Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • What If Book of Alternative History WWII Ed1 2024 Freemagazines Top

    Uploaded by

    AntheaLouloudi
    64 views132 pages
    book

    Original Title

    What_If__Book_of_Alternative_History_WWII_Ed1_2024_freemagazines_top

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Report this Document
    book

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    64 views132 pages

    What If Book of Alternative History WWII Ed1 2024 Freemagazines Top

    Uploaded by

    AntheaLouloudi
    book

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 132
    iret i Edition Digital had dAdaAdadadaddaddAdddsaddadaaa. Welcome to What if... - Book of =~ Alternative History: WWII ‘Sx years of fighting mote than SO milion dead, spanning thee continents and two ofthe words gest oeans, and up to 7O nations ivolved - Wr Wart wasthe biggest and bloodiest conflict the weed has ever seen, Weall knowhow things tured out in the end but have yu ever stopped think about what might have been fey battles, decisions ar events hadtaken a ferent couse? In this special Wed War Ieition of What if. Book of Alternative History we speak to experts to try to uncover how events may hve unfoldedf some ofthese key moments had turned out differerty Covering everything from the run-up tothe war to key battles, strategic ‘ecisions andthe post. ar allot read onto find out hor the world would have looked the Ales hadlost r Stain had continued west after Belin ‘what would have becom of iter had he nt committed suicide, and howa “Tapanese victory at Miday would have impacted the wari the Pacific We also explore what might have happened if Churchills Operation Unthinkable had become a reality the impact an Allied failure on D-Day might have had on the outcome ofthe war and what might havebeen or Great Btain had Hitler gone ahead with hisinvasion plans aswell as what might have happened if ‘the lies had’ cracked the Enigma code othe Nazishad developed the stom bomb ist. Turn the page to explore these fascinating ard frightening WWitathistory scenarios and many mexe. Sg amor preterit Bg css cies A Ee ee Drier tacts Se aca rT captured Malta? AE le ame pv oy Presses ated the Atlantic? Ee ae eens cracked the Enigma code? Se ames Rey Moscow in 1941? eae enc Pieire Sao Bee Dg ae Un Braces Dre am ob won in North Africa? ‘What if... Stalingrad had inane a cvacd What if... Russia Se Ebr’ Rec ceu nes Ss ac pei SLES meee recs BUN CU LS Bitte te THE ALLIES HAD LOST THE WAR? Imagine if Hitler succeeded with his dream of turning Europe into a single Nazi superpower. i940 etn and Faceted mise Asuvvng eprint oan What would hae been He's 2nd Men |i andrea attbehandsot _Uanbenbe.o UarlanSonb forthe Japansmext move? cia tieteek ey evecmiar eogcmesinas inhcierane Mietapstesat FI 1944, withthe Allied forces boosted by device with a phtonkim core. victory in Europe would have been the tetSanlaternaions DDgwa” —“Taeetusbeenmact dees! etn ary fe eat Sort teaigalthebuginnngsttheend ee howelowe German phyestswereto Bases Ang With nono Tier turevenscouihavebeenvey makingan tomtom isd hat_ abou eed Jesh compan flr Son comapereicoeas Gemchgsaarwmarr hist sar enetiaen sensapede et A wevisnve heed vist toops hearts ners evelgpmet, splat wi Opertn Bea and armour to reinforce and repel the ‘Less certain is whether this was due Barbarossa, his invasion of the Soviet PASE Serorcy uncngstaicrnayare toluxcfeonpeneyen ie petet_ Union nJune de eel Europe eral decided to pursue the development, and German physicists or whether it involved —_and its thousands of years of civilisation tseel ny ralewiveshclsorcver” ennai cls kepanucar woul hav lund ts en Depending on ‘atmicboni The rsot hovonds deve ut itrs ha Ate te postr Geman len wi tah Walicdtwepsmy nevehae pat wer Were Heberbe dined ohave Inne Us Her ay heeled he Shebesche Winters Maserot nennaly sigh owoa the ime adnan naa fo nope whe Would hapen tex?" deopent of Geran aca capacty sh he al mya en need Sumgamecingwihiiver Tan bybahads fe woulghave any BSERRIAN was coud have happened wanttheFuheogesoinesed hat evene snght elimina he Sve ERA ditcrentiy inorder tobring about an he would order great efforts immediately Union asa political or military threat and ‘ied detest Sasketecrnctanic ices” extn, oemmmhn 9&1 esear Following the German defeats at El Alamein in late 1942, Stalingrad in early 1943, and the Allied landings at Normandy in June 1944, the most Credible scenario fora Hitler victory ‘would have been a nuclear device similar to the atomic bomb dropped by the Americans on Hiroshima. Strategically, the most probable target for Hitler would have been Moscow or a major East Coast city inthe United States. By then, Hitler possessed the long- range capacity to deliver such a bomb as far as New Yotk City He had three prototypes ofan enhanced Messerschmitt, ‘Me 264 that had been developed 3s Pod part ofan Amerkaborber pose : Fhedivcpepe | ‘There was also a twostage V2 rocket croatia evelopment tha cou ve esertily “aeaniingen ds Stnrschrfang in KE ‘Gonmun Mar Sute functioned as an intercontinental ballistic Dy ae THEALLES HAD LOST THE WAR? What if. ae et Tae Ba a Hy : eacteeion ) Sas) THE ALLIES HAD LOST THE WAR? ‘As for Japan? It's fatto say that (Germany and Japan were uneasy allies at best It vas an axis of evil unlikely to endure Hitler faulted Japan for not ‘opening afront against the Soviet Union in the Far Bast, which would have forced Moscow int a two front war and relieved pressure on Germany’s Eastern Front. There would ultimately have ‘been territorial