on invasion day. A battalion occupies Luxemburg. 12 German divisions invade the Netherlands, rapidly advancing along the Belgian border and toward Utrecht. The Netherlands capitulates on the 3rd invasion day. 28 German divisions invade Slovenia and Italy.
The Italian air force is wiped out on the ground in the first 3 days of the invasion. Motorcycle units and motorized divisiones rush through Venetia and secure the line Padua-Bologna-Florecence Livorno in 3 days, isolating the industrial north and Europe from the rest of Italy.
Mussolini's paper tiger is exposed. The king orders the arrest of Mussolini, Italy capitulates on the 4th day of the invasion.
Italian warships receive TAKT (German RADAR). The government and most generals and admirals are banned. Italian servicemen are incorporated into German forces and retrained.
Priduction of capital ships is suspended in Italy. Italian, Dutch and Danish shipyards and industry are expanded and production of U-boats, destroyers, 34 knot, long range light cruisers, 90,000 tonne displacement, 36 knot cargo-passenger ships, planes (the tooling sets, machinery, etc, for the Hs 123, He 111, Ju 53 and Stuka is sent to Italy, Denmark and the Netherlands respectively and 5,000 Hs 123, 3,000 each Stuka, Ju 53 and He 111 are ordered), Production of sub MG, 9cm FLAK, STUG III, MG 34, etc, is maximized in Italy.
France, Belgium, Switzerland, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Britain mobilize, but strong German forces in Italy and the Netherlands render France untenable and London vulnerable to bombing, so no war declaration ensues.
A very strong Germany induces Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Turkey to grant right of way and RR use to invade Iraq (acquiring invaluable oil and obviating the need to waste huge resources producing limited quantities of synthetic fuel) and eventually, the south Caucasus. Germany occupies Iraq in July, 1938 and signs alliances with Iran and Turkey.
Germany issues an ultimatum to Lithuania, which complies, requesting annexation. Then Latvia and Estonia receive and ultimatum and also comply. Finland signs an alliance with Germany and buys some Hs 123, Bf 109, Italian 9cm FLAK, MG 34, STUG III, etc, and receive training.
on 22 July, 1938, Germany signs a non aggression and mutual assistance pact with Poland and Romania, including a secret protocol, which specifies that within 3 days of Germany invading the south Caucasus and westernmost Russia, etc, Poland will invade Belorussia and Cis-Dnieper Ukraine and Romania will also invade Cis-Dnieper Ukraine. Poland and Romania also buy some Hs 123, etc, and receive training in air support, etc, German forces will advance from Latvia and Estonia and secure the east bank of the Dnieper, cutting off the Soviet forces in the Cis-Dnieper area. Poland and Romania will use experienced RR crews and Soviet prisoners to rapidly modify the RR in their occupied territories to strandard gauge, so German forces can be supplied in Trans-Dnieper Ukraine.
on 1 August, 1938, Belgium receives a 24 hour ultimatum, Switzerland receives a 36 hour ultimatum and France receives a 48 hour ultimatum: request annexation, receive huge orders and thrive in the Reich or all your cities and large towns will be razed by bombing and you will be devastated by invasion.
Belgium is completely untenable, with German forces along the Dutch border, out flanking the strong fortifications in the SE. Belgium complies shortly before the ultimatum expires, rendering France untenable and freeing the whole German army and LW to invade and bomb Switzerland from Italy, Austria and Germany. Switzerland requests annexation shortly before the ultimatum expires and opens its borders.
France can now be invaded from Italy, Belgium, Luxemburg and Switzerland. The Maginot is completely useless. Britain realizes that France is untenable and refuses to send planes, tanks and troops or even to declare war on Germany (which it cannot defeat alone, with its tiny army). The French air forces is far inferior in number and quality to the LW and, like the Italian air force, it will certainly be wiped out in the first days.
France complies with the ultimatum and opens its borders. Germany orders 300,000 trucks, 1,600 units of the Char B1-bis in a trurretless version and 3,000 units of a turretless verrsion of the Somua medium tank, with the same gun as the Char B1. French forces are incorporated into German forces, retrained and many are deployed to Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Romania, Turkey and Iran. The former French and Italian battleships are sent to Arctic Finnish ports and to the Black Sea in March 1939.
