Help Winner develop his alternate history mini-project

[Verbose]

The point about other European countries wanting to limit German strenght is important. They would be incredibly wary of letting a unified Germany rearm here, maybe to the point where they retainted some degree of control over the entire of Germany.

Actually, I'd even consider the possibility of one of the more audacious plans thrown up by Roosevelt might get implemented: Turning all of Allied controlled Europe into one huge Anglo-American unarmed military protectorate.

Think about it. If the Soviets are relatively weaker than historically, European military allies become less of a desiderata. If the war ends early, the UK will look like in better financial shape than historically (at least initially), while the Free French will have less time to get their act together, including not having time to raise that million man army it did late in the war, or go invade Germany by their own accord. Heck, the war might even end before the US recognises the de Gaulle led provisional government.

This leaves the world the US oyster, as things would regardless, with a much reduced Soviet presence in Europe. At the same time France, Italy, Germany and the Low Countries are all disarmed and put under an Anglo-American defense umbrella, while removing the tools for making a mess of the continent (which was the whole point of this American idea).

Not too sure how Spain and Portugal will navigate this, but with a less pressing Cold War, the heat should be on them to democratise. Scandinavia is a little odd looking. Denmark and Norway can hardly be penalised for general war-mongering, but might still end up a US defense blanket. Depending a bit on how useful the Swedes might have made themselves, it might be assigned a greater or less role locally, but since it will neither have been defeated or occupied, is US aligned and democratic, it will probably keep its military (some 700 000 men in 1945).

 

[Winner]

That's not likely. The Soviets would be weaker, but not significantly so in the years following the end of WW2 in Europe. Actually, since the Cold War would erupt earlier and the US would want to deal with Japan, it would have to rely on Europeans to defend themselves against a possible Soviet attack.

I really don't think they'd leave Germany unarmed, as it would mean that others would have to take care of European security. US would have its hands full in Asia where the Cold War would be much "hotter" than in our timeline and the French and British simply lacked the potential to defend the whole Europe. I think they'd eventually allow Germany to rearm, but they'd maintain more control over its military.

Heck, perhaps the plan for the European Defense Community might be implemented as it would allow other European countries to have direct control over the German armed forces.

So we could end up with a supranational European military by the end of the Cold War. Sounds good.