disputes between the tw countries, as evidenced at a Yalta style conference in July 1942, at which plans were discussed for dividing the Postwar world between the German and Japanese empires. When the Japanese ‘proposed a demarcation line along the 70th longitude, basicaly ceding most of the Indian subeontinent to Japan, the (Germans balked, ‘German and Japanese ambitions would have competed, and inevitably collided Let antecedent serve a8 evidence. The Ribbentop Molotov Pact provided forthe joint German-Soviet invasion of Poland In August 1939, In less than two yeas, GGermany was at war with Russi, the Allies had lost, how different ‘would Europe have looked, both ‘geographically and politically? ‘A major campaign promise of Hitler's ding his ise to power was the dismantling ofthe terms ofthe Treaty of Versailles. Germany would have been restored tits pre-Versailes borders, ‘with adaitionaltermtories annexed in Eastern Europe for further expansion and settlement by ethnic Germans to meet Hitler's policy goal of more Lebensraum, cor living space forthe German pecple Most counties in Western Europe would have continued to function exactly as they did when under Naz occupation, ‘with puppet governments subservient to the dictates ofthe Reich However, ‘much of Easter Burope would have been transformed into administrative reions, fon the model of Poland, which ceased to exist asa country and was ruled as ‘General Government ‘Germany would have come to occupy the territorial boundaries framed in ‘the I9th-century nationalistic anther, ‘Deutschland, Deutschland aber ale along with additional annexed lands ‘This would mean tha the reconstituted German Reich would have dwarfed every other country on the continent, How would different ethnic and religious groups have been affected? Inthe novel Fatherland, Robert Haris provides a chillingly credible account ofthe fate ofthe Jewish population in 'Burope if Hitler had triumphed in World ‘War I. The Holocaust would have been ‘competed. The physical evidence would have been eradicated. The memory woud have been erased from human memery. A similar fate would have befallen the Roma communities across Europe. There ‘may have been a degree of demographic engineering though eugenics programmes, as with the Lebensborn chilren who were bred as pure Aryans, but forthe most part the populations of Western European countries would not have changed significantly In contrast. the Slavic peoples of Eastern Europe, ‘whom Hite classified as Untermenschen, formembers ofan inferior race, would have been subjugated to serve the German master Religious groups, especially Roman Catholics, would have come under Increasing persecution. Hitler fl that religion provided an important moral support fr many people in times of travail and peril Hitler himself was Catholic but fully intended to leave the (Church in a public manner after the war This act was fo have symbolic value forthe world” Hitler’ private secretary, (Christa Schréder, recalls ir telling her. "For Germany it was intended to represen the end of an historical epoch and fo the Thitd Reich the beginning of What kind of concessions could the Allies have tried to negotiate when faced with defeat? As show in my new book, TAKEOVER: Hitlers Final Rise to Power, Hitler was a scorehed-earth politcal leader, With ructear capacity, he would have accepted nothing short of unconditional surrender from the Alles. And his terms would have ben brutal. His policies inthe East would hhave reflected those thatthe Morgenthau lan proposed for Germany - region stripped of industrial capacity and real politcal autonomy, with a people who were reduced to basic agrarian life at a subsistence level existence. As has already been mentioned, if there had been a negotiated end to the war, Hitler could have appealed tothe British ~and possibly the Americans -to Join ores forthe purpose of confronting and driving back the Red Asmy forces fom central Europe It was an idea that was embraced and advocated by General Patton, who had great respect for German military capacities. Hitler would certainly have welcomed the opportunity to cooperate withthe [sh as an imperial power and colonial ruler He saw the British Empire as a ‘model fr the exercise of colonial power, especially in the brutality with which it suppressed insurrections and exploited the natural resources and physical labour of colonialised peoples. Beyond reclaiming former German colonies in [Africa which were lost after World War 1. Hitler could have sought to negotiate the expansion ofthe German colonial presence by annexing holdings of other European colonial powers, especially when it came tothe regions that were rich in resources ow would the global balance of power and relationship and reputation of the Alles be changed Ind do you think that World War ‘rould'nave been inevitable? Inteeplng wih that gcd very : history iswrten by the vcor-the Wb da te reputations and legacies ofthe individual Sst ger Allied nations would be dependent on their relationship tothe German Reich And Hitlers personal procivties and ‘whims. The Soviet Union would be 3 ravaged and brutalised rump state most likely relegated to lands beyond the Urals. The Free France’ of Charles de ‘Gaulle would vanish in oblivion with the fascist French state of Marshal Petain representing the French. The United States would have been held singuatly responsible for driving the Europeans into war with one another. Wold War I ‘would then come tobe remembered as Roosevelt's war. (Great Britain may well have fared better. As