The 2nd Great War

  • Thread starter Deleted member 1487
  • Start date

Deleted member 1487

Invasion part 1

Note: the Altmark incident does not happen and Finland is not invaded, so the British don't try to invade Norway. As a result Scandinavia stays completely neutral.
After months of inaction, the civilians of both sides began to think that the war was a farce. Nothing was happening. The armies were training, sure, and their sons were drafted, but no fighting had happened since the invasion of Poland. Hopes were rising that negotiations were on going and all this nonsense would be over. They would be sadly mistaken. They were right that negotiations were on going, but neither side was willing to budge on the most crucial issues. Support for the war was never very high in Britain and many were calling for a truce. Most everyone in Britain had never been to Poland and thought that this fuss over some silly Eastern European nation was none of their concern. In fact it was bad for business, as rationing cut into consumer goods. These goods were still available, but were harder and more expensive to find. Churchill and the British military were aware that the civilians would have to be bought off, so nation was not on a full war footing either. But still fighter planes, tanks and bombers rolled off the assembly lines. Ships were still being built and troops trained, but nothing had yet happened. The Allied High Command knew that the blow was coming in 1941 and were bracing themselves for a fight. French troops though were quite deficient in training and many conscripts had to work instead of train in their off duty hours. Many more applied for leave as they had families to support and could not afford to stay away from home for long. In all, readiness was low in the French army. The situation was the opposite in the German army. They were better paid and highly motivated to end this war in one engagement. The troops were run through tough, realistic training to prepare them for the coming battles. Then in May, everything changed.

It began early on May 5th. Gliders landed on the Belgian fort Eben Emal and heavily armed commandos proceeded to smash the gun turrets. They managed to seize control of the most modern fortress in the world within a day, and linked up with combat engineers that completed the coup the following day. This was just one part of the massive invasion of the Lowlands. The Netherlands was blanketed with paratroopers who moved in and seized their objectives despite being outnumbered 5:1. The greatest coup of all was the capture of the Dutch royal family at Den Haag by a special Brandenburger commando unit that had posed as tourists. They also managed to seize part of the government before having to withdraw before Dutch policemen and army units. Panzers spearheaded the advance and smashed the unprepared Lowland militaries. Soon much of the Netherlands and parts of Belgium were occupied by this suprise invasion.

The Allied High Command felt vindicated now that the Germans were running a variation of the Schlieffen plan. Their mobile units raced forward to the Dyle line and took up positions, ready to repel the enemy. But in the south the knock out blow was readied. Once it became apparent that the Allies were falling for the trap, Guderian and his corps blitzed through the Ardennes. The Belgian Chausseurs fled without even attempting to delay their advance and soon the French reservists were experiencing the full fury of the Panzers. Divisions broke and fled, hounded by the Luftwaffe and German mobile formations. Rumors led reserves astray or sent them fleeing away from the front, delaying other formations. The line was in chaos. Back in north Belgium, while trying to reorient themselves to deal with the developing threat, the armies of von Rundstedt engaged and pinned the mass of the Allied armies. The infantry and armored formations of both sides clashed, but the Luftwaffe controlled the air. The RAF and French air force were not to be seen. They could not compete with the Germans and were swept from the skies. With in 3 weeks the first tanks of Guderian's corps had reached the English channel. The Allies were in panic. The British were attempting to withdraw to the shore and embark for England, but Guderian had ordered his Panzers onwards. They had struck and seized most of the coast, but in the process, many had broken down. The Luftwaffe was diverted to the coast to prevent a break out and capture of Guderian's corps. Eventually in their despairation many Allied units managed to break out to the sea, forcing many of the German forces to abandon their equipment and flee. Though reduced in numbers, large Allied formations formed a pocket on the coast and waited for British ships to pick them up. Luftwaffe air fleets pounded the Allies day and night, including the Strategic air arm, that used their devestating carpet bombings to smash the pocket. Fighting raged all along the perimeter as German infantry fought to capture the Allied armies. The attempted rescue would be costly for the Allies, as nearly 60% of ships used were damaged or sunk. Particularly damaged were the destroyers, with 17 sunk. The Kriegsmarine naval bombers proved deadly. After nearly a week of napalm, phosphorus, cluster bombs, and other deadly muntions being hurrled at the pocket, it collapsed. Almost 200,000 men had been evacuated, mostly British. However, more than 40,000 were wounded. Additionally the RAF and RN had suffered thousands more in casualties. The pocket mangaged to yield over 200,000 prisoners.

