WI: Saudi Arabia joins the Axis

Kaze

Banned
Looks like I have a new Hearts of Iron campaign. I will post the results.

Results so far --
1936. Started along the fascist route. Started planning to build some tanks despite not having any military factories other than the two that are being to make guns and artillery.
late 1937. went into civil war. Looked at the map with the realization that Aden is British held, so is my east as well. Looks like I will have to create a second unit so that India does not bone me in my but.
early 1938. ended the civil war. Started plans to annex what is modern day western Yemen - across the empty quarter - according to the sats of the area it only has 1-3 divisions and I have lined up seven divisions on the border despite the attrition. In real world, this would never work - crossing the Empty Quarter with seven divisions of infantry and cavalry, they would die.
 

Kaze

Banned
Update.

Germany invades Poland and the rest of Europe. Draws me into the war. Going good. I managed to take Cairo, Jerusalem, and Alexandra with only 13 divisions. Despite my southern army, the French and British invade from my south. They cut my nation in half separating my two armies - the northern one in Alexandria and the Southern one trying to get rid of the multiple naval invasions. Spent a good while trying to reunite my armies - utter failure. Nation fails. France and England divide Saudi Arabia after the war.
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My analysis of my game play. Okay, I doubt that in real world that I could get to Cairo or Alexandria. I bet my northern army would only get as far as Jerusalem before it falls apart due to attrition and the Franco-British attacks, but it did distract them for the Italians for their advance on El Almain. The naval invasions would transpire split my northern army from my southern one and achieve victory. Where-on the victorious allies would divide me.
 
I say we look over Omniatlas at the various tribes that were down there, and then see if there were survivors for some of the leading families. It is almost a shame that the Hejaz is the easiest area to carve up, as the Saudis might continue to get away with having Nejd. Also, I imagine it would be best if the British got the Arabs to do a lot of this conquering. Apparently there was some Ikhwan group in the north, around where the Saudi, Iraqi, and Jordan borders now are (they hadn't decided other borders back then) who were ideological allies of the Saudis and raided into Iraq. Maybe have this piss off the Iraqis, though I think even they would just want a buffer zone. Maybe The British try setting up something similar to Anglo-Agyptian Sudan? The last thing the British want is to start sending a hundred thousand of their own men to try fighting in these deserts. And it will anger Arabs who don't want it fight. Plus if they send off people loyal to them (like how the Nazis sent off the local SS and fascist military organization from occupied places to fight on the Eastern Front) you end up with people loyal to you no longer being around to keep order or build support at their homes. Of course, as mentioned earlier on this page, Saudi oil wasn't anything too major at this point. I recall it was discovered by American companies, and read once that Arabs may have murdered some American diplomats in the area (though the source I read it in was a bit rightwingish, it isn't the sort of thing you can fake. They might have, though,). Getting Americans to come to the area would be helpful, if it wasn't so far away from American bases and supply lines. Especially since they were procuring most of the worlds oil themselves at that time. We would need a lot of atrocities to justify it tot he American public.

The Ikhwan might be the key here, since even though Ibn Saud with British help defeated their revolt, the relevant tribes were still around (although Ibn Saud confiscated a bunch of their property). So find these tribes, give them guns, horses, and camels, and use them to take the Nejd while other Arabs assist the British in securing Hejaz and the east coast. With any luck this revolt/invasion would get the Saudis back on the pro-Allied side when they realize how screwed they might be. If not, then it'll probably last a while and mainly be fought by Arab tribal militias in the interior.

Unfortunately, although some oil fields might end up in Qatari or Kuwaiti territory, much oil will still be under the rule of this state in the Nejd. Given the Ikhwan were ultra-Wahhabis, we've exchanged one group of tyrants for another. But they'll be smaller and poorer, so they can't oppress as many people and will be balanced by the other Gulf states.
 
Decided to make a scenario of this, based on some ideas I had. I'll post a map soon too.

