Military Aggression and the United States (split from Random Thoughts 2)

[red_elk]

That calculus changed after the colossal victories of July and August, but by then virtually everything about the situation had changed.

I indeed meant the situation after "Bagration", which admittedly occurred a month later than the D-Day. In July there was impression that German defenses in Eastern front utterly collapsed and the war might end in 1944 - until they managed to stabilize front line in Poland. But even in June it was understood that Germany's position is hopeless and they won't be able to hold USSR for long.

And I'm not trying to downplay the importance of second front for the USSR, it helped a lot and saved many lives of Soviet people. Just it could save much more if it was opened a year or two earlier.

 

[Dachs]

I indeed meant the situation after "Bagration", which admittedly occurred a month later than the D-Day. In July there was impression that German defenses in Eastern front utterly collapsed and the war might end in 1944 - until they managed to stabilize front line in Poland. But even in June it was understood that Germany's position is hopeless and they won't be able to hold USSR for long.

And I'm not trying to downplay the importance of second front for the USSR, it helped a lot and saved many lives of Soviet people. Just it could save much more if it was opened a year or two earlier.

Sure. General Marshall wanted to go in 1943, too - but the Americans didn't have the forces built up yet, amphibious shipping was still too sparse, the Battle of the Atlantic wasn't over yet, and the British government and military establishment both refused to consider it. Realistically, the Allied invasion was a one-shot attempt. If it turned into a disaster, it would have been really hard to keep the British public in the war. Turning the war into a true one-front conflict would've been far worse for the USSR than what actually happened.

I mean, it would've been nice if the militaries and governments of the Western Allies hadn't egregiously mismanaged the Nazi regime and the first year of the war, so none of those would have ever happened. And unlike a cross-Channel invasion in 1943, such a thing would've been at least theoretically possible.

 

[r16]

ı would say Russian advance would have been slower but still would have gone in . The Summer of 1946 , why not ? And that the Russian summer offensive started on June 22 does not detract that much from the idea that the Wehrmacht would be operationally tricked again . The only downside for Moscow that would have to allow more initiative to lower ranks , bad for "Central Rule" .