already mentioned, Hitler saw the British nation asa natural ally and the British Empire as a model for ‘world domination. It is easy to imagine parsing and parcelling of coli holdings and their respective resources among these two global powers ‘As fr a third world war Tfanything. there would most likely be a German civil ‘war that would result fom a succession for power following Hitlers eventual death, possibly a battle between Waffen: ‘S$ divisions and Wehrmacht regulars, in a strugze fr power between competing Political and military interests. ler ‘nurtured no real successor Indeed, he fostered rivalries and competition among, his top lieutenants, and alienated much ‘ofthe professional military. The fissures ‘became evident inthe final days before Hite’ suicide in April 1945, when senior Hitler lieutenant, most prominently Hermann Goring and Heinrich Himmler, scrambled about trying to secure a Successor role even as the Third Reich was collapsing in ruin, ey ee Uy THENAZIS HAD NEVER GAINED POWER? During the interwar years, Germany faced numerous crises but it was defined by progressive leadership and Hitler's rise was not guaranteed ow was Germany ru after Kaser TTT whet was overthrown’? Inthe lst eet off Wa Ta fovelr even Dagar wih als Ielbe prt Kat andi oad indus ees then hou he County, Toughout the winter of 18a fevokon nfs in Genany ane al Teoktons twas ery contested, On he ‘eal end were waters wo eased PRGA vente councls sets nthe faceres PARR ts spread even o artic rains in thea anal tough the county. ey were demanding ind of rea domosney Na el Bahevic Communi, bt sae ie tye tech wether woulda eat have ince oe the conor Bt te mre Inert scl who were dea Il of ashovk choo’ they eed itimved quik esaliha Patiomenary decry. he Socal Democrat Party the same party hat we have toy in Germany in allance with he bel {German erat Fry athe Ct Cente Pry formed the Weimar Galton. Tht cali preva tthe ‘lection of ant ae then they tempaneled a cnstonal convention, ‘ch pone comme, that net In Wer because ofthe cul var ang Inti They data constuton tr oummer 0 ron ta ss the Waimar Repu was created. Tis sted Ui 30 January 933 when er was mamed ane nthe vat ofthe 81 What was if Ike in 920s Berlin? Geman Rel. There was most defintely alot going on. power was both tumultuous and eis ridden, but atthe same time, it was one ofthe most creative eras ofthe 20th century. Perhaps there isa elationship betwen the two we can never prove it~ but the fragility ofthe political order, I think, contributed to the kindof artistic ferment thats stil with us today. Particularly in the cites ~ Brin ofcourse was the centre there was Vital artistic experimentation going on. Here we have the creation of artistic ‘modernism: expressionism in panting and theatre: very creative film, the new popular medium ofthe 1920s: radio, also, Matin Heidegger’ Being and Tine, ‘Thomas Mann's Magie Mountain, Beto Brecht and Kurt Weills The Threepenny (Opera all ofthese incredibly innovative and creative works emerged inthe [Weimar Republic, ‘There was lively cabaret soene, azn in the cities, a very lively public life with people out in the sets. They were having very open discussions about sexuality 1 sometimes laugh to myself when people in the United States say discussing sexuality is so new, when Germans were having them inthe 1920s. So it was very socally progressive? (Quite vibrantly so! There were discussions about homosexuality and pressures toreform Germany’ highly restrictive abortion aw: They also set up public Dal clink that offered counselling about sex The Weimar constitution was probably the most democratic constcution anywhere inthe word in the 1920, Proportional representation, which ‘imately contributed tothe paralysis ofthe political system, was far more ‘democratic than the American system of \winnertakesall The security services sometimes responded brutally to public demonstrations, but in general there was a lively fee press and freedom of assembly. “ewish life also Noursbed - another sign of openness. There was sil prejudice and What if... THENAZIS HAD NEVER GAINED POWER? R areas lke the Officer Corps were closed off to Jews, Butt was possible for Jews to get "university professorships Hoow did right-wing groups such as the Nazi Party gain ground? Inthe eanly 1920s, you have Iiterally hundreds of extreme right-wing organisations. Many of ther were very small an local but troublesome. ‘These rightwing groups were by and large demobiised soldiers, let go under the armistice conditions and the final Verses Peace Treaty. ‘These demobilised soldiers were aghast atthe prevalence of socialists and communists in public spaces and leading government - 38 well a Jews in highevel positions. in 199 the Jewish socal democratic chancellor of Bavaria, Kart Eisner, was assassinated, In 1922 the Jewish banker and intellectual foreign ‘minister Walter Rathenas was killed. So there wasa lot of rightwing terorism soing on, carried out by these small sr0ups. The Nazis eventually unified these fr0ups under the Nazi Party that was ‘ne oftheir first accomplishments In 1923, ‘when hyperinflation completly disrupted ‘economic and socal life, these night wing sroups grew in size and the Nazis made their fist attempt to seize power fin the failed Munich Beer Hall Puts So after the hyperinflation in 1923, was the Nazi Party srise inevitable? ‘Actually, between 192429, the so-called ‘golden years ofthe Weimar Republic there was a move back to the political ‘centr. You se tin the elections of 1928 ‘when both the extreme right and extreme left lose significant