Would no involvement in Africa allow the Reich to defeat the USSR?

Would no involvement in Africa allow the Reich to defeat the USSR?

  • Yes

    Votes: 2 3.8%
  • Maybe

    Votes: 7 13.2%
  • No

    Votes: 44 83.0%

  • Total voters
    53
If the Third Reich never got involved in North Africa would the resources freed up and made available for use on the Eastern Front been enough to allow them to defeat the USSR during Barbarossa in 1941 or during Case Blue in 1942?
 
No three divisions with mostly obsolete light tanks aren't going to make a difference. The Afrika Corps was a shoestring effort thrown together with what wasn't thought needed in Russia. Rommel got away it because, A. Churchill sent half the Western Desert Force to Greece in a Forlorn Hope. B. O Connor was unlucky and got caught going too close to the front and C. Rommel was very good.
 
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my understanding the shoestring effort would likely not affect the invasion of USSR, it was the later catastrophe Tunisgrad that affected operations there and the defense of conquered Europe?
 
On top of the points already made that the Afrika Corp aren't going to make much difference in terms of being added in to a Russian Campaign. It there's no Africa Corp it's likely Britain & Co beats Italy & Co in NA and NA becomes allied operating ground and that allows Britain and the allies some serous ways to mess with axis and occupied Southern Europe, likely effects Turkey being even more pro Allied than it was, and likely allows direct supply route to southern Russia with negative effects for that campaign (from a German perspective)
 
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On top of the points already made that the Afrika Corp aren't going to make much difference in terms of being added in to a Russian Campaign. It there's no Africa Corp it's likely Britain & Co beats Italy & Co in NA and NA becomes allied operating ground and that allows Britain and the allies some serous ways to mess with axis and occupied Southern Europe, likely effects Turkey being even more pro Allied than it was, and likely allows direct supply route to southern Russia with negative effects for that campaign (from a German perspective)

the NA campaign with no upside but great downside?

the BEST case for Axis would be if they could have fortified themselves in Libya, gained use of French Tunis port, and closed Med for transit without horrible (OTL) losses?
 
the NA campaign with no upside but great downside?

the BEST case for Axis would be if they could have fortified themselves in Libya, gained use of French Tunis port, and closed Med for transit without horrible (OTL) losses?

Well that's not bad,

A bigger Axis win in NA also means an Axis controlled Med and NA protects an Axis controlled south and east Europe (including weak links Italy, Romania. Hungary & Bulgaria), and makes some British - Commonwealth supply lines harder, as well as British / Far east Theatre lines harder
 
Leaving aside the combat units; The vehicles sent in 1941, the rail transport used to the Italian ports, are together not enough to make a difference logistically for Op BARARROSA.
 
IMHO even a larger force than the Afrika Korps and the associated logistic effort won't produce the kind of success BARBAROSSA needs by itself. The additional force and logistics effort would be nice, if the Germans plan more rationally. IMHO if the Germans take and hold Moscow before the winter sets in, then the calculus in Russia changes. If the Italians go on the defensive and fortify in Libya, they may be able to hold out until the winter of 41/42 and the changed circumstances in Russia could be key.
 
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