More to come....
 
Excellent! Fracnce is going to fall quickly, but I doubt there will be a Battle of Britain. Instead Britain's bombing of German civilians will be spread across America before Germany responds. Churchill is screwed. If Italy agrees to stay neutral then Germany could play a waiting game, taking control of Poland and France and the Low countries. Or they could go to North Africa. Should Italy get involved a North African front is a given and be much more important. Germany will want to stop war with Britain and the key was the Suez Cannel. If Germany could close the Cannel and move into the Mid-East Churchill would have to seek terms. If the Mid-East's in Germany's hands the war with the Soviet Union would be very interesting!
 
Last edited:
excellent update.

Just one point.
During the dunkirk operation many fishing boats were also employed to help get the troops out of Belgium.
If many of these were destroyed then there might be some small food problems in GB.

More please.
 

Deleted member 1487

so far everything in the war is roughly historical, except fewer soldiers get away during Dynamo and the Germans are out 1.5 Panzer divisions that got overrun. Most of the valuable personel got away, but the equipment got bogged and had to be abandoned. The Luftwaffe was more effective and inflicted lots more casualties, but a lot of the captured equipment was damaged and the supplies destroyed. The Germans are desperate for a quick victory though. Fuchs is afraid that the population won't stand for a long war.
About the fishing boats, they were not effected significantly more than OTL, but that is the least of British problems at the moment, but more on that later.
 

Deleted member 1487

Invasion pt. 2

With the campaign in the north successfully concluded, Fall Rot, the invasion of France, was set to begin. Guderian was to be punished for the loss of so much equipment, but he was needed for the coming campaign. His corps was reorganized and acquired additional armor divisions. The savaged formations were sent back to Germany to refit and retrain. In the meantime, after a brief reorganization period, the Wehrmacht reoriented south. The French were in a panic; all their best formations were wiped out and no reserve existed. However, a newly formed tank division led by colonel de Gaul was still available and would strike the first blow at that German flank during initial operations. But this attack would fail miserably and de Gaul was killed when his staff car was strafed by a Bf110. The French fell apart and German Panzers reached Paris by the 15th of June. Afterwards, all there was to be was mopping up. Mobile troops bottled up the Maginot line and forced the armies there to surrender. The 7th Panzer division struck south and seized Marsailles, much to the suprise of the citizens. The great chase was to the north, as the last formation of the BEF tried to flee out of Normandy. German troops were held up in the bocage, but the Luftwaffe pounded Cherbourg in an attempt to prevent another evacuationn. The RAF sortied heavily, managing to give the Luftwaffe a bloody nose. In the end, most of the Brits managed to flee without most of their equipment. Again, many wounded were included in the number, but that fact was not reported widely in Britain. All that the average citizen cared, was that the army had survived. In France, the situation was reversed. Many were relieved that the war was over, for so little damage to the country. Although there was sadness at the loss of the war, the average citizen prefered a quick loss to another grinding victory that eviserated the nation. A was made between the legitamate govenment and Germany. There was no need for a puppet regime, as the actual government was too dejected to continue the fight from England. Without the prospect of the US joining in, what was the point of needless struggle? The actual signing was humiliating, a reenactment of the surrender of WW1, but this time with the Germans dictating the peace in the rail car in the woods. Alsace-Lorriane was annexed into Germany, as was Luxembourg and the German speaking parts of Belgium. The iron mines near the border were open to German companies for the next 15 years. The French army would not be allowed more than 200,000 men in continental Europe, or any offensive weapon systems. There were no reparations, to the relief of the French delegation, but German troops would remain in France until the war with Britain was concluded. Overall the peace was harsh, but bearable.

