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TeamPooka

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36. Hitler made two huge mistakes. One was invading the Soviet Union. The other was declaring war on the

Reply to DemocratSinceBirth (Original post)

Tue Aug 12, 2014, 01:56 PM

Aug 2014

USA a few days after Pearl Harbor.
It brought America into the war in Europe which until Hitler declared war, the US population wanted no part.
We wanted to destroy Japan out of revenge but we still didn't want to fight in Europe.
Hitler declared and FDR, who wanted in on the European war very much, said we shall defeat Germany first and went ahead with his battle plan in the order he wanted.
If Hitler had kept the truce with Stalin a while longer and avoided bringing the USA into his war he could have solidified his hold on Western Europe for the long term.
The forces deployed to Russia would have been on the coast of Normandy waiting to repel the invasion bringing the odds of a successful D-Day by England and her allies much lower.
But Hitler was greedy and stupid and thankfully, blew it big time.
A simultaneous two-front war is a hard thing to win.

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Would Hitler have won World War II if he had left Russia alone? [View all] DemocratSinceBirth Aug 2014 OP

did the us build the nukes with help from paperclip scientists? leftyohiolib Aug 2014 #1

No. Octafish Aug 2014 #95

God let's hope not yeoman6987 Aug 2014 #2

Hard to say but Nazism wouldn't have been able leave the Communists alone forever. el_bryanto Aug 2014 #3

Depends what "win" means, but there's a pretty good chance he would have. DanTex Aug 2014 #4

I never understood why he attacked Britain to begin with. former9thward Aug 2014 #12

Not as much of a headache as you might think BlindTiresias Aug 2014 #14

Absolute rubbish. longship Aug 2014 #39

There were collaborators in every state the nazis invaded BlindTiresias Aug 2014 #108

There was no way that Hitler invades Great Britain. longship Aug 2014 #111

Fair enough BlindTiresias Aug 2014 #114

Yup! It sure was an interesting time, though. longship Aug 2014 #115

Nonsense AgingAmerican Aug 2014 #94

harsh treatment yes BlindTiresias Aug 2014 #106

Very true AgingAmerican Aug 2014 #109

for their bank and the location.He got the bank control very first thing of every country he invaded Sunlei Aug 2014 #33

France and England had already declared war Deny and Shred Aug 2014 #53

Yes, but Britain was in no condition to carry on the war by itself. former9thward Aug 2014 #58

Agreed. Deny and Shred Aug 2014 #88

From the accounts I've seen, going after Russia was louis-t Aug 2014 #5

That's what I've read also. Nt newfie11 Aug 2014 #20

If Hitler had not decided to become his own field marshal and general staff, amandabeech Aug 2014 #79

I don't know if he could have avoided war with the Soviet Union aint_no_life_nowhere Aug 2014 #6

the war with the soviets was the main event from the start RedRocco Aug 2014 #44

That's right - the war in the east was what Hitler was mainly about aint_no_life_nowhere Aug 2014 #50

He could have sent more resources to Africa and taken the Suez Capt. Obvious Aug 2014 #7

Easily BlindTiresias Aug 2014 #8

He would have done better to finish with the English first. bemildred Aug 2014 #9

After May, 1940 there was no way Germany was going to finish Great Britain. longship Aug 2014 #82

All the more reason not to take on Russia, I would say. nt bemildred Aug 2014 #84

in all probability, yes. hifiguy Aug 2014 #10

I think it quite possible BainsBane Aug 2014 #11

Many things that could have allowed Hitler to win JPZenger Aug 2014 #13

Hitler's Luftwaffe under Goering made a fatal mistake regarding England aint_no_life_nowhere Aug 2014 #21

There were a lot of Nazi sympathizers in the Ukraine aint_no_life_nowhere Aug 2014 #32

"In many ways, Hitler was his own worst enemy." Va Lefty Aug 2014 #74

Would Russia have left Germany alone? joeybee12 Aug 2014 #15

Unlikely BlindTiresias Aug 2014 #16

Stalin and Hitler might have had conflict over border nations, but no Soviet invasion JPZenger Aug 2014 #19

yeah I agree BlindTiresias Aug 2014 #22

Yup. Stalin's massive purges of the Soviet military hifiguy Aug 2014 #30

Stalin did go into a three day drunk after Operation Barbarossa DemocratSinceBirth Aug 2014 #59

The three great monsters of the 20th Century hifiguy Aug 2014 #60

Stalin was crazy... DemocratSinceBirth Aug 2014 #63

Not only did Stalin refuse to believe intelligence reports brentspeak Aug 2014 #107

Stalin would not have attacked Germany brentspeak Aug 2014 #102

My personal thought has always been in the other direction intaglio Aug 2014 #17

Good question. If Hitler had invaded Russia rather than France in the spring of 1940, pampango Aug 2014 #49

An interesting "what if" I read once ballabosh Aug 2014 #72

I agree. Hitler could have gone from Poland to Stalingrad easily. DontTreadOnMe Aug 2014 #78

It might have made it difficult to later go after England and France aint_no_life_nowhere Aug 2014 #81

Hitler's goal was never to "leave Russia alone" Algernon Moncrieff Aug 2014 #18

b Sounds like one of my favorite tactics for Axis and Allies whenever I play Japan TheMightyFavog Aug 2014 #46

