"What if: WWII 1949" Topic

"What if the World War II would have started 10 years later? Would France been something else than punchbag for Germany? Would Italy have stood a chance? Would the soviets have reached Berlin by 1952?

The progress of military technology between 1939-1949 mostly came from WWII so military technology wouldn't propably be at our-history-1949 level."
See here
link

Amicalement
Armand

One thing not mentioned in that thread is the Maginot Line. The original plan for this was a series of fortifications on the German border not just by France, but Belgium too. However, Belgium backed out of their commitment & instead invested in building 2 large fortresses instead of the string of border defenses. When the Germans attacked, the French had not yet started on new defenses on the Belgian border, which of course the Germans took advantage of.

Had the war started later, there is a good possibility these defenses would be in place. The Germans would not only have to overcome the Belgian defenses, but have no choice but to penetrate through the now expanded Maginot line as well.

Damon.

On 14 June 1940, the day Paris fell, the German 1st Army went over to the offensive in "Operation Tiger" and attacked the Maginot Line between St. Avold and Saarbrücken. The Germans then broke through the fortification line as defending French forces retreated southward.

When the war started in 1939 the French were in the process of upgrading there airforce and given about a year (much less then 10) would have been able to go head-to-head with the Germans. The British were also upgrading their airforce and would have been more competitive.

The Russians were upgrading their army and airforce and given 10 years would have solved most of the problems that they had in June of 1941.

Even Poland was in the process of upgrading there armed forces and may have been a tougher nut to crack.

Germany had a perfect storm of having started their rearmament and upgrades and arrived at a point before their enemies. Start the war earlier and Germany would not have been ready. Start the war later and their enemies would have been more prepared.

Hadn't Hitler got the country into serious debt by 1939?

There are simply too many variables.

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand

The Kriegsmarine would have been far more formidable.

It's interesting to guess if the British and Americans, as well as others, would have matched their naval buildup.

If not, with a much larger and more efficient U-Boat force, the British Isles would have quickly been brought to their knees.

Also..would Hitler have survived politically for a decade?

He was not a well man. I think arteriosclerosis would have got him and he possibly would not have survived at all until 1949.

It's said he survived pretty well here … in South American for many years… (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Very good point. I have read many very convincing books telling me so. Actually there was one I have never forgotten. The title was something like "The Trial of Adolf Hitler" but I cannot remember if he resurfaced across the Atlantic…actually the more I type, I think I have that wrong. But it was a great book.

OK, ideally, I would have checked via Google first.

GHQ Wehrmacht '47 has some pretty neat scenarios for the "Long War" i.e. If WWII lasted passed '45 …

Scroll down to pg.51. Could be adapted to any rule systems, IMO.

PDF link

president Roosevelt would have passed away (so no lend lease) not sure what would have happened with churchill