by Dan Blade

Created on: June 24, 2009

When Germany lost World War II in 1945, they probably never dreamed this would occur because they were so confident in their abilities. Initially the country started off strong in the War during 1939 at the Invasion of Poland, and it was not until 1943 they began to falter.

Could have Germany won World War II? With a little hindsight and avoiding disastrous military blunders they could have written history much differently than we currently know it. The unification of Germany and Austria, and the taking of Czechoslovakia went like clock work. At the strategic and operational levels the invasion of Poland was flawless.

So what went so wrong for the new German Empire?

*Keeping allies in check

Spain: For the short term, signing the non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union allowed Germany to take half of Poland without having to face the weigh of their military. The immediate consequence was the loss of Spain as an ally. Frank Franco had fought the Soviets army in proxy during the Spanish Civil War.

Franco was not about to stay aligned to any country with a treaty to the USSR. Beginning able to maintain the alliance with Spain, bring it in as an Axis country would have closed off the Mediterranean of to the Allies. Once France had fallen the Axis would have controlled both the North and Southern approaches to the Mediterranean. This would have allowed all of Northern Africa to be captured.

Japan: The greatest blunder committed by Germany was not keeping Japan from attacking Pearl Harbor, thus bringing the United States into the War. Up to this point, the United States was generally neutral, but providing some aid to the Allies.

A history without Pearl Harbor would have delayed the U.S. entering the war and would have reduced its involvement. Peace movements in the U.S., like America First would have tempered the support of the war. The less than total war mentality would have given the Axis powers the breathing room they needed to take on the Allies one at a time as opposed to all at once.

*Invasion of Crete

British Intelligence fed the German Empire faulty information about the movement to fortify the Island of Crete and the Mediterranean. In response Germany invaded the Island of Crete with airborne Division and a Alpine Elite Division (relegated to an air-land element).

In the end the invasion was successful and reaffirmed the ability of vertical envelopment, but at a cost. The two divisions were shattered by the attack, the sea tail supporting

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