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I'm thinking a greater French involvement in Barbarossa. Legion of French Volunteers Against Bolshevism - WikipediaGermany doesn't get to loot France or stock up on British left overs.
I don't think that goes down. Otherwise, is Britain declaring war on France, addition to Germany and Italy?I think Mers-el-Kebir spells out the British attitude very clearly.
I don't think that goes down. Otherwise, is Britain declaring war on France, addition to Germany and Italy?
Germany might gladly buy them from France, at a good price. Along with some French aircraft.No stockpiles of Gnome-Rhone engines for various Luftwaffe aircraft plus no captured aircraft for Finland or Bulgaria, either.
I have been waiting years to work in "Perfidious Albion".
The Germans still have Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands to operate from, but no matter the range, my guess is these Germans don't bomb British cities nor torpedo British trade anyway. Germany must soon move on the USSR, since if Berlin is paying for rather than stealing French agricultural and industrial resources to feed Germany's forces and people, it will soon run out of money, especially in the RN conducts a blockade of French and German-owned ports so that there's no trade. I wonder what the Italians are up to.Well, if German forces don't occupy France, then there's no Battle of Britain because the Luftwaffe won't have the range to hit the UK from bases in Germany. As others have noted with the U-boats, ANY Kriegsmarine operations in the Channel/North Sea become far more risky as the RAF will, by default, have air supremacy and the RN can operate almost without constraint.
Germany got quite a bit of material, including food, conscripted labor, and horses from France. If they actually had to pay for that, Germany would need to steal more gold.In 1871, Germany conquered France, signed a treaty, and then with the exception of small bits of French territory mainly Alsace-Lorraine the Germans left. This was Bismarck's brilliance, crush the enemy, then withdraw so that you needn't cover the expense of occupation.
Let's do the same in 1939-40. Germany defeats France in June 1940. But instead of setting up a Vichy puppet regime, Germany signs a peace agreement with France, and entirely withdraws from French territory. In the Treaty, in exchange for a full German withdraw from French pre-Sept 1939 territory, France agrees not to fight the Germans and to remain neutral with respects to any of Germany's enemies, namely the British Empire. Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands are not so lucky and remain under German occupation. In Italy, having just invaded southern France, Mussolini is not informed of Germany's plan, with Hitler advising Paris that how France dealt with Italy was their concern. In short order the French soundly defeat and oust the Italians from France, leaving a humiliated Mussolini to entreat with the French. Germany now reaches out to Britain for an armistice, meanwhile Italy is now in no condition to commence new offensives in North Africa. What does Britain do now?
Germany is definitely in a pickle money-wise. They've got Norway, but that was always a bad move, since the Norwegians would have preferred to have remained neutral and traded with everyone, like the Swedes. Best to move up Barbarossa.Germany got quite a bit of material, including food, conscripted labor, and horses from France. If they actually had to pay for that, Germany would need to steal more gold.
I think this speaks to why the Axis forces committed their actions. Why did Japan invade Manchuria and get involved with China during the Second Sino-Japanese War? Why did Italy invade and annex Ethiopia? Why did Germany re-occupy the Rhine Valley pretty much as soon as the Versailles Treaty expired, annex Austria, the Sudetenland, and the rest of Czechoslovakia before invading Poland?So so much wrong with this.
Hitler has proven he can't be trusted.
Germany has no money to buy French War material.
That was the reason for the Invasion, steal stuff.
The Germans only have about 50 U- boats.
The French Aircraft for the Allies are a sprinkling of cheese on the Whole meal.
Germany got several thousand cannon, and ammo,.
Several thousand tanks, even if used for tractors.
Thousand of trucks, motor vehicles.
And Germany cannot trust an armed France not to attack in 1941 when Germany Attacks Russia So Germany needs to keep many Divisions (even 2nd rate) in west.
What Happens in the Trasitition?
End of June and July. If Germany goes back to Belgian border British Air Defense just got Easier.
Might take waiting until 1942, maybe 1943, if you have to build everything your self rather than steal it.Best to move up Barbarossa.