On 25 May, 1939, the LW (including hundreds of MS.406, French and Italian bombers, etc,) wipes out the Soviet navy and aviation in the Black and Baltic Seas and in the Arctic Ocean and the German, Polish, Finnish, Romanian and Turkish airforce devastate Soviet aviation over a huge front. German forces from Iran and Turkey invade the south Caucasus and German marines and troops land in the north Caucasus and between Odessa and Nikolaev. German naval artilleru (French and Italian battleships) shells Odessa, Nikolaev, Novo Rossysk, etc,
Finno-German forces seize Soviet Karelia and Kronstadt and advance to Leningrad, Tikhvin, etc,
German forces from Estonia advance to Narva, Oranienbaum, Leningrad, Novgorod, Rzhev, etc, and along the east bank of the Dnieper, creating a huge pocket.
Polish forces seize Minsk and advance rapidly in Belorussia.
Polish-German forces invade Cis-Dnieper Ukraine.
Romanian-German forces seize Odessa, Nikolaev and Cis-Dnieper Ukraine. German forces advance from the Black Sea along the east bank of the Dnieper, to link up with forces from Latvia and Estonia, advancing south, also along the east bank of the Dnieper.
The red army is completely unprepared and millions of Soviets are encircled and surrender. The Poles and Romanians capture large numbers of Soviet armor and put them to good use. French tanks greatly boost the Pz columns. Finnish, Polish and Romanian pilots in Hs 123, etc, greatly boost effectiveness of their land forces.
The USSR incurs epic casualties (mostly as POWs) and loses its main oil sources and much of its industry, farmland, etc, in the 1st month of the war.
With the Black and Baltic Seas in German and allied hands, Hitler orders the large KM to support landings in Ireland (including Ulster) and in Havana, Coatzacoalcos and Veracruz in July 1939.
As German forces land in Ireland and W Britain by ship and plane and RAF is devastated on the ground, on 16 July, 1939. Britain receives an ultimatum: You are untenable with U-boats, KM battleships, cruisers, etc, and LW planes in Ireland, Liverpool, Swansea and Cardiff. Request annexation within 6 hours, or London, Coventry, Leeds, York, Edinburgh, etc, will be razed by bombing, from your own airfields.
Britain is indeed untenable with the LW in its territory. It requests annexation.
The RN and RAF greatly boost the already formidable KM and LW. Germany now has several hundred U-boats.
The KM is ordered to wipe out the USN, attacking first carriers, battleships and tankers with U-boats and without war declaration.
Cuba capitulates on invasion day, 18 July, 1939. Mexico capitulates 4 days into the invasion, while the US Congress hotly debates whether to declare war on Germany.
Strong German forces are deployed in Canada, Cuba and Mexico, to invade the US, while Moscow falls in August 1939. The fall of August and rapid advance of the invasion forces in the USSR, persuade Japan to invade N Sakhalin, Vladivostok, Mongolia, etc, in Sept 1939.
The USSR cannot make up the losses in equipment, trained troops, pilots, etc, in several distant fronts, it capitulates on 22 Nov, 1939.
The USN is wiped out and over a thousand US merchant ships are seized worldwide within a month.
With massive German forces in Canada, Cuba and Mexico, on 20 March, 1940, the US receives an ultimatum. Capitulate unconditionally within 24 hours, or all your cities will be razed by bombing and the country will be devastated by massive invasion forces, much like the mighty USSR was.
Like the now vanished USN, the small, inexperienced US army and air force are completely inadequate to defend the endless borders and coasts against huge German forces, yet, Congress cannot agree to capitulate within 24 hours, so the ultimatum expires and Germany invades. All border states fall rapidly and German forces from Cuba land in New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Miami, Mobile and Galveston. German forces from Vancouver land in San Francisco. German forces from Halifax land in Providence, Newhaven and NYC. Defenses collapse on all fronts. Millions of troops are encircled and captured.
The massive auto industry in Detroit, etc, falls in the first days of the invasion, aviation industry in Washington State and California also falls in the first days.
