What if Hitler Demands Schleswig-Holstein (1939)

332px-Jutland_Peninsula_map.PNG


Post 1880, the duchy of Schleswing-Holstein was apart of the German Empire and remained up until 1920, where it was reincorperated into Denmark proper.

Simple question:

What if Hitler, after Munich but before Danzig demanded the return of Northern Schleswig territory, similar to the Danzig ultimatum.

How would the allies responded? If they did a "Polish Guarentee" of Denmark, could Hitler then be free to attack Poland over Danzig instead?
 
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You may be thinking of the South Jutland County/Northern Schleswig. The Danes didn't get any of Holstein. And I imagine the Danes could just hold a pole or referendum to show they liked things as they were. Then stop feeding millions of Germans.
 
Your map is wrong. Unless my geography is off, most of the red area already was part of Germany. As to the question, the Allies had made no commitments to Denmark, since it was a neutral - Poland was an ally. I think that by 1939, the Allies were simply fed up with Hitler and his unceasing territorial demands. They would issue Martians a guarantee if he demanded part of Mars.
 
Your map is wrong. Unless my geography is off, most of the red area already was part of Germany. As to the question, the Allies had made no commitments to Denmark, since it was a neutral - Poland was an ally. I think that by 1939, the Allies were simply fed up with Hitler and his unceasing territorial demands. They would issue Martians a guarantee if he demanded part of Mars.

The entire area shown in red remained part of Germany and makes up the modern state Schleswig-Hohlstein. Here is a map of the plebiscite results

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schleswig_plebiscites,_1920#/media/File:Abstimmung-schleswig-1920.png

unfortunately it is available only in German/Danish
 
That is far worse. That map is for other a thousand years ago. This one should be somewhat better for you. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jutland_Peninsula_map.PNG

Also, Hitler never tried making claims to the area since he thought that it should stay packaged with Denmark, which would make it a fairly nice shaped Reichsgau for the future.

You are right about the map sir, thank you.

But again what if he did make a demand for northern Sschleswig?

What are the butterflies?
 
Playing devil's advocate ....
It would be far easier for WALLIES to land troops on the western coast of Jutland than Poland.
If WALLIES had sufficient warning, they might have been able to militarily prevent a German invasion of Schlesvig.
Would the long-term border run through Kiel or Lubeck?
 
You are right about the map sir, thank you.

But again what if he did make a demand for northern Sschleswig?

What are the butterflies?
We will need exact dates. Had he first dismembered the remainder of Czekoslovakia by threatening the Slovaks that he would let the Hungarians and Poles partition them if they didn't go independent? What of the demand for Lithuania to give up Memel and all but a slither of their coast which happened five days after that invasion? Anyways, I see this as being something that would put the Belgians on edge since they, unlike Denmark, had actually annexed areas with loads of Germans in it. The Danes just got Danes.
 
We will need exact dates. Had he first dismembered the remainder of Czekoslovakia by threatening the Slovaks that he would let the Hungarians and Poles partition them if they didn't go independent? What of the demand for Lithuania to give up Memel and all but a slither of their coast which happened five days after that invasion? Anyways, I see this as being something that would put the Belgians on edge since they, unlike Denmark, had actually annexed areas with loads of Germans in it. The Danes just got Danes.

Say it's after the invasion of the Czech Rump, and creation of Slovakia so say it's April 1939.
 
In a case like this there will be less sneak attacking Norway and the Low Countries. They will see it coming. Poles will be on their guard of course. How far do the Germans go? Just to the old border?
 
In a case like this there will be less sneak attacking Norway and the Low Countries. They will see it coming. Poles will be on their guard of course. How far do the Germans go? Just to the old border?

Yeah, say Hitler issues an ultimatium for Upper Schslesweg.

How do the allies respond?
 
Yeah, say Hitler issues an ultimatium for Upper Schslesweg.

How do the allies respond?
They point out the area is Danish and, except for relatively few decades, had been under the Danish king for centuries. And that Hitler said he would sotp making demands after the Sudetenland. And then they simply have a referendum which a landslide say they want to stay Danish. Then Hitler invades.
 
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