Could something like that work? Maybe as a result of a surviving Stresa front? France and Britain weren‘t particular eager to invade Germany to guarantee Polish independence, they might prefer if Italy and Poland (maybe Czechoslovakia as well) do it for them instead.
Could there be a war between Germany and a hypothetical Italo-Polish-(Czech?) alliance, maybe over Austria, or the Sudeten crisis, or tensions between Poland and Germany regarding the corridor, while France and Britain watch from the sidelines?
I just had this idea recently, where such an alliance existed and war broke out (Italy and Poland declared war first), while France and Britain stayed nominally neutral, but supported Germany‘s enemies diplomatically, happy that Hitler would be contained without having to lift a finger themselves. But that didn‘t work out for them, because Germany defeated Poland and Czechoslovakia relatively quickly, while staying on the defensive against the Italians in the south. Afterward Italy and Poland had to accept the German Anschluss of Austria and the restoration of 1914 borders in the east, while Bohemia was annexed and Slovakia became a client state. France and Britain weren‘t happy, but couldn‘t really complain too much, since Germany didn‘t declare war first, though they exerted pressure to ensure that Hitler left Poland independent (minus the corridor and Posen, of course).
Just tell me if such a thing is even remotely possible, or if i‘m talking nonsense. This scenario just wouldn‘t leave me alone, because it‘s so weird. Hitler has basically achieved Grossdeutschland, but without defeating Britain and France, who are like ‚Wait, what…?‘, while Stalin is frowning in the east, suddenly even more concerned about Germany than before.
Could we see a kind-of-but-not-quite-an-alliance between the western powers and the Soviets afterward? Would Hitler even try to attack anyone at that point, knowing it would mean a two-front war?
Could there be a war between Germany and a hypothetical Italo-Polish-(Czech?) alliance, maybe over Austria, or the Sudeten crisis, or tensions between Poland and Germany regarding the corridor, while France and Britain watch from the sidelines?
I just had this idea recently, where such an alliance existed and war broke out (Italy and Poland declared war first), while France and Britain stayed nominally neutral, but supported Germany‘s enemies diplomatically, happy that Hitler would be contained without having to lift a finger themselves. But that didn‘t work out for them, because Germany defeated Poland and Czechoslovakia relatively quickly, while staying on the defensive against the Italians in the south. Afterward Italy and Poland had to accept the German Anschluss of Austria and the restoration of 1914 borders in the east, while Bohemia was annexed and Slovakia became a client state. France and Britain weren‘t happy, but couldn‘t really complain too much, since Germany didn‘t declare war first, though they exerted pressure to ensure that Hitler left Poland independent (minus the corridor and Posen, of course).
Just tell me if such a thing is even remotely possible, or if i‘m talking nonsense. This scenario just wouldn‘t leave me alone, because it‘s so weird. Hitler has basically achieved Grossdeutschland, but without defeating Britain and France, who are like ‚Wait, what…?‘, while Stalin is frowning in the east, suddenly even more concerned about Germany than before.
Could we see a kind-of-but-not-quite-an-alliance between the western powers and the Soviets afterward? Would Hitler even try to attack anyone at that point, knowing it would mean a two-front war?