Instead of Pearl Harbor, Japan invades Siberia.

For one, wouldn't said biological attack wipe out the German ability to respond? If not, what was the point of it?

Anthrax doesn't work like that, it's a slow lingering but nightmarishly effective weapon. Operation Vegetarian would rely on that fact.
 
Anthrax doesn't work like that, it's a slow lingering but nightmarishly effective weapon. Operation Vegetarian would rely on that fact.

So, it was a weapon they wanted to have for a threat that didn't exist?(I doubt the Nazis can exactly spare the chemicals to make chemical weapons, considering shortages and all.)
 
So, it was a weapon they wanted to have for a threat that didn't exist?

The Nazis were the first to produce nerve agents such as Tabun and Sarin, they certainly had them.

The British didn't know about them though, Anthrax wasn't planned as a response to them, the threat the British were worried about was an Anthrax attack on their cities.
 
The Nazis were the first to produce nerve agents such as Tabun and Sarin, they certainly had them.

The British didn't know about them though, Anthrax wasn't planned as a response to them, the threat the British were worried about was an Anthrax attack on their cities.

Wait... a one sided biological weapons arms race?

I sure hope that didn't eat up tons of resources to say the least.
 
Wait... a one sided biological weapons arms race?

I sure hope that didn't eat up tons of resources to say the least.

Two* one sided arms races. ;)

Three, if you count the Atomic Bomb, although the Axis were technically in the race for that their attempts were so minimal (especially the Germans considering their advantages) that they could be ignored.
 
Anthrax doesn't work like that, it's a slow lingering but nightmarishly effective weapon. Operation Vegetarian would rely on that fact.

You DO realize that the British don't have a monopoly on chemical and biological weapons right? There's a reason why the only time nuclear weapons were ever used in anger was when only one nation possessed them.

Also, assuming the US is still neutral at this point how would America react to seeing the British using biological weapons as FIRST? Pictures of German civilians dying slow, lingering, nightmarish deaths will make the US public start questioning if the British are really any different than the Germans.

Having the moral advantage over their enemies was always vital to Churchill and the British. Along with inviting massive retaliation on their civilian population they would permanently lose this as well.
 

CalBear

Moderator
Donor
Monthly Donor
So, it was a weapon they wanted to have for a threat that didn't exist?(I doubt the Nazis can exactly spare the chemicals to make chemical weapons, considering shortages and all.)

The threat was actually for far more prosaic weapons like Mustard Gas and Lewisite. Either or both would be hell on civilian populations.
 
Prior to the war there were newspaper headlines openly warning of millions dead in gas attacks on Allied cities...with the British and French launching retaliatory assaults on German trenches(!).
 
Anthrax doesn't work like that, it's a slow lingering but nightmarishly effective weapon. Operation Vegetarian would rely on that fact.

Indeed, a bio-weapon attack is more like a snake bite than a shot to the head like a nuclear strike, it's not immediately fatal but the venom is working away within, eventually the victim collapses and dies but it takes time.

For those who haven't seen it I strongly recommend CalBear's Anglo-American/Nazi War TL, from Part 38 on is an excellent account as to the effects of anthrax on a country.
 
Last edited:
You DO realize that the British don't have a monopoly on chemical and biological weapons right? There's a reason why the only time nuclear weapons were ever used in anger was when only one nation possessed them.

They did over Anthrax, presuming the Germans don't have nuclear weapons then the British might as well have a monopoly.

Y
Also, assuming the US is still neutral at this point how would America react to seeing the British using biological weapons as FIRST? Pictures of German civilians dying slow, lingering, nightmarish deaths will make the US public start questioning if the British are really any different than the Germans.

Having the moral advantage over their enemies was always vital to Churchill and the British. Along with inviting massive retaliation on their civilian population they would permanently lose this as well.


This won't drive the United States to declare war on Britain. As such, what the American public thinks of Britain is largely irrelevant, Britain has already won the war.
 
If Britain deployed Anthrax, do you think the Germans would have used Sarin and tabun?

Certainly, if they had the chance to. It would be like the savage protest of a dying beast.

I think the occupied nations are more at threat here though. Maybe something similar to what happened to the French in AANW, but at a smaller level. :(
 

Sumeragi

Banned
Wondering why a discussion on a Strike North scenario turned into something about biochemical weapons :confused:
 

Vladimir

Banned
The only way strike north works is if FDR embargoes sales of scrap metal and other materials but stops short of freezing Japanese assets and embargoing oil. Only then does it become an option.

As for the British declaring war on Japan if they attacked the USSR, would they? Declaring war if the US were attacked would be a no brainer as it would make them military allies in a shooting war. The USSR though would already be at war with Germany. What would the UK gain by declaring war on Japan?

Hong Kong is gone. Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, India and all the Pacific possessions are exposed to attack. You will be forced to divert resources to a second front. To what end? To show your good pal Stalin what a dependable ally you are?

Churchill wanted to support Stalin, but I doubt he'd have opened up a brand new theater of war without having the US joining in at the same time.

The British didn't even trust the Soviets all too much. Churchill made racist anti-Russian comments after the war, and even suggested quickly rearming the Germans and letting them invade to finish off the Soviet Union.
 
Top