Across the Channel, the British were caught up in finger pointing. Many wanted to negotiate with Fuchs, but Churchill still clung to the idea that the war could be won. He also thought that the US could be enticed into war, just like the last time. Britain just needed to hold out until then. However, many members of the government were terrified now that they were no longer on the continent. They realized that without American loans, they would not be able to continue the war beyond the end of next year. The country would bankrupt itself for no gain. Even staunch Churchill supporters questioned his desire to fight on. When Fuchs' offer of peace came in, Chuchill rejected it out of hand, much to the horror of many in his cabinet. It as a fair peace, all they had to do was recognize the new order in Europe and not make alliances against Germany. Churchill thought that continental allies could still be gained. He turned to Stalin, who led him on about the possiblities.

Stalin hoped that the British would continue to fight and bleed the Germans. He wanted to sweep in and pick up the pieces, but he was also terrified about the rapid success of the Wehrmacht. The Red Army was ordered to refine doctrine to accommedate the lessons of France, but the order would take time to impliment. Also the lack of experience in many officers would complicate the matter further. The latest round of purges had taken many of the experienced soldiers at the highest levels. Stalin needed time to retrain and rearm his forces for what he felt was the coming battle with Fuchs. Stalin was terrified that once Germany won over Britain, they would turn East. The fear was not far off....
 

Deleted member 1487

The British situation was intolerable. Even though the Germans had Europe firmly under its boot, the Brits were still able to blockade the coast effectively. The lack of a surface fleet was worrisome, but there really was never a hope of rivaling Britain in that department. Both sides were well aware that a German invasion was impossible. But the one issue that concerned the British was the lack of Uboot attacks. They were aware of the limited German capability, but assumed that there would still be somewhat of a threat. In fact the Uboot service had be training furiously. The number and quality of these boats were being constantly upgraded and it was hoped that once a sizable fleet could be prepared that a solid blow would be struck. For the remainder of the year, the Brits would have a pass, but coming early 1942, the mailed fist would be swung. The initial German offensive against Britain was an attempt to control the air space above Britain and then start bombing the ports to deny the RN bases to oppose the Uboot offensive. The Battle of Britain began in July 1941.
The idea was to wipe out the RAF's bases in the south of England so that the bomber offensive could continue unimpeded. The strikes against the Radar facilities along the coast would prove to be the most important aspect of the attacks. Possesing Radar as well, the Luftwaffe was well aware of the capablities of this system and the resiliance of the facilities. But the counter weapon was possessed. The Fritz X bomb, a guided missle, could be used from converted bombers to strike at the stations, hopefully disabling them without risking dive bombers. German electronics was one of the most important fields for the research department. The use of Konrad Zuse's programable computer systems would proved decisive in developing advanced equipment for the Wehrmacht (the German military, not just the army).

When the offensive struck, the British were ready. They managed to inflict heavy casualties on the Luftwaffe, but unsuccessfully defended the Radar stations. Day after day, with short pauses, saw the chains broken, link by link. Casualties among experienced operators became critical by late August, but both air forces were hurting. Both the RAF and Luftwaffe had lost hundreds of aircraft and experienced personel, but the fight continued. By October, the RAF had to withdraw north, their bases smashed regularly in the south. Once the confirmation was given that the air war was won, the bomber and Uboot offensives were given the green light. The British were caught flat footed by the dual attacks. Ships were assaulted all over the north sea, atlantic, and celtic seas. The channel had already been off limits to shipping, as German planes regularly straffed ships moving through the contested area.
To be contined.....(laziness strikes again)
 
(laziness strikes again)

Stop being lazy.
W,

If the British conceed control of souther England then the war is lost.
Uboots can operate from france unimpeded as can long range aircraft.

The British supply lines would be well and truly broken.
 

Deleted member 1487

Syphon, the situation is a bit more nuanced than that. The pressure on the south English airbases caused the RAF to rebase to northern England to rebuild and rest their forces. They are not completely conceding control of the air, rather they are choosing their engagements and attempting to obtain superiority in select actions. But you are right about the danger of this approach. Right now, naval recon planes are able to work in conjunction with Uboots to relay information. The Brits believe that as the Germans are not going after civilian targets, it is not entirely irresponsible to retire northward. New developments coming shortly.
 

