Biggest Mistakes the Axis made iyo.

[Kuciwalker]

In truth, it was the Brits who started WWII.

WTF?

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse
Of course once the Red Army got into Europe every country they liberated was turned into a Soviet Satellite state.

I don't think Stalin did that to export communism. He did it to create a buffer zone between the USSR and the US.

[Kuciwalker]

Or both...

[Kuciwalker]

Of course, it's OK to take control of other nations and turn them into puppet states if all you want is a buffer zone

[Ned]

Originally posted by molly bloom



Of course, when they had an Anschluss with the Republic of Ireland, demanded territory from Iceland and invaded Sweden.


Time for your Geritol.

Starting the war and justification for the war are two different things. Now, why do I say that? For example, Germany did not have to declare war on the United States, but it did.

[Ned]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker

In truth, it was the Brits who started WWII.

WTF?

If one dates the start of WWII from the date of the Brit/French declaration of war.

[Dr Strangelove]

Wasn't that the same day that Germany declared war on Poland after its troops had already entered Poland?

[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by molly bloom



Oh for goodness' sake, yes of course I've heard of it.


What I'm saying is, and I'll state this as simply as possible, is that the military regime in Japan 'could' have broken any number of treaties with the Soviet Union.

What do you think was going to happen ?

That they wouldn't have done that because they were afraid future historians would no longer be able to refer to them as the Axis ?

OK, I see. I had forgotten what we were talking about in the first place.

[Dr Strangelove]

Actually, getting back to the original topic I'd go along with the guy who said not being prepared to equip the Operation Barbarossa troops with winter suits as the biggest mistake the axis made. I'd add to that not providing for the winterization of their equipment. The Wehrmacht lost more troops and equipment to the ravages of the winter of 1941-42 than it had during the fighting of the summer and fall. If they had had those troops and that equipment available in the spring of 1942 they might have indeed prevailed over the Soviet Union.

[Ned]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
Wasn't that the same day that Germany declared war on Poland after its troops had already entered Poland?

The Brits signed a formal alliances with the Poles on August 26 and privately urged the Poles to not negotiate with Hitler. Hitler, in turn, gave the Poles one last ultimatum, show up for negotiations or else. They didn't show up, so Germany invaded on September 1 under the pretext of rescuing Germans from abuse by the Poles, but really to restore German territory lost after WWI.

The Brits issues an ultimatum, withdraw or we will declare war. The Germans did not withdraw, and the Brits announced they were at war with Germany two days later.

Now, given this song and dance, who caused the breakout of hostilities between Britain and Germany?

In a similar context, Roosevelt had authorized American warships to attack German U-boats on sight before Germany declared war. Who started the war between US and Germany?

[Frozzy]

I think the biggest mistake was trying to blitzkreig accross Russia. Sure, it worked in France, but that's a relatively flat terrain with a small area. Russia is absolutely massive and it's very hilly, and very muddy in places too. Sure, they got to the gates of Moscow by November, but their supply lines weren't ready for the cold, their infantry hadn't caught up, so basically you have a division of tanks and Stukas at Moscow, but that won't capture you a city regardless of the climate. Terrorise, sure, but you won't hold it for long.

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
Actually, getting back to the original topic I'd go along with the guy who said not being prepared to equip the Operation Barbarossa troops with winter suits as the biggest mistake the axis made. I'd add to that not providing for the winterization of their equipment. The Wehrmacht lost more troops and equipment to the ravages of the winter of 1941-42 than it had during the fighting of the summer and fall. If they had had those troops and that equipment available in the spring of 1942 they might have indeed prevailed over the Soviet Union.

The worst case of "bad equipment" was hobnailed(?) boots that fit the feet. The first making thermal bridges and the latter not allowing to put some isolation in them. My personal experience are that as long as my feet are warm, the temperature doesn't matter that much, but if they get cold I quickly get miserable and incapable.

Another big mistake was that they weren't allowed to retreat to better defendable places. The generals "on site" wanted to do that but Hitler wouldn't allow it.

Firing/degrading etc of Brauchitsch, Guderian, Rundstedt, Bock, Hoepner, Sponeck and others didn't make things better.

[Ned]

In analyzing this, one could look to the mistakes that were made from which the Axis could have recovered, but did not, and those from which no recovery was possible regardless of the best effort by the access thereafter.

Clearly, underestimating the Brits was a mistake Hitler never recovered from. But most would agree that Hitler could have won the war by not attacking the USSR and instead by focusing on a Southern strategy.

Attacking the USSR is a mistake Germany did not recover from, but most would agree that subsequent mistakes doomed the Nazi effort.

Declaring war on the US was a mistake Germany did not recover from, and there is no scenario of which I am aware that Germany can still win the war after the US is engaged.

[Patroklos]

I a sure if Germany was not at war with the Soviets it could still have revailed against Britain and America.

At the very least they would have kept their Western European conquests. With the whole Wehrmacht on the Western wall, there is no scenario where the USA/Britian could successfully invade.

[Ned]

Originally posted by Patroklos
I a sure if Germany was not at war with the Soviets it could still have revailed against Britain and America.

At the very least they would have kept their Western European conquests. With the whole Wehrmacht on the Western wall, there is no scenario where the USA/Britian could successfully invade.

Ah, but they still lose as Stalin planned to attack the Third Reich.