A Very Short Alternate German Victory in WWII

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Following Hitler’s annexation of Austria, he is informed by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain that if he attempts to take over any more territory, England, France, and the other Democracies would declare war on him.  Undaunted, Hitler invades the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia; three days later, Britain and France declare war on Germany.

This move, however, is a major blunder on the Democracies’ part.  After twenty years of dormancy, they are not militarily prepared to fight Germany.  Within six weeks, again, Hitler had conquered all the countries surrounding Germany, all the way to the Soviet border in the East, and all the way to the Sea in the West.  Only Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union remained unconquered by January, 1938.

Throughout 1938, Germany continues a vicious assault on England.  In October, with the United States ignoring England’s pleas for help, Chamberlain is forced out, and replaced by a Prime Minister looking for peace with Germany.  On December 7, 1938, in Munich, England officially surrenders to Germany.  The government is kept in place, although it acts essentially as a client state to Germany, and in 1944, a coup places Germans in full command.

With England out of the way, Hitler focuses entirely on the Soviet Union.  In April, 1939, with the Russian winter just ending, Hitler begins his invasion.  Throughout the summer, Germany tries to advance, finally breaking into Moscow on September 1, 1939.  Stalin is given a sham trial, and executed on September 22, with Hermann Göring being installed as the new leader of the Soviet Union, which is officially renamed the German States of Russia on January 1, 1940.

After much deliberation, Hitler decides against going to war with the United States.  Instead, he helps Japan conquer all of Asia, allowing for three world superpowers: the United States on one side, and Japan and Germany on the other, in a perpetual Cold War.

[Beet]

Fascinating, yes Chamberlain is often demonized for Munich but his actions did reflect public opinion including in the West that there was no reason why ethnic Germans should not be part of Germany. Had war started over the Sudetenland the allies' moral case would have been less clear and this could have resulted in some demoralization on the allies' part. However, a more explicit guarantee could have been given to Czechoslovakia at Munich, that was not given by Chamberlain.

The more critical part of the timeline however involves military preparedness. It is unlikely that Germany would have conquered all in six weeks including France. Germany was rapidly arming and 1938 and 1939 were critical years for the Wehrmacht. It would have been weaker at the end of 1937 than in September 1939, so I do not see how it could have made the same conquests more quickly.