What if the Soviet Union had remained neutral during WW2?

With the Soviet Union remaining neutral (and continuing to ship resources to Germany under the Nazi–Soviet Pact,) Germany would have been able to concentrate the Luftwaffe in the Mediterranean. German aircraft mauled the Royal Navy in 1941–42, even while supporting the campaign in Russia.

What if the Battle of Barbarossa was delayed until 1942?

Delaying Barbarossa until 1942, assuming Britain hadn’t surrendered, would have meant that Germany would begin its attack on Russia while still needing to bolster its western defenses against the inevitable Anglo-American counterattack.

How did the French resist the German invasion of France?

Many Frenchmen (led most notably by Charles de Gaulle) maintained an honorable resistance to the Germans, even after the armistice. By 1944, a strong resistance movement in metropolitan France was supported by the infusion of large numbers of troops from North Africa and elsewhere.

Did France continue to fight in WW2 even after defeat?

So, as was the case with Poland, France did continue to fight, even after defeat. Nevertheless, the eventual course of World War II put an especially bad light on the decision of the French military and political hierarchy to cease resistance against Germany.

What happened to the Red Army in June of 1941?

Key point: The Red Army in June of 1941 was caught terribly off-balance, still reeling and reorganizing from Stalin’s purges. One of the most momentous decisions in history was Adolf Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941.

How powerful was Germany in WW2?

Germany had an efficient air force and navy, but it was primarily a continental power whose strength rested on its army.

Was Barbarossa delayed a gift to the Soviets?

Yet the catastrophic losses the Red Army suffered in 1941 would probably have been lower, leading to the possibility that Barbarossa delayed would have been a gift to the Soviets. Michael Peck is a contributing writer for the National Interest.

How did Operation Barbarossa change WW2?

Operation Barbarossa transformed Nazi Germany’s war from a one-front struggle, against a weakened Britain and a still-neutral United States, into a two-front conflict. The Eastern Front absorbed as much as three-quarters of the German army and inflicted two-thirds of German casualties.