support. The Nazis in 1928 area small party, they're a police problem, bu they're not really a politcal ‘heat. Hite has been banned from speaking in many ofthe German states, ‘They're really nowhere until 1929 when the Great Depression hits and that then ‘ives wind -T mean a thunderstorm, a Tnuecane force of wind - to the Nal sll But even inthe 1930 elections, the Nazis ‘got staughtered with only 18 per cent ‘ofthe vote It wasa shock, The highest vot they would get in popula election vas 374 per cent in July 192. Now that's a lage chunk tobe sue, bu its not a majority and that’s significant because they never had a majoty. You know, ‘before the Third Reich, they never hada ‘majority of popular suppor. the Nazis were polling so badly, how did Hitler become Chancellor of Germany in 1933? ‘There is popular understanding that the German peopl le iter into power, bu that's absolutely wrong. So all hrough 1922 whilst the economy keeps falling the political system has ‘completely fragmented. Thee are three major election in the course of 193, two parliamentary elections and one presidental election. The biggest electoral tumout the Nazi Party gets s 374 per ‘ent. n November 1932 they lse again and this time are down to 32 pr ent. “There i discontent within the Nazi Party about Hitler's leadership, and think its HOW WOULD IT BE DIFFERENT? REAL TIMELINE me reat Depression Falenton Amero ons @ Role coe ALTERNATE TIMELINE iter apotntd chest Frond nba sarone rato erry The apart Tech eases loan Desiefag wt ste enn 2 er given new powers ‘Srl Na esto wth sarcomas. er te tenses eset y J ossbleto magne the asst of ‘But when the Great Depression comes, the party, iehit Germany o fast andi affects them. However, inthe end, in January 1933 more than any other place tthe same group of alpha men, bankers, army time, the Social Democrats were exhausted olficers, high public servants including and the politcal system fragments and, 'y Franz Von Papen, Kurt Von Schleicher ‘becomes essentally unworkable. Even and the presidents own son, Oskar von before the Nazis selze power. the president Hindenburg prevail upon Hindenburg to signed emergency orders to issue budgets, name Hitler chancellor So in the very end to pursue his deflationary plicy that only its small group of powerful men around worsened the ecanony. feta eee \ ieee 9) Why did these figures want to T think World War II was inevitable f help Hitler? ‘when the Nazis came to power, but I 1 Their motives were to destroy the dont think it would have been with a republic and replace with some kind of conservative group in power. It would have conservative authoritarian system and to stilbeena nasty military dictatorship ‘overthrow the Versailles Peace Treaty so probably, but they would have been far ‘that Germany could become a geat power more cautious. We know that because again. Basically you have a coalition of the conservatives thought Hitler was too {interests between older more traditional radical with his moves into the Rhineland conservatives andthe Nazis.Each side in 1996, and Czechoslovakia in 1938 ~ ‘susing the other, but the conservatives theyre much more cautious and don't find that they cannot actually contain the support those measures, Nazis, Nota al 1 the Nazis had dissolved or epics vant Hindenburg had maintained his mie ed ‘opposition to Hitler, could the Welmar soi hae Republic have survived? anove ‘The optimise eesrent wo be inane thatthe Weimar craton partes weld une teatly win ore ppt pore Sete ould come back tthe cent ard ou tor ‘ould havea viable socal demcrate Fran alamentary goverment a we were Caan fetingin Sweden in the sume period in cra gous fe 19908 io uate uremburstowe Becca te Sachemidopens 9 Kentaach poem ar seen totes Tiromareeey 7 Rhos Semone” —Ylegheatcinanak Bowne insist LTEnGewst, |Menreaeressian | wrerts20000 | sebucead eee ena’ | ragtlon ee Ramee, [oat eer kes, [mee aca aa Tictbiestaa! — |Saleotseyee | seme | tiaprer”™” | tebeiancts’ors ve" | tn bad Heemrewecme | Dniguetcrne | Sancta Morin — |SvmeChtatttry | urstactet Ss ohne cenvenscrser™ | eayafwatis | menses Starcom, | hacer Solonetane Signs | Faron whamar Stowe’ iss Eom mo eichatg Fre Election vitory——& Author uttary aictatorhip, _bnenegatateVerzalles peace for our time? Wirenvondertbtes — °wnwicapeedere, —° democracy occsngtesenvece" WhiePape woslzret Were rane tages whew Cormunttcingand -Witamanditetogomen, pmerarenyentinenber rakstingaehe —Faalow Goran ‘wr te feta ‘ceetom meri) ‘apa pe {58 Foren ets Srosiswrenberte _ foannexerehonoaes btldrePepenseceson Spores Poe aoece land Freer eho Initaytotece ean fet er Pen hsoroerunty areing —ComePutymssts—ftapserensnasto —«onbeccurearsyp — Indfancebeck tothe descaling he comet pretation Simibeconetton apa ‘opiate ‘rir le Srrobranry 1933 Siareh 933 bi argos 134 ie oe B 4 TS fa onfenc. ow an ve eat sch LORD HALIFAX BECAME PRIME MINISTER? Often named as one of the ‘architects of appeasement’, what could his premiership have meant for Britain's role in World War II? minister, Winston Churchills wartime premiership is legendary and he himself has become an almost mythical figure. tt may come as some surprise, then, that Churchill was not the frst choice to be Neville Chambedains stuoessor when he resigned in May 1940. ‘The favourite was Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, more commonly known as Lord Halifax. Wood was a key figure ‘uring the late 1930s a Britain geared ‘up for war with Nazi Germany. Often considered one of the architets of, appeasement, this has made historians ‘Wonder as to oehat could have