Deleted member 1487

The new strategy started off with a bang, literally. IRA agents passed important information to German agents in London about the existence of the code breakers at Bletchly Park. In a daring operation, the Abwehr managed to locate the facility and, by radio, direct a bombing run on the building. Nearly the entire staff was killed in the raid, causing irreparable damage to code breaking efforts. This preceded the start of the German Uboot offensive, which in turn was the cause of the massive surpise when it started. Uboots managed to infiltrate into Scapa Flow and sink several important ships including the Ark Royal, an aircraft carrier. Though many were refloated in the coming months and nearly half of the Uboots did not survive the retaliation, the panic caused a locked down of the port when it was most needed. Convoys were attacked by wolf packs aided by long range aircraft operating out of Brest. These planes were able to evade British air cover, as many of the radar stations were still disabled in the south. Though the odds were stacked against the British, the truly worrisome issue was the dwindling financial resources of the government. It was soon likely that the British would be bankrupt.

Ultimately the event that would seal the fate of Churchill and the conservatives would be the Japanese attacks in the far East. The surprise attack was aided by the lose of the code breakers at Bletchly Park. Reports of the initial actions were thought to be the result of panicky commanders, but the massive flood of information about strikes all over the colonies soon dissuaded this notion. Hong Kong, Indo-China, Malaysia and other areas were soon overrun. The fall of Singapore prompted action by the opposition in parliament. Churchill's government fell and the new government under Attlee's Labor party would go on to make peace with Germany. Fuchs was not in the most charitable mood by this point, so the terms were somewhat harsh.
Malta was to be turned over to the Italians and Gibraltar was to be returned to Spain. This was the reward for the support both nations had offered Germany in the shape of intelligence or bases for ships. Also the reshaping of European borders was to be recognized. The greatest change, and the most painful for British politicians, was the end of Belgium as a nation. Holland and Flemish Belgium, including Brussels was to form a new nation, Netherland. The French speaking portion was to be annexed by France. The colonies of Belgium were to go to Netherland. A deal was worked out with the Japanese that Indonesia was to be spared invasion for the sale of oil. Though this portion of the Dutch colonies had retain independence from the German occupiers, the support of the Queen and legitimate government for the deal convinced them that they should return to the fold, now that the war was over. In the end, the threat of invasion by Japan if they should deny the deal was the real reason for the acquisence of the colony. Other terms included the promise not to ally with other nations against Germany, reduce tariffs on German products, and pay a small, symbolic indemnity.

In Eastern Europe, the borders had shifted with Poland being significantly reduced in size, but retaining independence. Though essentially an economic colony like rump Czechoslovakia, a civilian democratic government was still in charge. Military occupation was unnecessary, as the survival of the nation depended on German goodwill. Down south, Romania had to cede a portion of land to Hungary to maintain the peace in the region. Italy was willing to support Germany in their backing of Hungary, as they were extatic about the return of Malta and the reduction of British influence in the area. They also had the promise of German not to interfer when Italy, Hungary and Bulgaria invaded and divided up Yugoslavia. Germany would get northern Slovenia as booty for its approval and puppet Croatia would end up being the big winner in the division. The guerilla war that would follow ended up being a drain on the resources of the invading nations, but within a decade opposition would be crushed. Greece nervously made concessions to Italy, hoping to buy them off. It worked for the time being, but many in Greece pushed for modernization of the military in an effort to dissuade the Italians in the future. Tunisia became increasingly an Italian economic area, though the French still maintained official sway in the region. By the end of 1942, German troops had left most of France and Netherland, as the war was now over. Britain, on the other hand, was still involved in the war in the East. Trying frantically to entice the US into the war, ultimatly they would be saved when paranoid factions in the IJN attacked the US in November. The military Junta under Tojo felt that the US was gearing up to attack them, so they struck first. The initial offensives went well, but over time the economic might of America would grind the Japanese under. For the time being, British and American forces would be locked in a struggle spanning the world's largest ocean.