The US is clearly lost and it capitulates on 27 March, 1940.
Strong German forces from India and Europe debark in Indochina in April 1940. China receives an ultimatum: request German annexation within 24 hours, so Germany can expell Japan from the continent or be bombed and invaded. Chiang has lost his best troops to the IJA and is short on armament, munitions, planes, trucks, fuel, etc, he complies. Chinese froces are incomrporated into German forces and retrained.
Communists and landlords are eliminated in China.
Without declaring war, hundreds of U-boats attack IJN carriers, battleships, heavy cruisers, tankers, large cargo ships, etc, the IJN has lousy antisubmarine tactics ans is devastated.
On the first day of the war, German marines and troops land in Formosa, Okinawa and Kyushu, taking the small IJA and IJN garrisons entirely by surprise.
Massive Sino-Indian-German forces (with heavy air, armor and artillery support), rapidly expel the IJA from China and invade Manchuria, Korea and the occupied, former Soviet territory.
The IJA has lost many men in China and the USSR and it has lousy antitank weapons and tactics and wastes thousands of experienced men conterattacking in banzai charges against mortars, MG 34, sub MG, tanks, artillery and mines.
Japan is expelled from the continent, blockaded and fire-bombed from Kyushu and Korea, yet it refuses to surrender, until half the population dies from starvation, bombing, exposure (lack of coal or wood), etc, revolution overthrows the military government and the new government sues for peace.
It was absurd to waste the surprise element of starting a war, force Britain and France into the war, eliminating most of the Polish army and allow Stalin to move his border far to the west, just to secure 1/3 of Poland in 1939.
It was absurd to invade simultaneously the Netherlands, Belgium and France (deploying no airborne forces at all in France), just to defeat France.
It was absurd to secure a pseudoalliance with Italy, which refused to invade France together with Germany and only did so, after Germany alone trounced the French army (much like Stalin invaded Poland, only after Germany had trounced the Polis army). It made a lot more sense to invade Italy and acquire the valuable fleet, shipyards, industry, agriculture, etc,
It was absurd to redeploy nearly 30 divisions from Greece and Yugoslavia to Poland and Romania and then to try to invade the south Caucasus, going around the Black Sea, instead of simply forcing Turkey to grant right of way and RR use, to invade invaluable Iraq and the south Caucasus.
ATL
Germany pulls out of Spain in Dec 1937, leaving incompetent Franco and Mussolini without air support, etc, and incurring heavy casualties.
On 21 June, 1938 (the longest day of the year), at dawn and without war declarations, Germany invades Slovenia, Italy, Denmark, Luxemburg and the Netherlands (the last 3 have almost no army). Italy has troops in IEA, Libya and Spain and it is completely unprepared against invasion.
A German division invades Denmark, which capitulates on invasion day. A battalion occupies Luxemburg. 12 German divisions invade the Netherlands, rapidly advancing along the Belgian border and toward Utrecht. The Netherlands capitulates on the 3rd invasion day. 28 German divisions invade Slovenia and Italy.
The Italian air force is wiped out on the ground in the first 3 days of the invasion. Motorcycle units and motorized divisiones rush through Venetia and secure the line Padua-Bologna-Florecence Livorno in 3 days, isolating the industrial north and Europe from the rest of Italy.
Mussolini's paper tiger is exposed. The king orders the arrest of Mussolini, Italy capitulates on the 4th day of the invasion.
Italian warships receive TAKT (German RADAR). The government and most generals and admirals are banned. Italian servicemen are incorporated into German forces and retrained.
Priduction of capital ships is suspended in Italy. Italian, Dutch and Danish shipyards and industry are expanded and production of U-boats, destroyers, 34 knot, long range light cruisers, 90,000 tonne displacement, 36 knot cargo-passenger ships, planes (the tooling sets, machinery, etc, for the Hs 123, He 111, Ju 53 and Stuka is sent to Italy, Denmark and the Netherlands respectively and 5,000 Hs 123, 3,000 each Stuka, Ju 53 and He 111 are ordered), Production of sub MG, 9cm FLAK, STUG III, MG 34, etc, is maximized in Italy.