I didn't do too much extra research into things I didn't already know, but basically we have the Nazis taking more of an interest in the Middle East and the activities of Fritz Grobba and others better funded. Their key message is the same as OTL--anti-colonialist rhetoric against the French and British and antisemitism. Some copies of Mein Kampf in Arabic find their way into the court of Ibn Saud and with the help of Grobba and others, some Saudi princes--including Prince Faisal--become increasingly pro-German. Ibn Saud, having some doubts about the British himself, decides to go along with his pro-German sons and grandsons, perhaps due to his increasingly poor mental health which clouds the mind of a brilliant man once described by European travelers as an Arabian Bismarck or Napoleon. Iraq is the main focus, since they had a larger, better trained army and a much more strategic position, with Saudi Arabia as a secondary partner. 20th century Arab history is not something I'm particularly knowledgable about compared to some members here, but I hope I've constructed something more or less entertaining and decently plausible if you want a "Saudi Arabia joins Axis" scenario.

Ibn Saud begins to condone tribal raids on Transjordan and Kuwait starting in late 1939, after the start of the war, leading to the rapid deterioration of relations between Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. In April 1941, the Golden Square coup in Iraq occurs, overthrowing the government of Regent Abdullah and leading to the installation of a pro-German government under Prime Minister Rashid Ali. Through the month of April, the Saudis procede to nationalise Allied interests, confiscate Allied property, and expel their envoys from the country. The Anglo-Iraqi War starts in May, but here the initial Iraqi attack is timed to occur with the largest tribal raids yet, combined with regular forces from Saudi Arabia's military and the arrival of some Luftwaffe squadrons and other German assets. On May 1, Iraqi forces shell RAF Habbaniya, damaging the airbase and some aircraft interfering with RAF operations in Iraq. On May 4, the Iraqis, with some German assistance, take Habbaniya, and soon even more Luftwaffe squadrons are flown in. Throughout May, fierce air battles occur in Iraq and Iran, as the refinery at Abadan is bombed by the Luftwaffe, while no decisive counterattack against Iraq can be assembled due to Saudi harassment of British supply lines as well as the need to protect Transjordan. Paratrooper experience gained by the Luftwaffe is used to great effect during their conquest of Malta in June, albeit at great cost to both the paratroopers and German air assets.

Saudi forces also attack the Trucial States of Abu Dhabi and Qatar in May seeking to gain control over disputed areas and reclaim lands. Kuwait is attacked in June, as Saudi Arabia looks to link up with the Iraqi forces besieging Basra, the main lifeline of British control in the area. They likewise help support the forces of the Imamate of Oman in revolting against the Sultanate of Oman to seek greater autonomy and overthrow any foreign influence in the region. Through the summer and well into the fall, British control in the Middle East is looking shakier and shakier. British forces are increasingly needed in both North Africa and in the Far East, as the Japanese threaten their key holdings there with their attacks on Thailand (and Thailand's subsequent defection to the Japanese side) and then Malaysia.

However, the Germans are unable to exploit the region for a decisive victory. German supplies have to travel a large distance to the front and the losses inflicted to the Luftwaffe are adding up. Further, Hitler is concerned that these supplies are needed more in the Balkans, and even moreso, for the top secret Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the USSR. Abadan has received additional protection and security, so the offensive against that key refinery is losing steam. The Arab armies are likewise thought of as asking for too much in terms of supplies and weapons they need to continue the fight. Iran, a potential ally, has been pushed into further neutrality thanks to the constant violations of their airspace in the conflict and most importantly, a number of British warships, aircraft, and soldiers that appear ready to pounce on the country if needed. And the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan in December led to war with the United States, and regionally, provoked Ibn Saud to nationalise Aramco and kidnap several Americans for ransom. Infuriated by this act, and with the press filled with lurid tales of Christians and Jews converted to Islam at gunpoint and the murder of missionaries (both true and exaggerated), the United States issued an ultimatum to both Saudi Arabia and Iraq, demanding compensation for the attacks against Americans and American interests (which had been occurring since 1939) as well as a demand to hold a peace conference with the British Empire to return to the status quo ante bellum. Both nations refused, and thus the United States joined the war against the Arab Axis [1], with Congress unanimously passing an official declaration of war on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Iraq in January 1942.