In Europe, German Mitteleuropa was now a fact. Resouces from all corners, including the US, flowed into German factories. The rest of Europe found itself buying more and more products with the label, made in Germany stamped on the side. Fuchs and the DNF had obtained God-like status and for the first time in centuries, German stood penultimate across Europe. However, all was not well. The Soviet Union had become increasingly aggresive and paranoid about this massive country, Grossdeutschland that stood on their border. Stalin became increasingly concerned that Fuchs was preparing to invade. He watched as Fuchs locked Europe in his grasp with alliances obviously aimed at the Soviets. His military had prepared itself at top speed, readying for the coming battles. Fuchs was content to remain top dog in Europe and use the threat of the Soviets to keeps all the Eastern Europeans in line. These nations were more scared of Stalin than of German domination, so the system worked. The Wehrmacht upgraded itself and worked to maintain a large presence in the new Warsaw Pact nations (a defensive alliance Germany had set up with most of Europe to oppose the Soviets (yeah, I know, I couldn't resist)). With the dawn of 1943, the two behemoths glared at one another, daring each other to make a move. It remained to be seen who would dare...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The Germans should do far better in the war with the Soviet Union.

If I might suggest it perhaps the Germans could become a co-belligerent with the US against japan after all they did take German colonies in WWI.
This would play very well with the US press and cement Germany's status in the USA.

All Germany have to do is commit s folitilla or two of uboots and maybe provide the USA with some second hand Panzers.
they'd probably be better then anything the USA have at present.
 
Wiking got caught up with everything, excellent :D

Europe is Germany's playground, England neutralized, US tied down fighting Japan. Now the question is who strikes first, Stalin or Fuchs? Part of me says Stalin will give into his paranoia and order an attack. However you mentioned before Fuchs' hatred of communism. So maybe Fuchs will make a mistake and attack the USSR first.

Great stuff.
 
Wiking got caught up with everything, excellent :D

Europe is Germany's playground, England neutralized, US tied down fighting Japan. Now the question is who strikes first, Stalin or Fuchs? Part of me says Stalin will give into his paranoia and order an attack. However you mentioned before Fuchs' hatred of communism. So maybe Fuchs will make a mistake and attack the USSR first.

Great stuff.

Think about it like this, who stands the most to gain by waiting? Well it seems to me Germany's going to get stronger and stronger the more it waits as the Mittleeuropa system becomes entrenched. Whereas Stalin will also feel the need to modernise further based on what he witnessed with Germany's war against the allies. In other words neither would really see the need to blunder into war. It will require an external catalyst rather than a cause made by one of the parties.
 
Last edited:
...
Ultimately the event that would seal the fate of Churchill and the conservatives would be the Japanese attacks in the far East. The surprise attack was aided by the lose of the code breakers at Bletchly Park. Reports of the initial actions were thought to be the result of panicky commanders, but the massive flood of information about strikes all over the colonies soon dissuaded this notion. Hong Kong, Indo-China, Malaysia and other areas were soon overrun. The fall of Singapore prompted action by radicals in the prime minister's cabinet. On July 12th, 1942 a bomb went off during a cabinet meeting in Churchill's office. Nearly all the hardliners were killed in the explosion, but miraculously Churchill himself survived for several days. Unable to fulfill his duties, the liberals under labor formed the new government and concluded peace with Germany.
...
O... K...

I can't see this happening, myself. When was the last internal coup in Britain, exactly? I mean since we've removed the monarchy from day-to-day control of things? No matter how bad the situation? Oh yes, NEVER.

Nobody assassinated Churchill + Cabinet in the darkest days of OTL WWII. Admittedly, this version is even bleaker, since there seems to be no hope the Americans will get involved. Even so, all that needs to happen is for the "radicals" to gain enough support in Parliament for a vote of no confidence. No need for assassination!
 

Deleted member 1487

edit: Alt_historian, you are right it was a bit much to have the assassination. So I fixed it and just had Attlee's government achieve power earlier. As he was the deputy minister under Churchill, it seemed right.