happened hha i been Halifax in 10 Downing Street and not the British Bulldog himeel, (Churchill Here, historian Joe Maiolo discusses Halifax’ role in appeasement as well as what his premiership could have looked like a any other Brsh prime Who was Lord Halifax? The title ‘Lor’ sa giveaway. He came fom an aristocratic English family with a Jong history of public service. He ‘was educated at Oxford and perhaps should never have left Hes an intensely cerebral character and could have been an Oxford don, but instead became a Conservative MP and was elected for the first time in 1910, During World ‘War Ihe served in France. That sums up his background but when you get ‘down to who Lord Halifax was, the ‘photographs of im rally capture the character. He was avery tall slender ‘man with a large head, This is a picture fof man who puts his rationality before his emotions ‘Can you briefly explain the notion ‘of appeasement? ‘Appeasement now is commonly used Pejratvely to describe a foreign policy of surrendering to threats. Noone wants tobe an appesser, nobody wants tobe [Neville Chamberlain, everybody wants tobe Winston Churchil. Lord Halifax s usually associated with Chamberain 35. one ofthe architects of appeasement in the 1930s, At the time al the word really ‘meant was to pacify a dificult political situation -a wish to appease Europe, to ‘ring about peace ater WWI, Now what appeasement meant for Chamberlain and Halifax was a sategy of diplomacy land deterrence. In 1934 a very important British defence committee identified (Germany as Britains ultimate potential ‘enemy, and pt five year timeline for armament tobe ready for war. Tere ‘was no misapprebensian tht thre might bea warin Europe and that Germany _might be the principal enemy. Inthe 1930s the question fr British officals ‘vas, how to deter Germany? Chamberlin, ‘hen he was chancellor ofthe exchequer inthe early 1930s, poured money nto the Royal Ait Force to threaten Germany. This deterrent was meant to force Germany to the negotiating table. Appeasement ‘ulimately filed because Adolf Hitler ‘ould not be deterred, but was a strategy nonetheless. What if... LORD HALIFAX BECAME PRIME MINISTER? ‘What exactly was Halifax's THE ) Na role in appeasement and (Chamberlain's government? ‘When historians look at appeasement and atthe role of Halifax, they tend to see the relationship with Germany in isolation ary ‘and notin connection to his time 3s vvceroy of India, After World War I. the legitimacy of empire was in question. In Pe India, there was 3 movement for india to cet ‘become a sovereign nation. Halifax met that challenge to British rule politically Eee And he was praised for his negotiation peri’ ‘with [Indian independence campaigner] ROEM | Gandhi. Halifax understood that there wer forces pling apart the British eee Empire in every ditection a that PMP 20 10 be defended though diplomacy. In the late 1930s Halfax was in Chamberans government a foreign 1925-29 secretary, His vis to Germany in November 197 was an attempt 0 discover what the Nars wanted, Did Pea E Ty Hier want to make Germany another A co of ia iis deve seat Buropean power again? Or did he sprees ‘want domination and the mastery ofall Europe? At the time that as an open Sct MMAMAN cucstion. Halifax listened to German SEROMA rcertes, those who told him that ll PRISMS they vanced was for Germany tobe RRM aREI European great power again. Halifax eny staxinosesty shinee! I RM ARNMIMOAME Germany ino the Burpean sates PHM syst. Dut ater the September 1938 PRCMUMRENMI Coechosovakia cil, semething changed fundamentally nthe relationship ‘between Halifax and Chamberlain. Halifax effectively sac No mee Munichs forme in other words, he agreed that appeasement as strategy made sense there was also something, unseemly about the Baitsh prime minister fying to Germany to negotiate the carve up of Crechosiovakia ith Hit, For someone who hada deep sense ofthe power ofthe Bish Empl. Pea Ra this was too much. After November 1938 Halifax's version of appeasement emphasised deterrence over negotiation What was Halifax's view on a potential war with Germany and his roe in the Phoney War? Britain and France declared war on Germany in September 1938, Up until the spring of 1940 you get a period of relative military inaction called ‘the honey War. Some have argued that the Phoney Wat was a continuation of appeasement. that Britain and France ‘id ite fighting because they wanted 2 peace deal with Hitler. don think that's right. If elements inside Germany had toppled Hitler ii possible that, CChambedain and Halifax might have ‘made a deal with anew government, but what that would ave meant for Poland is dificult to imagine. However, the key points thatthe Phoney War ‘wasn'ta continuation of appeasement The French and British believed that they could defeat Germany in along war For France the campaign in May-June 1940 turned out tobe very brie. Bt that German vitory didn't change the fundamentals, You can knock France fut of the war, but the Soviet Union, the Brtish Empire, and parts ofthe French "Empire continued to fight on. The United States was arming and would support Britain, What was Halifax's view ofthe war To win lt but to win i without destroying the Bish Empire n the end ‘that proved impossible, How likely sit that Halifax could hhave become prime minister instead of Churchil? ‘Was t plausible that Halifax could have been prime minister Absolutely. On the Tabouir benches there were some who wanted him to be prime minister be seemed to be someone who could work within the apparatus ofthe state. He