In winter of 1942, the Arab Axis is at their height, with the Trucial States, Kuwait, Qatar, and the majority of Transjordan conquered. Iraq and Saudi Arabia share the occupation of Kuwait, Transjordan, and Palestine, planning to divide the spoils at a later date. Attacks on Palestine are occurring, but fiercely opposed by the British, loyal Arabs, and Jewish militias. The initial gains in the south of Iraq have been reversed, with Basra only holding out thanks to the Royal Navy ensuring a clear supply route. In Kurdistan and North Iraq, the Arab Axis is slowly pushing back the Allied forces. Atrocities are common--several pograms have occurred against Jewish and Christian communities in the region, while captured soldiers are routinely mistreated if not outright murdered. The worst offenders are the tribal levies of the Saudis--with little discipline in their ranks and extreme fanaticism, they kill and loot at will, and have outright murdered hundreds of POWs, including Major General Bill Slim, captured during an attempted breakout from the Siege of Basra.

The global circumstances were changing by spring of 1942 however. The Germans recalled the majority of their forces from Iraq to the Western Desert for the attack on Egypt. British air superiority began to show for the first time, as the Arab armies began to melt back. Further, the British chose to move several more brigades to the theater, seeking to end the conflict as fast as possible. The British also secured the allegiance of the Imam of Yemen, Imam Yahya, in exchange for territories in southern Arabia. Yahya, fearful of Saudi attacks against the once disputed city of Hodeida, had been building up his military with British support and preparing for the worst the past several months. Yemeni forces invade Saudi Arabia in late April 1942, backed by the British.

The Arab Axis themselves began to suffer from internal disputes between both Saudi Arabia and Iraq, as well as inside each country. The Iraqis despised the Saudis as violent fanatics more concerned with imposing their ideology than strategic concerns, while the Saudis viewed the Iraqis as munafiqun and even polytheists. The Saudis alienated other allies as well, by not restraining raids against the Ibadis of the Imamate of Oman. Their relationship with the Germans, while excellent at the highest levels (although Ibn Saud, increasingly ill, is curiously absent from many meetings), is poor at the level of the tribal sheikhs, who view the Germans as a corrupting influence and little better than the British. Allied propaganda toward these sheikhs, as well as Arabs at large, focuses on Nazi hostility toward religion, promotion of secularism and atheism, their imperialist intentions toward the Middle East, and allegations of Nazism being linked to paganism. This propaganda, appealing to the many Arabs who had rejected fascism, causes great internal dissent in Iraq and Saudi Arabia as tribal levies begin to melt away and soldiers defect.

In April, British forces landed at Dubai, Muscat, and Hodeida, and with local assistance, pushed inland against the Saudis. Similarly, new offensives occured in the north against Saudi and Iraqi forces as the supplies from the Germans dry up and internal disputes sap morale at every level. Pushed back on every front, the Arab Axis goes for a scorched Earth campaign. The only bright spot is the successful use of tribal levies to slow down the Allied advance. Flooding in Iraq likewise hinders the advance of the British trapped in Basra, although they have already begun their breakout, while decisive victory cannot be achieved thanks to the need for additional forces in North Africa, considered a more important front.

Summer sees the Saudis reorient their forces to focusing on the Yemeni invasion, while pulling out of Oman entirely. A further blow to the Arab Axis comes in June 1942, as the Germans choose to end their support for the Arab Axis in favour of focusing further on the USSR in their 1942 offensives--only a token force of observers is left, and supply shipments almost entirely cease. The British forces expel the Arab Axis from Transjordan by the end of July 1942, although the territory falls into civil war between Arab nationalists (with their Wahhabist Allies) and more conservative pro-Hashemite factions. The decisive breakout from Basra occurs in August, as the Arab Axis is pushed back from the city. Attacks from Transjordan, Yemen, Oman, and Egypt strike the Arab Axis on all sides. Meanwhile, persuaded by the British and Soviets at the threat of invasion, Iran joins the Allies and invades Iraq in August 1942. American Lend-Lease aid pours into Yemen, Oman, and Iran helping to equip local forces and relieve strain on the pre-existing British supply lines.