I'm trying to paint Churchill and the other 'hardliners' as willing to fight to the end, regardless of the looming bankruptcy of the nation. Perhaps this parallel with Hitler and the attempted assassination was a bit much, but from what I have read about the man he was not particularly practical, rather, more prone to flights of fancy that fit his perception of the world. As the war turns against Britain, he starts to cling to the fantasy that holding out will bring in Stalin, who has been entertaining him with the possibility of intervening. Technically, yes Britain can still militarily hold out, no problem. The Uboot threat is not particularly dangerous, as there are only about 150 boats of all models running around. The air offensive never degenerates into city bombings, rather, bases are targeted. The primary concern in both wars, was the need for financial support. Here with the US not providing loans, and sticking with a cash and carry policy, Britain is going bankrupt as a nation and would soon not be able to pay for anything. When the Japanese take advantage of British weakness by going after the asian colonies, the obvious need to end the European war becames apparent. However, Churchill still clings to the 'never surrender' mentality and vows to fight on.

Perhaps it would be easy enough to vote no confidence to remove Churchill, but he struck me as a man that would dissolve parliment before allowing Britain to surrender. Maybe he was not so extreme as this, and please correct me if I am wrong, but I think that he would only be able to be removed by assassination, if his stance was threatened. I will change it if you can direct me to a source that shows he would be willing to step down if necessary.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
edit: Alt_historian, you are right it was a bit much to have the assassination. So I fixed it and just had Attlee's government achieve power earlier. As he was the deputy minister under Churchill, it seemed right.


I'm trying to paint Churchill and the other 'hardliners' as willing to fight to the end, regardless of the looming bankruptcy of the nation. Perhaps this parallel with Hitler and the attempted assassination was a bit much, but from what I have read about the man he was not particularly practical, rather, more prone to flights of fancy that fit his perception of the world. As the war turns against Britain, he starts to cling to the fantasy that holding out will bring in Stalin, who has been entertaining him with the possibility of intervening. Technically, yes Britain can still militarily hold out, no problem. The Uboot threat is not particularly dangerous, as there are only about 150 boats of all models running around. The air offensive never degenerates into city bombings, rather, bases are targeted. The primary concern in both wars, was the need for financial support. Here with the US not providing loans, and sticking with a cash and carry policy, Britain is going bankrupt as a nation and would soon not be able to pay for anything. When the Japanese take advantage of British weakness by going after the asian colonies, the obvious need to end the European war becames apparent. However, Churchill still clings to the 'never surrender' mentality and vows to fight on.

Perhaps it would be easy enough to vote no confidence to remove Churchill, but he struck me as a man that would dissolve parliment before allowing Britain to surrender. Maybe he was not so extreme as this, and please correct me if I am wrong, but I think that he would only be able to be removed by assassination, if his stance was threatened. I will change it if you can direct me to a source that shows he would be willing to step down if necessary.

What if Churchill did dissolve parliament?
 

Deleted member 1487

Reading a bit more about the man and Britain as a nation, neither would stand for it. He was not Hitler nor a dictator, as much as I might dislike him. So the TL is changed.

But look forward to what is going to happen with Russia. The situation is stable for now, neither side is keen on war. Stalin is not really a gambler and Fuchs has little to gain from fighting the Soviets. His entire dependent economic system depends on the threat of Stalin to keep Europe in line. The massive Soviet military presence and their actions in annexing the Baltic states keeps the Eastern European states in line. Italy and the Fascist aligned states are philosophically opposed to the Communist system and need Germany as an ally. France is just a basket case politically and essentially relies on Germany for leadership. The people are quite morose and their colonies are starting to agitate for independence. Imagine the dreary political climate of the war period mixed with the emotional mess created by the loss of a war. The French feel that their time has passed as a power and are mentally resigned to their status of Germany's...well, to put it crudely, bitch.

The British are also smarting from their first surrender in centuries and it is causing a crisis of conscience. They are fighting against the Japanese for their empire, but it is apparent that India is leaving after the war. Australia is already more aligned with the US than Britain. South Africa has already started making its own future outside the commonwealth. The only nation still tied to Britain is Canada, but they are drifting into the US camp too. Britain still needs trade in the European markets, so they have to play into the German game, which means that they too are playing second fiddle to Germany. This is a crushing blow to moral, as it is apparent that the empire is crumbling. They have just lost a war for great power status, which means even with Japan defeated, they still will be a secondary power, while the US, Germany and Soviet Union are the powers of the future.