France, Belgium, Switzerland, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Britain mobilize, but strong German forces in Italy and the Netherlands render France untenable and London vulnerable to bombing, so no war declaration ensues.
A very strong Germany induces Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Turkey to grant right of way and RR use to invade Iraq (acquiring invaluable oil and obviating the need to waste huge resources producing limited quantities of synthetic fuel) and eventually, the south Caucasus. Germany occupies Iraq in July, 1938 and signs alliances with Iran and Turkey.
Germany issues an ultimatum to Lithuania, which complies, requesting annexation. Then Latvia and Estonia receive and ultimatum and also comply. Finland signs an alliance with Germany and buys some Hs 123, Bf 109, Italian 9cm FLAK, MG 34, STUG III, etc, and receive training.
on 22 July, 1938, Germany signs a non aggression and mutual assistance pact with Poland and Romania, including a secret protocol, which specifies that within 3 days of Germany invading the south Caucasus and westernmost Russia, etc, Poland will invade Belorussia and Cis-Dnieper Ukraine and Romania will also invade Cis-Dnieper Ukraine. Poland and Romania also buy some Hs 123, etc, and receive training in air support, etc, German forces will advance from Latvia and Estonia and secure the east bank of the Dnieper, cutting off the Soviet forces in the Cis-Dnieper area. Poland and Romania will use experienced RR crews and Soviet prisoners to rapidly modify the RR in their occupied territories to strandard gauge, so German forces can be supplied in Trans-Dnieper Ukraine.
on 1 August, 1938, Belgium receives a 24 hour ultimatum, Switzerland receives a 36 hour ultimatum and France receives a 48 hour ultimatum: request annexation, receive huge orders and thrive in the Reich or all your cities and large towns will be razed by bombing and you will be devastated by invasion.
Belgium is completely untenable, with German forces along the Dutch border, out flanking the strong fortifications in the SE. Belgium complies shortly before the ultimatum expires, rendering France untenable and freeing the whole German army and LW to invade and bomb Switzerland from Italy, Austria and Germany. Switzerland requests annexation shortly before the ultimatum expires and opens its borders.
France can now be invaded from Italy, Belgium, Luxemburg and Switzerland. The Maginot is completely useless. Britain realizes that France is untenable and refuses to send planes, tanks and troops or even to declare war on Germany (which it cannot defeat alone, with its tiny army). The French air forces is far inferior in number and quality to the LW and, like the Italian air force, it will certainly be wiped out in the first days.
France complies with the ultimatum and opens its borders. Germany orders 300,000 trucks, 1,600 units of the Char B1-bis in a trurretless version and 3,000 units of a turretless verrsion of the Somua medium tank, with the same gun as the Char B1. French forces are incorporated into German forces, retrained and many are deployed to Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Romania, Turkey and Iran. The former French and Italian battleships are sent to Arctic Finnish ports and to the Black Sea in March 1939.
On 25 May, 1939, the LW (including hundreds of MS.406, French and Italian bombers, etc,) wipes out the Soviet navy and aviation in the Black and Baltic Seas and in the Arctic Ocean and the German, Polish, Finnish, Romanian and Turkish airforce devastate Soviet aviation over a huge front. German forces from Iran and Turkey invade the south Caucasus and German marines and troops land in the north Caucasus and between Odessa and Nikolaev. German naval artilleru (French and Italian battleships) shells Odessa, Nikolaev, Novo Rossysk, etc,
Finno-German forces seize Soviet Karelia and Kronstadt and advance to Leningrad, Tikhvin, etc,
German forces from Estonia advance to Narva, Oranienbaum, Leningrad, Novgorod, Rzhev, etc, and along the east bank of the Dnieper, creating a huge pocket.
Polish forces seize Minsk and advance rapidly in Belorussia.
Polish-German forces invade Cis-Dnieper Ukraine.
Romanian-German forces seize Odessa, Nikolaev and Cis-Dnieper Ukraine. German forces advance from the Black Sea along the east bank of the Dnieper, to link up with forces from Latvia and Estonia, advancing south, also along the east bank of the Dnieper.
