I was thinking today, as I watched a program on the History Channel, that Hitler might have done the allies a favor by becoming the obvious aggressor in 1939. I am thinking of all the great scientific developments that German scientists were making in the areas of rocketry, jet propulsion, guidance systems, and lastly atomic research and development. If he had waited 5 or 10 years and unleashed with some of the advanced technology developed later in the war the Germans may have been able to counter most of the "productivity" advantage that the US and Russia brought to bear.

The program I was watching was about the Tiger tank. But I realized that without air superiority the allies might have failed in the early days of Normandy. If German jet-fighers had been available in vast numbers who knows what the outcome would have been. And if they had possesed a V2 rocket with an atomic weapon... well I "know" what the outcome would have been.

Jim

A most profound thought, Jim. I wholey agree, had he waited and amassed more technologically advanced weapons, the world as we know it would certainly be different today!
BUT...after thinking about this, most of those weapons were invented out of sheer desperation to counter the advancing allies. Still...profound.

Germany's invasion made Hitler bold enough (no one did anything) to invade the USSR. His invasion turned a backwards nation that had just killed off its best & brightest, or used them to farm fields into a world superpower with a healthy, if not crude, manufacturing industry.

One thing he did do was started a chain of events that would ensure the German nation would not be a threat to the world for a least 100 yrs.

My reflections of the subject bring me to think that communism wouldn't have been so wide spread as it was/is. Since the Russians cleaned house as the Germans retreated they stayed where they were and maintained a "protectorate".

Even though I don't think we would be speaking German if Hitler would have waited a few years more. The US and Russia were still too large to be dealt with by HItler's Germany. Too many shear numbers. China was also a "neutral" alliy to the US even if it was communist then.

I still think Russia was and is the biggest threat.

Hi!
I do agree with the theory that all advanced technology was made under pressure and Hitler just have luck in the first yaers of war, cause the whole europe of post 1st war was trying to keep the peace at all cost, even if as occured, prooved to be uselless, because Hitler tirany and madness was out of control...

Hi Jim, good point. I too watched " Battle Stations"
Tiger Attack - That was some good stuff.
Here's something to think about:
IMAGINE IF ROMMEL HAD HIS WAY & FULL CONTROL, AND ALL THOSE PANZER DIVISIONS WERE POSITIONED ALONG THAT COAST LINE JUST A FEW MILES INLAND FROM THE BEACHES AT THE TIME OF THE INVASION LIKE ROMMEL WANTED THEM TO BE !!!!!!!!
Maybe - Just Maybe - We might not be having this conversation
BUT THEN BRIAN MAKES A VERY GOOD POINT ABOUT SHEAR NUMBERS
- ralph

Errata:

Reading my reply would make one think I hate Russians...it is communism I am refering to. I work quite a bit with Russians and even the Russians themselves are afraid of the communists, bcause they are so instable.

All communism is is state-run capitalism and a monopoly at that. A monopoly leads to stagnation (any change costs, so is not done) and ultimately failure.

If Hitler diden't attack Poland then the allied mabey hade lost the WWII.

Because if Hitler diden't attack Poland then Russia haved come in so eraly and then Hitler mabey hade succed with his stupid plans.

Thats all from me today
Bye

Daniel Kuehn
Västerhaninge sweden

Very well put Daniel! I think I agree with you.

Interesting thread, but it leads me to two thoughts:

1) What if Patton had not been checked and allowed to pursue his plans by pushing through Berlin to Russia?

2) What is MacArthur had not been dismissed, and allowed to carry his plans through North Korea to China?

I think we'd be here, but the world would have become a very different place too...

Jim
San Jose, California
http://www.guntruck.com