The decisive moment for the defeat of the Arab Axis comes at the Battle of Fallujah in November 1942. Seeking to cross the Euphrates and take Baghdad, British forces battle a large number of Iraqis and Saudis, as well as the remnants of the German forces in the area. The remainder of German, Iraqi, and Saudi air power is thrown into the campaign. In the end, they are unable to prevent a crossing of the river, and tens of thousands of soldiers are captured. In December 1942, a battalion of US Marines lands at Dhahran in Saudi Arabia, the site of a massacre of American oil workers at the behest of the Saudis. The Marines secure much of the coast, the main oil producing area, and provide security to rebuild the oil wells to help supply local forces. They will not push inland due to logistical difficulties, but establish a working relation with Arab tribes in the area and beyond, beginning a period of internal conflict in Saudi Arabia.

1943 is the final defeat of the Arab Axis. January sees Yemeni forces enter Mecca, clearing out the Saudis and their allies--in one of the most famous pictures of the war, often seen accompanying descriptions of the Middle East theater, Yemeni forces raise the flag of the Arab Revolt on a building overlooking the Kaaba. Meanwhile, Afrika Korps being pushed back leads to more British forces pouring into Arabia and the Hejaz, accompanied by local tribal leaders and the Hashemites. In February, the Saudis are defeated at Medina, and the ousted regent of Iraq, Prince Abdullah, proclaims the restoration of the Kingdom of the Hejaz as its king. By the end of February, few Saudi forces are left in the Hejaz.

The loss of the holy cities of Islam cripples Saudi legitimacy, and leads to their final defeat. In March 1943, a revolt long in the making erupts in the Nejd--the heartland of the Saudis--under tribes associated with the historic Ikhwan Revolt in the late 20s, including the Otaibah, the Mutayr, and the Ajman, who had suffered reprisals from Ibn Saud for their participation in the revolt. Supported by British (and American) arms, they condemn the Saudis as munafiqun for the murder and theft from their ancestors while embarking on similar campaigns only a decade later, condemn their association with the atheists, polytheists, and idolators in Germany and Italy, and demand their removal. They create an army sometimes called the Second Ikhwan, which wages war against tribes still loyal to the Saudis. The majority of remaining Saudi soldiers revolt or defect over this, with the message of the Second Ikhwan appealing to them. The Trucial States (including Qatar), and Kuwait are liberated in this time, while the Imamate of Oman declares war on the Saudis.

In May, almost 2 years after the start of the war in the Middle East, Ibn Saud is assassinated by the Second Ikhwan, and Crown Prince Saud takes the throne. Upon suspecting his younger brother, former crown prince Faisal, is supporting the Allies, he has him killed along with several "disloyal" Saudi princes. To outsiders, this internal conflict in the House of Saud showed the decadence of their family. The Al ash-Sheikh, descendents of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, condemned the Saudis soon after, accusing them of numerous sins and demanding their abdication in favour of a proper Islamic ruler--Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Al ash-Sheikh led the condemnation of the Saudis. With the ulema turned against them, the defeat of the Saudis was near.

Meanwhile in Iraq, Baghdad was encircled on every side by Allied tribal forces, the British, and the Iranians. Rashid Ali surrendered on June 1, 1943, in exchange for allowing his supporters to go into exile. With Iraq lost and defeats mounting against the Axis globally, King Saud of Saudi Arabia ordered his forces to surrender on June 6, 1943 as Second Ikhwan forces approached Riyadh. Some Saudi fanatics would continue the fight in the deserts until early 1944, when those sheikhs were killed or captured and their forces dispersed.

