WI Hitler realizes in May 1941 the Red Army is much bigger than he thought

thats largely a myth,like many others created to excuse their behavior. In reality even generals who were absolutly loathed by hitler because they constantly argued against him at most destroyed their carriere,and even then not always permanently. you really had to go into "part of assasination plot,or at least somewhat connected" to risk your own life,let alone that of your family.

Rommel was told his family would suffer even before he was convicted.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sippenhaft#Nazi_Germany
 
Then they are no longer Nazis, but Notzis, and probably wouldn't have started the Invasion, or even the whole War in the first place
I dont think it is that easy to handle this butterfly.
Yes, lebensraum will be created, but if you plan for a longer campaign, it could be delayed. As a convenient measure and off course only because the harvest is made in the Ukraine. Not to make them Notzis.
Having said that, they probably would push ahead.
 
Don't think the KWK 40 was ready until 1942 - but equipping all new Pz-III with 50L60 could be done. Historically > 2400 50mm PAK 38 were built from late 1940- end of 1941....MAYBE IF EARLY enough? Perhaps some of these could be built as KWK -39 instead ?

In addition there were plenty of Pz-I surplus to need that could be converted to PzJager-1. How many Czech 47mm Pak could be mounted? What about French 47mm PAK-? Would ammo be an issue for the French AT gun?

When did Falkenhorst ride the KV-1?
Apparently in 1940. I've seen it mentioned on this site many times.
 
I'm probably thinking of someone else but recall the recommendation was to not pursue production of super heavy tanks in the near future. The few test models built in Germany were unimpressive, super heavy tanks had no place in the armor doctrine of those years, & were not significant in the armored doctrine Guderian had pushed. Note that the Germans referred to the 25 ton Mk IV of 1939 a "heavy" tank.
 
Then they are no longer Nazis, but Notzis, and probably wouldn't have started the Invasion, or even the whole War in the first place
Yeah I have seen that said a million times on here.

OTL. The Germans did have a flexible policy with the Slovaks and Croatians because they needed them at the time.

I don't think its impossible that if the Germans knew the Soviet invasion would be harder than OTL that they might pick some elements of the populations that they could work with to help. The Baltics are small and the people the most willing. There is still plenty of people left to abuse to satisfy Nazi racial policy.
 
Yeah I have seen that said a million times on here.

OTL. The Germans did have a flexible policy with the Slovaks and Croatians because they needed them at the time.

I don't think its impossible that if the Germans knew the Soviet invasion would be harder than OTL that they might pick some elements of the populations that they could work with to help. The Baltics are small and the people the most willing. There is still plenty of people left to abuse to satisfy Nazi racial policy.
As a Croat, I can tell that there was, or still is a theory that Croats have strong Gothic elements. It was strong in WW2, and purportedly Himmler was the one who pushed this hard enough to convince Hitler. Pavelić himself was Mussolini's preferred man, not Hitler's.
Ukrainians would need to get a racial ladder upgrade from someone like Himmler before the war starts.
 
Well, some nazis claimed that the blond Ukrainians had to be descendants of the Germanics >1500 years ago. But that'd only save individuals, not the whole people.
 
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