In the Soviet Union, Stalin is incredibly paranoid. He sees German power encroaching on his empire. An alliance stands against him, and he is worried that they are conspiring to overthrown him. So the Red army is arming for the war, when it comes. What Stalin does not realize is that Fuchs doesn't want war. But this paranoia will eventually bring the matter to a head.

Oh and one more important factoid: though the Scandinavian powers are big trading partners with Germany, they are technically unaligned. They have not interest in provoking Stalin, but they are forming a network of their own. A Scandinavian league is developing that could form the framework for an alliance. Military and economic cooperation is the primary concern of these nations. Sweden though is playing both sides. They have managed, as a byproduct of their steel trade with Germany, to get German advisers to reform their military and give economic advice. This makes them the most advanced military in Scandinavia, especially with Saab manufacturing its own weapon systems.

The final special case (yes I forgot to mention them) was the Dutch. They now have all the Dutch speakers in one country, one of the densest infrastructures, 20 million people, a well developed economy and financial system, and two of the most valuable colonies in the world. They have a special tie to Germany, despite the invasion. The country is quite powerful for one so small, but are firmly in an alliance with Germany. They are importing large supplies of resources from all over the world and now have one of the largest merchant marines in the world. They currently are supplying Japan with oil to prevent an invasion, but require Japanese tankers to pick it up. The US and Britain are unhappy with the situation, but are unable to do anything about it. They also realize that the Dutch are somewhat captive in this commitment. The US is able to live with it, because its Submarine service now has a target rich environment to hunt. The Japanese will suffer drastically as their shipping gets picked off. But the war in the Pacific will last a long time. The Atom bomb will not be available until later without the European scientists, which may not make a difference, as the regular bombing campaign can still happen, which was just as effective if not more so than the early atomic bombs. Also the US can concentrate 100% of its resources to Japan, as historically it was only 35-40%. This means a serious hurt will be put on them earlier and harder. Historically the Japanese were starving as the US blockaded the island nation, which still can cause greater losses than 20 Atom bombs. And really, the Atom bomb really was not the cause for surrender, the invasion of Korea by the Soviets sealed the fate of the 1 million + man army that was the hope of the Japanese. When that was gone, the war was over. So by 1946 the war is going to end, no question. But it will be the US taking over China and Korea, so don't expect to see the communists pop up after the war. Be ready for the next installment.
 

Deleted member 1487

Possibilities

From this point there are several possible options, but two that come to mind: War between the Soviets and Europe or a "Cold" war in a tri-polar world. The US, Europe, and Soviet Union are going to each compete against one another. The US is best positioned to take the lead, being the only 'free' market in the world. The Germans/Europeans are next, but the Cartelization of the economy in Germany and the exploitive nature of the "European Union" are detrimental to the growth of the collective economy. The Soviets are worst off for several reasons. Though they have not gone through the massive destruction of the World War, they still have incompetents running the economy. The central planning saps the nation of the will to innovate, as the best mean for achieving success is to know someone at the top. Additionally, the murderous and paranoid nature of the ruler guts the nation after every round of purges. The trauma causes severe problems within the social fabric and retards the proper functioning of the economy.
Eventually, I can see a liberalizing of the German system, in which the German economy is still the engine of Europe, but with greater freedom to the European states. The Russian would have a sort of liberalization like China, in which the oligarchy allows some freedom, and rapid cartelization occurs, much like Russia today. The US has stiffer competition up front and is not the sole hyperpower, which has interesting effects on the political development within America. China stays mired in corruption and mismanagement. India becomes close to what it is today, but with German and US companies in competition throughout the world. The Brits get sucked into vicious colonial battles, that for reasons of national pride, they cannot give in. They soldier on for a while, but return to the European fold, if not eventually propped up by the US.

I think a war between the Soviets and Germans is more interesting though, so I will try and find a reason for the start of war. More later.
 
Top