also \wasnt an overpowering personality, The {two big political personalities of this era ‘were Chamberlain, who was generally isliked for his arrogance, and Church, who was alargerthanlife character who also often outraged his colleagues. As ‘prime minister, Halifax would have been a compromise between those two overpowering figures. He was regarded as extremely competent and even-tempered ‘Bur even though he had his supporters he didnt want o be prime minister, he knew this was nota roe for him. He knew his limitations and ths kind of soul searching was a pattem in his political life He had been very reluctant tobecome viceroy of India and he wasn't certain about becoming foreign secretary. He knew his limits. He knew he was not the right person to become a wartime rime minister Had Halifax been prime minister ‘would he have tried to negotiate peace in May 19407 [Lets suppose for a moment that Halifax was somehow convinced to become anove rime minister in 1940, and events sont, unfold as they did: a catastrophic defeat {in France in May 1940. The German anmies breakthrough the Ardennes, t's & military, political and diplomatic cri, ‘What woul Halifax have done? Probably nothing very different fom what the Bash government in fat did do 1 think as prime minister Halfax would have been a bit more sensitive tothe threat of zir power and the threat of bombing. He ‘may have investigated some diplomatic alternatives more thoroughly in abinet discussions, like supporting the French {te seek negotiations with Germany, but ‘the war machine was in full swing, The British Empire was mobilising for total wat. The war was becoming global and Britain could mobilise the power to win it ‘Lord Halifax, the former viceroy of India, ‘understood that, Avoiding the war. what sort of policies would Halifax have tried to implement internally? 1 think they would have been within the ‘norms ofthe Conservative Party ofthe 1920s, Perhaps also a return to fee trad, the breakdown of imperial preferences which had been introduced during the Great Depression. But this question takes us back to why Halifax didn't want to be ‘rime minister I chink he fel out of place Inthe mi.20th century -he belonged to an ealier time, 219th century word of empire aristocracy and socal deference. After the war, Chuteill invited him to join his shadow cabinet, bu Halifax tumed him down and retired from party politics. Halifax always hada good Sense (of is imitations and knew he was out of step with the polite of post war Buta ‘Compared to Churchill, do you personally think he would have ‘made a good prime minister? [think a question thats worth asking i from November 1937 to September 1939, ‘would Halifax have been a beste prime minister than Chamberlain? I think yes. (Chamberlain thinks that he can salve every problem. including impending wat In Europe ls arogance is what annoyed his colleagues. Halifax understood his limitations and had a beter sense of British military power He probably would not have flown to Germany in September 1638 to negotiate with Hitler. Had there ‘been no Munich Conference to stop a war, how would history have been different? In comparison with Churchill, wel ‘wartime leadership requires a diferent kind of personality. Halifax would have been an incredibly competent prime minister and chair of the war cabinet. He would have kept the machinery going in ways that Churchill wasnt very good at He would have interfered less in military operations for instance. But wartime leadership in this era of charismatic leaders required charisma Halifax was not at all charismatic -can you imagine him sting with Rocsevel And Stalin at Yalta in 1945? He would have looked out of place. iat 7) THE BLITZ ay De aad hg 1945-59 CLT HITLER HAD NOT BEEN APPEASED BY THE ALLIES? The possibilities if Britain and France had dismissed Hitler's promises and stood united against his plans ET a7 Bo ed Sete bunk five happened Jerween the end of World War Land te ate 1930s, Europe had become a very different place. The communist regime in Russia brought with it images of Stain as an evil boogeyman, preying fon democracy and civil liberties. Fascism had found a small foothold in Britain {tself, with its eader Oswald Mosley Bromoting pence rather than war with [Nazi Germany. And the prime minister, [Neville Chamberlain, was following a policy of appeasement towards Hite. ‘Anything other than a repeat of 191418. But there were voces with an opposing view: Hitler was not to be trusted and action needed tobe taken to curb his ambitions. What if those voices had ‘managed to win the day? For the Allies to stand up to Hitler, ‘what do you think would have had to be different? ‘The big difference would be in domestic politics. Standing up to Hitler would have required political leadership willing, toarticulate the danger that Hitler presented, and a population willing to ‘think about fighting another war so soon ater the tribe losses of World War | ‘Leadership was key. Neville Chamberlain consistently saw communism asa threat, as great or greater than fascism, and was, reluctant to align withthe Soviet Union against Nazi Germany. ‘At what point could the Allies have taken decisive action? ‘Many people have focused on the CCeechoslovak crisis in May 1938 and the ‘Munich Agreement later that year, and I agree with that, Up until Coechoslovakia, Hitlers ‘moves had been agalnst the Treaty of Versailles, which many saw as being unjust to Germany. He had presented his ‘goals as bringing German populations Into Germany. In Czechoslovakia, Hitler focused on the