Wargame strategy is about the only practical application of this discussion Algernon Moncrieff Aug 2014 #69

It's hard not to take out the Pearl Harbor fleet Capt. Obvious Aug 2014 #75

Any invasion of the English island would have resulted in chemical warfare. MohRokTah Aug 2014 #66

Yes, indeed. Algernon Moncrieff Aug 2014 #68

Assuming America joined the war? Cali_Democrat Aug 2014 #23

Interesting question. PoutrageFatigue Aug 2014 #24

Perhaps. Perhaps also if had listened to his Generals at and after Stalingrad... GusBob Aug 2014 #25

Short answer: no Bad Thoughts Aug 2014 #26

a) if he'd not invaded the Soviet Union, b) if he hadn't declared war on the USA. Spider Jerusalem Aug 2014 #27

I think if he had been able to make some treaty with Stalin, the USA couldn't have stopped him. DanTex Aug 2014 #28

What if the US dropped nukes on Germany? Cali_Democrat Aug 2014 #35

I guess it probably would have been, yes. DanTex Aug 2014 #37

The Germans also had an atomic bomb in the works aint_no_life_nowhere Aug 2014 #38

It would have been a race to see who could develop them first on a massive industrial scale Cali_Democrat Aug 2014 #43

there were no nukes to drop on Germany.. abakan Aug 2014 #62

Well.... Cali_Democrat Aug 2014 #70

The german scientist came to White Sands in 46. abakan Aug 2014 #71

The first nuclear bombs were developed and dropped in 1945.... Cali_Democrat Aug 2014 #73

According to what I have heard working at White Sands for 10 years. abakan Aug 2014 #76

I think we're talking about two different things Cali_Democrat Aug 2014 #77

Signs point to yes rock Aug 2014 #29

Many historians and military experts think so. Cleita Aug 2014 #31

He would have steam rolled over Russia if the weather was better for his (loyal) troops. Sunlei Aug 2014 #34

Also the strategicly monumental blunder of delaying Barbarossa for 6 weeks SQUEE Aug 2014 #48

Hitler also had the chance to take Moscow in the Summer of 1941 but instead he neverforget Aug 2014 #85

millions died in Ukraine. A few brave people hid in caves there, underground for years. Sunlei Aug 2014 #105

Hitler made two huge mistakes. One was invading the Soviet Union. The other was declaring war on the TeamPooka Aug 2014 #36

As long as he never allied himself with the Japanese, most likely. MohRokTah Aug 2014 #40

He might have won if he had listened to his generals during the Russian invasion. StevieM Aug 2014 #41

We still developed the A bomb first Motown_Johnny Aug 2014 #42

If Germany had beaten Britain, the A-Bomb wouldn't have mattered. Xithras Aug 2014 #47

The B-29, which dropped nukes on Japan, had a range of thousands of miles Cali_Democrat Aug 2014 #51

It would have never got through. Xithras Aug 2014 #87

LOL! This is some of the craziest conjecture I've ever seen! Cali_Democrat Aug 2014 #90

Not conjecture. Xithras Aug 2014 #93

If the Germans were so good at shooting down enemy planes Cali_Democrat Aug 2014 #98

The B 29 could have penetrated German airspace sarisataka Aug 2014 #100

night missions Motown_Johnny Aug 2014 #92

It could have (and probably would have) been used Motown_Johnny Aug 2014 #56

The payload was too big and a B-29 would never have gotten airborne... MohRokTah Aug 2014 #67

You could modify a B-24 Motown_Johnny Aug 2014 #91

Considering that 75-80% of German military deaths were on the East Front... Tierra_y_Libertad Aug 2014 #45

Marshall was admitting that US and UK were using Russia as a sinkhole Bad Thoughts Aug 2014 #83

He might have won WWII, but he'd lose WWIII against the Soviets shortly afterwards WatermelonRat Aug 2014 #52

If he had left Britain and Russia alone. Yes I think so. LiberalArkie Aug 2014 #54

Unlikely Warpy Aug 2014 #55

It was an absolutely mind-breakingly bad move, from a military strategy perspective. Warren DeMontague Aug 2014 #57

Only if he had gotten nukes first. quaker bill Aug 2014 #61

Two big questions gyroscope Aug 2014 #64

It might have made the war go longer, leading to even more death, but, no. HuckleB Aug 2014 #65

Even if Hitler left Russia alone NobodyHere Aug 2014 #80

Hitler was a megalomaniac. roamer65 Aug 2014 #86

Overall the question is too simplistic sarisataka Aug 2014 #89

Hitler's mistake was to delay the advance on Dunkirk aint_no_life_nowhere Aug 2014 #99

Very possibly. Octafish Aug 2014 #96

He would have run out of oil alcibiades_mystery Aug 2014 #97

Bingo rickford66 Aug 2014 #101

Hitler's ultimate goal was always to invade the Soviet Union brentspeak Aug 2014 #103

Hatred for Communism was the very reason Hitler entered politics at all. DetlefK Aug 2014 #104

This NT. Ex Lurker Aug 2014 #112

The fascists and the communists hated each other. moondust Aug 2014 #110

He wasn't going to leave the east alone, this was clear from The Second Stone Aug 2014 #113