The Allied occupation of Saudi Arabia was a mix of local, British, and American forces. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia persisted under King Faisal, who took control not long after the Saudi surrender. Faisal had briefly flirted with a pro-German stance, but in the end had abandoned it out of opposition to his brother and rival Saud. However, the Saudis had become associated with corruption and violence in the eyes of both the world at large and the Arab world. Faisal abdicated in 1946, ending the Saudi state in favour of the new Kingdom of the Nejd, under the leader of the Second Ikhwan [2] and his shura council of allied sheikhs. The Kingdom of the Nejd would be recognised as the successor state to Saudi Arabia, while recognising the independent of the Hejaz under Abdullah of the Hejaz, ceding the northern regions to the new loyalist regime of Iraq under the young Faisal II [3] as well as Transjordan under Abdullah I, and giving large swathes of territory to Kuwait, Qatar, Yemen, Abu Dhabi, and Oman. The gains of Ibn Saud over decades of skilled campaigns and shrewd diplomacy had been reversed overnight. These successor states engage in a purge of Saudi loyalists, destroying the majority of opposition as well as imprisoning or executing many of the perpetrators of war crimes, although some would end up rehabilitated and wind up in powerful positions in the successor states of Saudi Arabia.

In the end, the events in the Middle East would not change the course of the war much. Historians debate the severity of the effects of the attacks on Abadan as well as the number of soldiers being tied down in Iraq and whether they contributed to British failures in 1941 and 1942, or whether the German commitment to the campaign in the Middle East represented an overextension of German resources during their decisive showdown with the Soviet Union. When the war ended in April 1945, with Hitler's suicide, Allied forces meeting the Soviets at Fulda, and the overthrow of Hirohito and his militarists by a clique of Imperial princes and IJA/IJN leaders in the Kyujo Incident, the USSR came out on top to start the coming Cold War, with their "iron curtain" stretching from Trieste and the Tirol to Lübeck in the north [4].

[1] - A complete hodgepodge of Arab nationalists and traditionalist regimes united based on opposition to France and especially the United Kingdom and antisemitism. TTL, their leadership includes figures like Ibn Saud (and some of his family), Amin al-Hussein (Grand Mufti of Jerusalem), Rashid Ali, but they are unable to gain the support of the majority of Arabs and the Middle East which leads to deep divisions in those countries. If not for more pressing matters, it's doubtful their war would have lasted as long as it did.
[2] - I don't know who would be particularly plausible as a replacement for the Saudis in this circumstance--it could well be the Saudis, but maybe giving the leadership of the Nejd to another powerful tribe (like the Otaibah, Mutayr, etc.) might be plausible too.
[3] - The Iraqi military is so wrecked by the war and the "reconstruction" of Iraq so thorough that decolonisation is much simpler in Iraq and the Hashemites survive to this day, with the coups against them defeated.
[4] - I can't write a WWII scenario without a bit describing the outcome. Basically the Soviets do better due to butterflies, leading to a Bavarian Republic (including the Tirol/South Tirol) in a situation similar to Austria, an Austrian Socialist Republic (like East Germany), Trieste being joined to Yugoslavia, and a larger East Germany (including bits of Lower Saxony like Brunswick and the city of Lübeck). On the other hand, the American occupation in Japan allows for the Japanese under the young Emperor Akihito (installed by his uncles with his great uncle Naruhiko as Regent)--eventually the longest reigning monarch in history--to keep Chishima and Karafuto Prefecture due to concerns about the coming Cold War. Japan still lost Taiwan and their Pacific holdings, as well as Manchuria and Korea.
 
During World War II, Saudi Arabia was the largest source of crude oil in the world. It was strategically located next to Vichy France-controlled Syria, Axis-aligned Iraq and bordered four British territories-Palestine, Yemen, Kuwait and the Trucial States (what would eventually become the United Arab Emirates).

Hitler had a great interest in the Middle East, seeing the Arabs as powerful allies against England, France and on a more ideological basis, the Jews, going so far as to meet with Amin al-Husseini, arguably the most influential Arab to align himself with the Nazis in our timeline.

However, he also met on at least one occasion with Khalid al-Hud al-Gargani, special envoy of Ibn Saud, in which he detailed the reasons for the Nazis' warm feelings towards the Arabs, mostly talking about their shared hatred of the Jews.

In our timeline, Saudi Arabia would declare war on Nazi Germany in 1945.

