The Neutrals After an Axis Victory

If the Axis Powers won WWII, what would the effects be on the European countries that had remained neutral during the war, such as Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Lichtenstein, and Switzerland? What would their relationships be towards the Axis and how would history progress?
 
Assuming that the Allied presence in Europe is essentially destroyed (which would be needed for an Axis victory) the remaining neutrals are most likely going to be gradually drawn into the Axis orbit.
 
Yes, it depends on what "Axis Victory" means. Having a few neutrals around is helpful if you still have to deal with your former enemies as independent entities. Since some "Axis Wins" scenarios allow for the survival of an independent Britain and most presume the USA survives as an independent power - often in a "cold war" with Germany, I could see certain neutrals (particularly Spain and Sweden) remain independent (although "finlandized") as valuable locations for unofficial contacts between Germany and its enemies. To my mind, it is less likely landlocked states such as Switzerland would remain truly neutral.

By the way, didn't Portugal join the allies?

Another consideration is the difference between wartime allies of Germany and nations which were occupied and lost their independence. Depending on the scenario and how Germany actually sought to structure its European Reich, allies or friendly neutrals such as Italy, Finland, Vichy France, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and Croatia might serve the function of neutrals in the diplomacy of the post-war world.

But I agree with CQ. No matter how things develop, all remaining independent nations in Europe would be drawn into the German orbit...certainly none would be permitted to be openly hostile to German interests.
 
If the Axis Powers won WWII, what would the effects be on the European countries that had remained neutral during the war, such as Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Lichtenstein, and Switzerland? What would their relationships be towards the Axis and how would history progress?

well i can see Spain join the War once they knew that the Axis would win, take French Morocco, and Gibraltar.

Portugal will most likely be isolationist at first, but move closer and closer to the Axis for help in their Guerra do Ultramar and help keep Estado Novo in power.

Sweden will stay more Neutral however Aryan ideas are likely to catch on in a big way in a few decades

Liechtenstein will economically owned by Germeny.

Switzerland is a happy (mostly) free nation that lives as one of the few Neutral nations, and it's no-questions-ask-banking. it is however armed to the teeth and highly militarized.
 
Partly it depends on the USA - its very useful to Germany to have Switzerland independent as IBM can still do business with it in terms of punchcards. After the war, Switzerland probably continues to serve the same role as a safe shield for ex-Allied businesses wishing to do business with the Reich without being too obvious about it

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 

CrazyhurtZ

Banned
Partly it depends on the USA - its very useful to Germany to have Switzerland independent as IBM can still do business with it in terms of punchcards. After the war, Switzerland probably continues to serve the same role as a safe shield for ex-Allied businesses wishing to do business with the Reich without being too obvious about it

Best Regards
Grey Wolf


Agreed, Turkey too would jion with the Axis once victory was assured for the return of Armenia and other parts of the old Russian empire. You may infact see a resurgant Ottoman empire in the middle east. With the Turks, forgoing their European claims in order for German support in restoring part of the old Ottoman empire, theoretically it could stretch from the Bosphorus to the Pakistani border. All would be well until the 1950's when all that oil was discovered then german -ottoman tensions might increase.

Also what about South America, I imagine that after Axis victory National Socialist movements will take off in many countires. Paraguay which if i remember correctly was Nazi friendly could find itself being offered all kind of milatry aid to reclaim lost territory. In fact prehaps South America could become a Hot spot for Cold war style conflicts between the USA and the Axis. Much like SE Asia and parts of Africa IOTL
 
It did in WWI...

Not in WWII, I don't think... (EDIT: They (Portugal) were pro-Allied, though...)

I'm pretty sure they must have done - virtually everybody did eventually, including Turkey in January 1945.

But in a scenario of an Axis victory Portugal may well not have gotten around to joining in, whilst Turkey obviously would have remained neutral

One wonders how much a jumping on the Axis bandwagon there may have been. Given how everyone and their uncle declared war on Nazi Germany when it was obvious they were on their last legs, might there have been some sort of movement in reverse ? Not just the Spains of this world deciding to dare enter, but true neutrals with nothing to gain and nothing to lose, but acting to be associated, however ethereally, with the winning side ?

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
One wonders how much a jumping on the Axis bandwagon there may have been. Given how everyone and their uncle declared war on Nazi Germany when it was obvious they were on their last legs, might there have been some sort of movement in reverse ? Not just the Spains of this world deciding to dare enter, but true neutrals with nothing to gain and nothing to lose, but acting to be associated, however ethereally, with the winning side ?

I see it occurring. The amount of countries that declared war in April and May '45 was huge. Actually, come the German surrender, there can't have been many non-belligerent nations about
 

CrazyhurtZ

Banned
One wonders how much a jumping on the Axis bandwagon there may have been. Given how everyone and their uncle declared war on Nazi Germany when it was obvious they were on their last legs, might there have been some sort of movement in reverse ? Not just the Spains of this world deciding to dare enter, but true neutrals with nothing to gain and nothing to lose, but acting to be associated, however ethereally, with the winning side ?


I would say a fair few, probally more in Africa and less in South America then IOTL, as i am assuming that in this Scenario, the Germans conquor Russia and the UK. But are unable to bother the US.

The idea of Cold War flare ups in South America is intreging though.
 
The nazis had plans to conquer all the neutral states in Europe - Sweden, Switzerland, Portugal. Of course, much depends on how complete their victory is. If they can't take Britain (very probable) and make a seperate peace with Russia (only works without Hitler), which gives them, let's say, the lands west of Dvina-Dnepr line, they can't expand that much, since Russia stays a threat.
 
The nazis had plans to conquer all the neutral states in Europe - Sweden, Switzerland, Portugal. .

Most of those were contingency plans, though, in case it became necessary. In the normal run of things you wouldn't need to conquer them, you would just get them into the Axis then gradually emasculate them unless you had a reason, such as international respectability for a specific country, to leave them as they were

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
In Sweden the Social Democrats would implement many of the NSDAP policies but Sweden would remain a democracy. The other parties would change in the same way and become mirror parties. So even if the "liberals" won an election they would still enforce the same politics. There would be no extermination camps, the undesirables would just be sterilized.

-> Just like in OTL, but without the socialist 68' movement.
 
In such a world, '68 would likely be the radical young SS wing or analogues. That's about the only rebellious movement I can imagine that would both want massive social transformation and still be tolerated by the Nazis.
 
i can't think why no one's thought of this but, what of Ireland? also what of Iceland?
Iceland- remains under US control, probably given independence as OTL with a large US contingent at Keflavik due to a US-Nazi cold war.

Ireland- Assuming no sea-mammals-that-shall-not-be-named, becomes/remains a British satellite diplomatically. Does well economically, as one of the few places where companies can locate to do business with both sides.

Switzerland may well be swallowed by Germany, possibly with the threat of nuclear weapons or just overwhelming force. Spain definitely joins the Axis, as might Sweden and Portugal (forced to end the Anglo-Portuguese alliance).
 
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