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?
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?