The red army is completely unprepared and millions of Soviets are encircled and surrender. The Poles and Romanians capture large numbers of Soviet armor and put them to good use. French tanks greatly boost the Pz columns. Finnish, Polish and Romanian pilots in Hs 123, etc, greatly boost effectiveness of their land forces.
The USSR incurs epic casualties (mostly as POWs) and loses its main oil sources and much of its industry, farmland, etc, in the 1st month of the war.
With the Black and Baltic Seas in German and allied hands, Hitler orders the large KM to support landings in Ireland (including Ulster) and in Havana, Coatzacoalcos and Veracruz in July 1939.
As German forces land in Ireland and W Britain by ship and plane and RAF is devastated on the ground, on 16 July, 1939. Britain receives an ultimatum: You are untenable with U-boats, KM battleships, cruisers, etc, and LW planes in Ireland, Liverpool, Swansea and Cardiff. Request annexation within 6 hours, or London, Coventry, Leeds, York, Edinburgh, etc, will be razed by bombing, from your own airfields.
Britain is indeed untenable with the LW in its territory. It requests annexation.
The RN and RAF greatly boost the already formidable KM and LW. Germany now has several hundred U-boats.
The KM is ordered to wipe out the USN, attacking first carriers, battleships and tankers with U-boats and without war declaration.
Cuba capitulates on invasion day, 18 July, 1939. Mexico capitulates 4 days into the invasion, while the US Congress hotly debates whether to declare war on Germany.
Strong German forces are deployed in Canada, Cuba and Mexico, to invade the US, while Moscow falls in August 1939. The fall of August and rapid advance of the invasion forces in the USSR, persuade Japan to invade N Sakhalin, Vladivostok, Mongolia, etc, in Sept 1939.
The USSR cannot make up the losses in equipment, trained troops, pilots, etc, in several distant fronts, it capitulates on 22 Nov, 1939.
The USN is wiped out and over a thousand US merchant ships are seized worldwide within a month.
With massive German forces in Canada, Cuba and Mexico, on 20 March, 1940, the US receives an ultimatum. Capitulate unconditionally within 24 hours, or all your cities will be razed by bombing and the country will be devastated by massive invasion forces, much like the mighty USSR was.
Like the now vanished USN, the small, inexperienced US army and air force are completely inadequate to defend the endless borders and coasts against huge German forces, yet, Congress cannot agree to capitulate within 24 hours, so the ultimatum expires and Germany invades. All border states fall rapidly and German forces from Cuba land in New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Miami, Mobile and Galveston. German forces from Vancouver land in San Francisco. German forces from Halifax land in Providence, Newhaven and NYC. Defenses collapse on all fronts. Millions of troops are encircled and captured.
The massive auto industry in Detroit, etc, falls in the first days of the invasion, aviation industry in Washington State and California also falls in the first days.
The US is clearly lost and it capitulates on 27 March, 1940.
Strong German forces from India and Europe debark in Indochina in April 1940. China receives an ultimatum: request German annexation within 24 hours, so Germany can expell Japan from the continent or be bombed and invaded. Chiang has lost his best troops to the IJA and is short on armament, munitions, planes, trucks, fuel, etc, he complies. Chinese froces are incomrporated into German forces and retrained.
Communists and landlords are eliminated in China.
Without declaring war, hundreds of U-boats attack IJN carriers, battleships, heavy cruisers, tankers, large cargo ships, etc, the IJN has lousy antisubmarine tactics ans is devastated.
On the first day of the war, German marines and troops land in Formosa, Okinawa and Kyushu, taking the small IJA and IJN garrisons entirely by surprise.
Massive Sino-Indian-German forces (with heavy air, armor and artillery support), rapidly expel the IJA from China and invade Manchuria, Korea and the occupied, former Soviet territory.
The IJA has lost many men in China and the USSR and it has lousy antitank weapons and tactics and wastes thousands of experienced men conterattacking in banzai charges against mortars, MG 34, sub MG, tanks, artillery and mines.
Japan is expelled from the continent, blockaded and fire-bombed from Kyushu and Korea, yet it refuses to surrender, until half the population dies from starvation, bombing, exposure (lack of coal or wood), etc, revolution overthrows the military government and the new government sues for peace.