Biggest Mistakes the Axis made iyo.

[Buck Birdseed]

I could care less about imperialist nations waging war on each other. The biggest mistake by the Axis was to overthrow all decent human values and succumbing to an ideology of limitless evil, which is pretty silly IMO.

[Ned]

Originally posted by Buck Birdseed
I could care less about imperialist nations waging war on each other. The biggest mistake by the Axis was to overthrow all decent human values and succumbing to an ideology of limitless evil, which is pretty silly IMO.

I'm not so sure that was apparent until the end of the war when we "discovered" the death camps. Until Pearl Harbor, nearly 70% of Americans were opposed to getting involved in the European war. The tells me that the Nazi's image in the US was not that of ultimate evil. In fact, I suspect many actually applauded their attack on the USSR.

[Pekka]

Hmm let's see. Both Axis and Allied made lots of mistakes, naturally, but Axis....

Japan: I think they got too hungry too fast. Why? Maybe they had too much success in the air and against the Brits at first. And then they showed either madness or testicular fortiture by attacking the US, considering the situation they were in, ,and the downfall began. Basically I'd say they got too greedy too fast, instead of building more slowly.

Same for Hitler. He attacked Russia way too early on. He didn't want to attack first so soon, but he got reports the Russians were poorly equipped and tactics weren't strong either, but he disregarded this. After the Winter War, Hitler was convinced he will run Rooskies to the sea. Which he started doing at first, but then came winter, etc etc etc, ROoskies regrouped, made a comeback and the rest is history.

I also feel the Luftwaffe could have been in better hands than Goerings.

Preparations for the coming invasion was also not done properly, since Rommel checked the lines at beaches and told where the reinforcements are strongly needed, and where more men should be concentrated, and if this would not happen, the invading forces would be able to succeed. He was right. And they came, and on those spots Rommel pointed. So, they should have taken him a bit more seriously.

What else. Italy.. well, they weren't too much of an Axis player, since most didn't care what Mussolini wanted. They were too cool for fascism.

Anyway those would be the first ones that comes to my mind.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
I'm not Boris.

You should be so lucky! Hah!

Anyway, I was always under the impression that the biggest mistake by the Axis was being a bunch of hateful Nazi ****s. That about sums it up.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by St Leo

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
They were never together. The USSR simply took advantage of the Nazi invasion of Poland to reaquire territory Poland had stolen from them 19 years earlier.

Oh, geez. Stolen.

Next you'll tell me that Germany stole Alsace-Lorraine from France in the Franco-Prussian War.

IMHO, the moral claim was about equal in both cases.

Or that Germany was just reclaiming land stolen from them after WWI (Danzig). Plus some interest.

[Capt Dizle]

Originally posted by Zkribbler
biggest mistakes:

1) Invading Russia too late in the year and with no winter uniforms.

2) Redrecting the bombing attacks away from the RAF when it was just about finished and to Britain's cities.

3) Terrorizing the Ukrainian and other Soviet peoples, turning people who had been cheering their "liberators" into blood-thirsty partisans.

4) Failing to crush the Brits at Dunkirk.

5) Trusting that the Ultra cypher couldn't be broken.

6) Using "Garbo" as the chief source of intelligence in Britain.


I don't see the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor as a mistake. The Japanese needed to break the U.S. strategic-reasources embargo, and destroying the U.S. Navy was a way to go about that. However, the way they did it -- a sneak attack-- galvanized the U.S. people, and that was the mistake.

Very good list!

BTW, we were taught in school that the failure at Dunkirk was the key. At that time (late sixties, early seventies) there was a large school of thought that if the BEF had been destroyed or largely captured England would have likely agreed to terms with Hitler.

I don't have an opinion on it, it is unknowable but plausible. I think that by attacking Russia prior to ending his war with the UK Hitler sealed his fate.

Someone needs to tell my why my thinking is wrong.

How does Germany ever lose their gains if they do not attack Russia? England can't do it and Stalin would not have invaded. Invading Russia prior to bringing the war with England to a close was insanity. Bringing Japan into the Axis was a blunder, the declaration against the US wasn't, as the US would have declared on Germany anyway.

Nevertheless, Hitler had a puncher's chance to knockout Russia and came closer than people like to admit nowadays.

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov


Or that Germany was just reclaiming land stolen from them after WWI (Danzig). Plus some interest.

Or that they were just taking back what the Teutonic Knights had taken, and then after that, Brandenburg-Prussia.

Really, this sort of thing could go back through the Napoleonic wars, the War of the Austrian Succession, the Thirty Years' War, et cetera.


I blame the Celts for leaving Central Europe, and the Goths for migrating from Sweden and the Huns. When in doubt, blame the Huns.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by St Leo

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
They were never together. The USSR simply took advantage of the Nazi invasion of Poland to reaquire territory Poland had stolen from them 19 years earlier.

Next you'll tell me that Germany stole Alsace-Lorraine from France in the Franco-Prussian War.

There's a difference between grabbing a piece of territory that was yours less than two decades ago, and one that was never yours.

In addition, the people of Eastern Poland treated the Soviet invasion as a liberation, and quickly seized the factories and property of their landlords. Of course, they were in for a big surprise, but they didn't consider themselves part of Poland except for the fact that they'd been annexed by Poland in 1920.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Capt Dizle
How does Germany ever lose their gains if they do not attack Russia? England can't do it and Stalin would not have invaded.

Wrong. Stalin planned to attack Germany in 1944-5, and was building his industry and forces to be able to do so. He just didn't believe Hitler was going to attack him. A typical problem with megalomaniacs.

[Elok]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
Anyway, I was always under the impression that the biggest mistake by the Axis was being a bunch of hateful Nazi ****s. That about sums it up.

Never thought I'd do this, but...

Not much else that needs to be said, no.

[Sava]

the biggest mistake the Axis made?

****ING WITH THE US OF A!!

USA USA USA USA!

[Dis]

Originally posted by Sava
the biggest mistake the Axis made?

****ING WITH THE US OF A!!

USA USA USA USA!

I think the USSR did more damage. (to germany of course- they didn't do **** to japan)

[Elok]

My history's sketchy, but I thought it was good harsh Russian weather that did the real damage, not the USSR itself. That, and Hitler for being stupid enough to send troops into it where Napoleon had failed.

[Dis]

the weather didn't kill them, the bullets did.

The russians had to deal with the same harsh conditions. I doubt a simple overcoat would have saved them from the russians wrath.

[Sava]

Originally posted by Dissident


I think the USSR did more damage. (to germany of course- they didn't do **** to japan)

COMMIETRAITOR!!!


USA USA USA!