But what if in a alternate timeline, in 1940-1941, Hitler, intent on exploiting the country for it's oil reserves and strategic location, successfully convinced Saudi Arabia's government to declare war on Britain, thereby creating a chain of Axis-aligned or dominated countries in the Middle East to conquer British territories in the Arabian peninsula, including Palestine?
One thing that might happen is sauds trying to go for Yemen again.
 
Would Iraq stay loyal and/or quiet? I am thinking... Nejd for Iraq, Hejaz for Jordan, Kuwait keeps their coastline tripled, etc. though without the coast it would be difficult getting to Nejd.
Why the dismemberment? It's a lot harder to justify redrawing international boundaries than simply replacing the government. I'd suggest that the easiest solution would be to keep the Kingdom as it is but replace the ruling house with the Hashemites. It would also be more in keeping with the British not wanting any one state to become too powerful in the region. 'Abd al-Ilah as the son of Ali bin Hussein–the last King of Hejaz–would have the strongest claim, and backing from his relatives in Jordan and Iraq. There is the slight problem of him being occupied in Iraq but that's not insurmountable. Alternatively if you want to break up the country somewhat resurrecting the Kingdom of Hejaz that also included Asir would be an easier sell in my opinion as it would at least be a recreation. Does anyone know if there were any suitable Rashidis still about that could be installed as a replacement? A Hashemite Kingdom of Hejaz and Rashidi Arabia has a certain appeal.
 
Why the dismemberment? It's a lot harder to justify redrawing international boundaries than simply replacing the government. I'd suggest that the easiest solution would be to keep the Kingdom as it is but replace the ruling house with the Hashemites. It would also be more in keeping with the British not wanting any one state to become too powerful in the region. 'Abd al-Ilah as the son of Ali bin Hussein–the last King of Hejaz–would have the strongest claim, and backing from his relatives in Jordan and Iraq. There is the slight problem of him being occupied in Iraq but that's not insurmountable. Alternatively if you want to break up the country somewhat resurrecting the Kingdom of Hejaz that also included Asir would be an easier sell in my opinion as it would at least be a recreation. Does anyone know if there were any suitable Rashidis still about that could be installed as a replacement? A Hashemite Kingdom of Hejaz and Rashidi Arabia has a certain appeal.
As they were putting the Hashemties in charge of Iraq and Jordan (forget if they planned it for Syria, or if it was just promised, with the French not going through with any part of their deal) I figured it would be related. I suppose a lot comes down to how supporting Iraq is to the Axis or Allies during the war. Am unsure on how well each individual king would manage things, so perhaps it would be better to give Jordan and Iraq expanded borders (they were in desert areas and, as shown with Winston's Hiccup and the two Neutral Zones the Saudis had with Iraq and Kuwait, there were more straight lines than a badly down stereotype map on the colonization of Africa). Nejd may not have the most useful anything, and the Saudis and their allies were used to living in the deserts, so I see that area being stressful for anyone. And yes, you were right, as I was thinking of only two Hashemites. There are probably loads more around. The King of Jordan would want to get a new throne or expand outwards, though. Unsure if it is the same guy, but during the first war with Israel there were many people in Syria and Jordan who thought he was thinking less of the Palestinians and people of Jordan than becoming King of Syria. Though to be fair, Syria was used to refer to Lebanon, Oalestine, Jordan, and modern Syria during Ottoman times.
 
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... forget if they planned it for Syria...
They did, but it's all a bit complex. This is going from memory but Faisal was proclaimed as King of Syria by the Arabs but clashed with the French and removed, Abdullah had been offered the throne of Iraq by the British but refused for reasons I forget - he later received Transjordan as a consolation prize, and Faisal was drafted in to rule Iraq after being overthrown in Syria. Musical thrones as it were.

In an ideal world the Kingdom of Hejaz would survive under Hussein and later Ali whilst absorbing Asir, Faisal accepts the throne of Syria with it being considered within the French sphere of influence, Abdullah still gets the hump and refuses Iraq eventually winding up with Transjordan, and Zeid receives Iraq under a regency until his majority. If the Saudis still cause trouble then they can either be replaced by the Rashidis, likely Britain's preferred solution, or the Kingdom annexed to Hejaz.
 
