This article gives an interesting history into how Lithuania almost fell in with the Nazis, as opposed to being yet another Soviet-eaten Baltic state. Is the alternate any plausible?
It is plausible. Methinks the Lithuanians would be beefed up with Czech and Polish captured equipment, like the Romanians were, but their contribution (probably in the range of 2 infantry division and a mechanised brigade) would really not turn anything. They'll be incorporated into the Soviet Union after Autumn 1944 anyway.
but their contribution (probably in the range of 2 infantry division and a mechanised brigade) would really not turn anything.
And how many troops could the germans realistically have in Ukraine before Barbarossa; .
it still won't change that they have supply lines stretching all the way to Berlin and horrible logistics; IOTL, they had most of Congress poland and that still didn't bring them all that much.
How many would? Lithuania in 1939 has a population under one million; how many soldiers could the region realistically support as is without requiring significant infrastructure preparations which will lead to the sae belatedness?
From the eastern border of East Prussia to the eastern border of Lithuania, the distance is not 200 kilometres, but less than 100.
Besides, there's the problem of urban warfare after that, which will still chew up an exhausted german force at the end of its supply lines, snow or not, and added to that the simple fact that from Moscow to the Ural is another couple thousand miles. In fact, if it's not snowing yet, it's mud season
I doubt they’d have contributed anything in the way of forces.
The value of Lithuania is as a jumping off point for part of the Northern Army Group; it’d halve their distance to Minsk and accelerate their arrival at Moscow.
And since they travelled over the exact same when they did invade I don’t see how they could be slowed by being further forward when they start.
Yet another idea: the Lithuanians are not Slavs. Maybe the Nazis decide that Lithuanians are descendants of early Wiking/Nordic settlement? Could work in the crude racial theories of the Nazis and would allow to treat Lithuanians (and later also Latvians) as (almost) equals.
I doubt they’d have contributed anything in the way of forces.
The value of Lithuania is as a jumping off point for part of the Northern Army Group; it’d halve their distance to Minsk and accelerate their arrival at Moscow.
And since they travelled over the exact same when they did invade I don’t see how they could be slowed by being further forward when they start.
There seems to be a broad consensus that Germany was halted more by General Winter than by the Soviet Army in 1941.
That actually was the case wasn’t it Monty?
Oh, wasn't aware of that. Were Lithuanians in Nazi worldview on par with, say, Dutch or Norwegian?
They treated collaborationist Cossacks as Goths who had migrated too far east. The Nazis were pragmatic when it came to the right time and person. Of course, ultimately it was still a far shot from a humane/intelligent policy.