Sudeten German ‘minority, but that would have involved Partitioning a sovereign state. “The Czechs were willing to fight rather than give in to Hite, but inthe Munich Conference of September 1938, Britain and France agreed to grant Hitler Czechoslovakias Sudetenland, The Ceochs werent invited tothe talks. Six ‘months later, Hitler absorbed the rest of the country. ‘What i Britain and France had chosen to makea stand and fight in September 1938? CCeechoslovakia would not have been 3 pushover. It was the most industrialised state in Eastern Europe, and possessed substantial defence industry ofits ‘own, The Czech atm was a serious force, though not a the level of Hitler's ‘Wehrmacht. The Czechs also would have been fighting on the defensive and using the substantial defensive fortifications ‘they had built in the mountains that ring Bohemia, the heartland of the CCeechoslovak state The German army that would have fought in 1938 was not the same force What if... HITLER HAD NOT BEEN APPEASED BY THE ALLIES? GONE DOW Wey What if. ae cy ‘ROLLING OVER Cg Pe HITLER HAD NOT BEEN APPEASED BY THE ALLIES? “ Tf the Allies were going to fight, 1938 was amuch better time than 1939" that rolled through Poland and France in 1939 and 1940. Hitler was stil rebuilding his forces, Many of the German tanks in Poland and France were actually Czech, tanks that Hitler won without fring 2 shot when he took over Czechoslovakia, There's strong evidence that ifthe Allies were going to fight, 1938 was a much better time than 1939, Both sides ‘were busy rearming, but fighting n 1938, ‘Would have added Grech forces and (Czech industry tothe Allied side, and atthe very least not have handed over (Czechostovakia's arsenal of weapons to Hitler without a fight. ‘What would the Soviet reaction have ‘been to this? The Soviet role in 1938 is pethaps the best argument in favour of choosing ‘that moment to make a stand, The Soviet Union had alliance treaties with both France and Crechoslovakia, Soviet foreign minister, Maxim Litvinoy, had spent the 1930s promoting collective security asthe best response to the ‘threat of Hitler and Nezism. Litvinov's wile, Ivy, was British and Litvinov had spent several yeas living in Britain. He understood the West quite wel Of course, a treaty to defend zechoslovakia doesn't necessarily mean thatthe Soviets would have honoured it, bur they had signed the teaty in the first place because ofthe danger of Nazi Germany. And in fact, the Soviets showed every sign in September 1938, ‘of preparing to ight fr the Czechs. "The Soviets were mobilising their ‘western border military districts. That ‘means getting troops into their units and moving towards the border in preparation for war. The Red Army was fenotmous, with 2 massive fleet of tank and aircraft. This was a serious threat to Hitler's plans, Potential Soviet assistance against Hitler was wasted when Britain and France sold out the Czechs in the Munich Agreement. Stalin clearly took ‘lesson that Britain and France could not be trusted to stand up against Hitler He had always suspected that what the ‘Wester powers really wanted was to see the Soviet Union tangled up ina ‘war against Germany, a war tat they ‘would sit out Tha’ probably actually pretty close to what Neville Chamberlain ‘would have preferred - Chamberlain long keer. believed that Stalin was. threat just as serious as Hitler. year later, in August 1939, the alles paid the price when sail Stalin aligned himself with Hitler. — Stalin was obviously no saint But in 1938, he didnot see Germany grabbing Cechoslovakia as being in line with Soviet national interests. How might Hitler and Germany have reacted to non appeasement or acts of resistance? Here we can differentiate between Hitler and atleast some of his military elite Hitler's reputation was bull onthe idea of him being a winner, moving from Victory to victory. Add that his highly developed sense of his own genius, and itseems as though he likely would have wanted to roll the dice and go ahead with war against Czechoslovakia. If Britain and France made it clear they would fight, it’s ikely tht Hitler would have gone ahead. The German generals ae. however, another question, They had all lived through World War I, and saw what happened to Germany when it tried to fight a two-front war. We know that at least some among the German generals ete plotting against Hitler. rs certainly Possible that Hitler would have faced a Coup or assassination attempt if he tried to get Germany into another war that his generals thought was unwinnable. None of them were pacifist, and they {hare was wea of all wete glad to see Germany breaking ‘out of te limits imposed by the Treaty of Versailles, But that doesnt mean they wanted to see Germany fighting against Britain, France and Russia, ‘What would the Allies have had to do to be successful and what role, if any, ‘would the US have played? The big problem forthe Allis to solve, ifthey managed to get their domestic populations on board, was how to handle (Czechoslovakia other neighbours ‘The Soviet Union had an alliance with Czechoslovakia, but did not actually share a land border. That means that Ee PONS they have to crss either Polish or Romanian territory. Both countries were very concerned that ifthe Soviets came in, they might not lave. In addition, Poland was interested in some Czech territory. Solving those problems would require skilful diplomacy. It's doubtful that the US would have played much ofa role here. The US public was slower than European publics to see a direct threat, even if Franklin Roosevelt