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POD: Change in Communist policy in early 1938
Results in stronger Soviets in this timeline (of the billions of potential timelines) some butterflies of this end up making Nazis stronger at time of invasion of USSR, avoids one sided stomp which is boring

1938 March Anchluss
1938 March End of Great Purge, Yezhov blamed for excess
1938 March Spanish Civil War - Aragon Offensive stalls out before the sea, change in Republican strategy away from wasteful offensives, to defensive and guriella
1938 July Failure of Evian Conference (USSR not invited) is followed by Soviet statement that they will take some Jews, raises public opinion for USSR outside antisemites
1938 October Czechoslovakia defies Munich conference, USSR and Republican Spain declare war on Germany and Hungary. Poland and Romania refuse troop transit. End of Jewish flow to USSR during the war. Italy (neutral) and Germany reduce aid to nationalist during the war
1938 December Ceasefire, after occupation of Czechoslovakia. Peace talks with Soviets will last for a while, included is how many refugees they'll take, ends up becoming Molotov Ribbentrop Pact. Fun fact: Republican Spain never signed a peace treaty until 2008
1939 February Nationalists reach the sea cutting Republican Spain in half, no ebro offensive, Republican's order to hold and wait for European war, hoping allies will stop appeasement
1939 July Cominterm meet to lay out communist strategy for future, some changes internally and in USSR after great Purge
1939 August USSR Japan treaty, secret elements refer to division of China, requires Japan never to ally with Germany
1939 September Poland, backed by Romania, but not as strongly backed by Allies (because Hitler didn't break any treaty) refuses Danzig. Poland still refused to consider any alliance with USSR, sabotaging talks between allies and USSR.
1939 September Hungary joins the war with Poland and Romania because of their claims when it seems that allies won't join
1939 September After ten days of dithering, ultimatums and Hitler playing the allies France and the UK declare war.
1939 French troops and citizens begin pouring into Republican Spain
1939 September Soviet troops move into Poland and Romania ostensibly to protect the place from fascists. The nonaggression pact with Germany stipulates no aggression between the two, including attacking territory occupied by the other.
1939 October Late in the month Budapest and Warsaw fall, the German army having swept across Poland and down through Hungary into Transylvania
Soviets occupy Moldovia, and the mouth of the Danube, giving some territory to Bulgaria. Soviets begin fortifying their side of mountain passes.
Iron Legion Wallachia becomes Nazi puppet with troops at the oil Wells. Romanian King flees to Switzerland with gold
Everything within the Carpathian goes to Hungary.
1939 December Portugal, encouraged by the UK, declares war on nationalist Spain, seeing their imminent collapse and wanting to take advantage. Occupies Canaries and begins invading Galacia.
1940 March/April Three way invasion of Scandinavia as allies, led by a more confident French, seek to cut off Swedish ore, because allies start invasion they look bad and attacking Sweden brings Sweden into axis. Soviets occupy Finland, Nazis occupy Sweden, Norway, Denmark. Allies occupy Greenland, Iceland and Faroe Islands
1940 May Fall of Low Countries
1940 June Nationalist Spain pushed back to only the south, holding Granada and Africa
1940 June Fall of France, no halt order at Dunkirk, British completely captured.
1940 June Because of diversion in Iberia Hitler decides against sea lion much quicker, freeing up troops. This allows him ability to do something else he always wanted. Smaller Battle of Britain continues, with less commitment from both as they also fight over Iberia
1940 July Nazi invasion of Switzerland with Italy who really try to perform better after their terrible showing in France.
1940 August Nazi Panzers link with Franco territory in Spain
1940 November Last Allied presence expelled from Iberia as Portugal falls, Nazis occupy Portugal and Catalonia and Basque.
1940 November Italians still do shit in North Africa and decide to invade Greece to show their not incompetent. This shows their incompetence.
1941 March Axis invasion of Yugoslavia, Bulgaria joins Axis
1941 April Greece falls with less losses because less British troops because med is more axis because of Gibraltar falling, this means there are no more independent countries in Europe apart from Ireland. Ireland, UK, Soviets and Axis covers all European territory
1941 April Iraq revolt
1941 April Turkey joins Axis, scared of soviet occupation at mouth of Danube, and also axis domination of med
1941 May Axis troops reinforce Iraq and North Africa
1941 May Axis founds European New Order a response to Soviet congresses. Turkey and Iraq not invited. The new order results in what becomes known as the shuffle West as most countries move their centre of mass west. Massive population movements are planned but only small ones carried out because of the war.
Before Barbarossa situation looks like this:
Germany - annexed Belgium, Netherlands, French Flanders, Czechia, and parts of Alsace. German Switzerland. Also annexed parts of Denmark and Poland. Germany theoretically annexed Dutch East Indies and East Timor.
Italy - Italian Switzerland, Corsica, Baleric Islands, parts of France, Malta, Tunis, French Somalialand
France - joining axis, gain Catalonia and Basque land, French Switzerland, Andorra, gains Belgian and Spanish Congo and Portuguese colonies
Spain - annexes Portugal including Islands and French morroco
Northern Germanic Union - Hitler's brain child, contains Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Mainly operates from Stockholm as Sweden only one to join the axis and not be occupied. The three Kings of Scandinavia form a triumvirate, laws can be signed by two of the three to he legal, but still a democracy underneath them, significant regional autonomy, but one army and foreign policy and currency.
Hungary - restored to old size, including Slovakia
Yugoslavia and Greece remain under occupation zones with puppet states, but not final. Some areas are given out but disputes between Turkey, Greece, Italy and Germany mean that they decide to deal with the Balkan issue after the conclusion of the war, everyone but Hitler thinks that means when Britain surrenders
All other countries have no more occupation zones, European New Order collaborate on building an Atlantic wall so troops from all countries are along the Atlantic territory of Germany, France and Spain.
Mediterranean is almost axis lake and axis are pushing towards suez from North and south, elsewhere most colonies conquered by UK

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