What could this all mean for Ethiopia?

Well, rather than be divided amongst themselves, they might actually unite against the Saud army. It'd be like a modern crusade of sorts. Heck, Hitler may give them preferntial treatment over Italy if namely because of the promise of all that sweet sweet oil.

Granted, by itself, Arabia would lsoe against Ethiopia, but Ethiopia would need British help if the German reinforced Arabia and in fact, the rest of their neighbors may help.

This may actually kickstart a "de-Arabization" movement in Africa, especially in Egypt and Morocco, since they'd frown extensivley on Arabia's actions and their racial views toward North Africa.
 
Ibn Saud begins to condone tribal raids on Transjordan and Kuwait starting in late 1939, after the start of the war, leading to the rapid deterioration of relations between Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom

In which Britain will almost certainly shuffle some spare troops to deal with

Through the month of April, the Saudis procede to nationalise Allied interests, confiscate Allied property, and expel their envoys from the country. The Anglo-Iraqi War starts in May, but here the initial Iraqi attack is timed to occur with the largest tribal raids yet, combined with regular forces from Saudi Arabia's military

Against what was OTL 1 ID and a couple of Brigades and it somehow doesn't get eviscerated, Because Britain doesn't bother sending a larger force in face of a hostile Suadi Arabia?

and the arrival of some Luftwaffe squadrons and other German assets.

Via what? There is no way you're getting enough aircraft to seriously challenge the RAF the German effort OTL was utterly shoestring and half-hearted.

On May 1, Iraqi forces shell RAF Habbaniya, damaging the airbase and some aircraft interfering with RAF operations in Iraq. On May 4, the Iraqis, with some German assistance, take Habbaniya, and soon even more Luftwaffe squadrons are flown in

Ah yes because committing LW aircraft to a logistically untenable position works wonders correct?

Throughout May, fierce air battles occur in Iraq and Iran, as the refinery at Abadan is bombed by the Luftwaffe, while no decisive counterattack against Iraq can be assembled due to Saudi harassment of British supply lines as well as the need to protect Transjordan. Paratrooper experience gained by the Luftwaffe is used to great effect during their conquest of Malta in June, albeit at great cost to both the paratroopers and German air assets.

Because Crete doesn't happen apparently? Because the Saudis somehow can interdict British shipping in the Persian Gulf and Britain presumably isn't guarding their supply lines? Because this somehow affects Malta?

Saudi forces also attack the Trucial States of Abu Dhabi and Qatar in May seeking to gain control over disputed areas and reclaim lands. Kuwait is attacked in June, as Saudi Arabia looks to link up with the Iraqi forces besieging Basra, the main lifeline of British control in the area. They likewise help support the forces of the Imamate of Oman in revolting against the Sultanate of Oman to seek greater autonomy and overthrow any foreign influence in the region. Through the summer and well into the fall, British control in the Middle East is looking shakier and shakier. British forces are increasingly needed in both North Africa and in the Far East, as the Japanese threaten their key holdings there with their attacks on Thailand (and Thailand's subsequent defection to the Japanese side) and then Malaysia.

Britain doesn't bother to do anything to reinforce this area because of reasons? Wonder how well tribal forces hold up against naval arty. So the dviersion of massive LW resources to Mesotompia doesn't affect Africa at all or the Med?

The rest of this reads like an utter Brit screw there is no way the intervention of a poor backwards, isolated nation affects the 2nd World War to a large degree
 

elkarlo

Banned
the oil was coming from Iran (as @Astrodragon pointed out) and Iraq, both governments were quickly replaced when it suited Allied side.

think there is some fertile ground for Nazi regime among Arab nationalists but Germany was allied with Italy, which had obvious colonial aims, and friendly with Turkey, which had claims on (at least) parts of Syria and Iraq? throw in Vichy French mandate over Syria?

not sure how Germany could navigate between all those competing interests without Bismarck? (the person, not the ship)
True, there would be some intellectual gymnastics there. Would be hard to appease all.

BUT if Bismark had the Bismarck , I think he could pull it off
 
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