did see Hille as a long-term problem. The Ameticans sil had alot ‘of confidence inthe ability ofthe Ales and particularly the French army, to keep Hitler in check. That made for aloe ‘of scrambling when France fll in 1940, ‘ow do you think the threat of a ‘world war would have changed how Europe looked? If the Allies stood up to Hitler in 1938, and the Soviet Union joined them as it looked as though it was preparing tod, i's doubtful Germany would have won. ‘That doesn't mean Germany ends up ‘occupied, bu Hitler is humiliated and pethaps out of power. That also means that the Soviet Union would have played big oe in Eastern Europe from 1938 fn, though pethaps not as dominant as it was after 1945. We might have seen type of Cold War, with Germany cut dovin to size, would the Soviet threat have loomed larger? iat 1838 DIN Sa Ty ey DRS at) al What BRITAIN AND FRANCE HAD NOT DECLARED WAR ON GERMANY? Could a decision to remain on the sidelines have given Hitler free rein to ravage Europe for the Fatherland? inthe speceohe hones. Aggression Fat tng fim. ether the The sit defet of Pld = coupe Men (Westies ay Communissor ter este po-Nal with the fat hese nas subsequent a] Ininds, the prospec ofconfonting. opponents woldshed'aterfer Poland delraton of war fom Britain ae Gemannjet agin sasastey wo friot sndwelctine eset ily france wold have aed Hae own ayeeenl tateestpectaieg sig meget etc a fu atpogaccutin feng, Ha gation oe Unimagned hls bth dome Saelekenyes | Sicetseeten taintoteereslog Siractuwy cistron sescadinioomciccriertms, wiachieasi saan tox ny Ince wuld etagainbesscrd, Gamaryavicory over land wold warta ier win eg echelons Dy daenothing as nes wale ve ben even que an Heswites_ ofthe Geman Army wel hav aed Stel burn wouilmean scoping at woullhaveconneed palo” swa.and hho wavering stats ‘weakness, breaking of promises and trust Britain and France that any sort of peace Eastem Europe, such asthe Kingdom {nthe words ofa fanatical dictator were a with Hitler was better than conflict with a of Romania, would have been forced to reasonable price to pay. And so, with the seemingly invincible Nazi war machine. switch thei alliance from Britain and [Nazi war machine able to sweep through France and throw ther lt in with the Barope unopposed, nowhere and no one What boost would it have given ‘Axis Powers of Germany, Japan and Italy would be safe Hitler and his regime and what would much ealier than they eventually di he have done next? Unable to rely on London and Paris. the ‘What would have happened to domestic politics in Britain and France if they had reneged on their agreement with Poland after the (German invasion? ‘ving famously promised “Peace for our time’ after abandoning Czechoslovakia to Hitler at Munich, confidence in Britain's ‘rime minster Neville Chamberlain, ‘would have plummeted within the UK However, the antiwar faction inthe ruling Conservative Farty le by the foreign secretary Lord Halifax - would continue to keep him safe in No 10, fearing a repeat of the bloodbath of World War ‘The government ofthe French me minister, Edouard Daladie. was already creaking under the weight of internal division in the county ici ‘with both communist and neo-ascist Teegping ote, extremists battling it out in the streets sNatsmdscren" Howeve, with the German Soviet Non 2 eel ON GERMANY Britain’s Ultimatum Ignored By Hitler What if. ae Ce Dey ae Ca 1939 aOR BRITAIN AND FRANCE HAD NOT DECLARED WAR ON GERMANY? Kingdom of Yugoslavia and authoritarian Greece would have had little choice ‘but to join the Axis a vel forming a powerful pro-Nazi coalition that would draw in Turkey and effectively ring an increasingly worried Moscow with Potentially hostile countries. The awkward peace with Britain and France would mean no naval blockade closing of world markets to German shipping. Als, southeastern Europe's incision inthe Axis would guarantee Hitler acess to vial raw materials such as Romania’ ol, His western flank secure Hitler would have focused soley on his dream of invading the Soviet Union and destroying ‘communism once and fo al. Fascist Italy with no Mediterranean war to prosecute siven the peace with Britain and France ~ ‘would also look eas o build the empire Mussolini craved so desperately, ‘What may have been the impact on ‘lobal polities and relationship with ‘the USA? (Globally. the prestige of Britain and France would have sufered enormous damage from the act of abandoning an ally they had so recently and so loudly ‘defended in public. The beleaguered League of Nations would have lost alts remaining credibility, given Britain and France were its most powerful members, as smaller states lst their faith in any Sort of rules-based order to protect them against an aggressor. nal likelihood the mass of nation members would leave the League and it would have become moribund as a result. “Actos the word states of al stripes would have raced to strengthen thelr nilitaries as the only trusted means of national defence, wile governments with expansionist goals would have been hnugely emboldened, Border dispates across South America especially would become extremely fractious and a number oflcalconfiets would flare up with Paraguay, Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru fighting each other for land and resources. Tn the United States, Franklin Roosevelt's growing resotion that America would need, at some pont, to Intervene in the conflict in Europe on the side ofthe democracies would have received a hammer blow at what his own tlectorate would view as Franco-British

    You might also like