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hitler
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what two factors were the most important in hitler losing ww2
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1) Starting on Russia before finishing off the UK. Therefore having to fight a War on two fronts
2) Declaring War on the USA in support of Japan. Japan did not declare war on Russia in return, Roosevelt would have been hard pushed to get Congress to declare war on Germany, the isolationist would have argued we have our War & the UK have their own, lets keep it separate. Rooservelt would have then struggled to divert War products away from the Pacific to Europe. Roosevelt and Churchill agreed very early on the Europe should take precedence over the Pacific as Germany was perceived to be the more dangerous threat.
2) Declaring War on the USA in support of Japan. Japan did not declare war on Russia in return, Roosevelt would have been hard pushed to get Congress to declare war on Germany, the isolationist would have argued we have our War & the UK have their own, lets keep it separate. Rooservelt would have then struggled to divert War products away from the Pacific to Europe. Roosevelt and Churchill agreed very early on the Europe should take precedence over the Pacific as Germany was perceived to be the more dangerous threat.
1. Fighting on two fronts
2. Not having a viable idea of what "winning" meant. Hitler was so ambitious about the extent to which an Greater German Reich would be expanded, that it was inevitable that an ever greater alliance would come to be ranged against it. In other words, it's impossible to conquer the whole world without annoying people.
2. Not having a viable idea of what "winning" meant. Hitler was so ambitious about the extent to which an Greater German Reich would be expanded, that it was inevitable that an ever greater alliance would come to be ranged against it. In other words, it's impossible to conquer the whole world without annoying people.
There were three main things I think. Firstly starting the second front. When the Germans took France they could have come across the channel and took Britain within days. We would not have been able to stop them.
This was partly our saving grace because when Hitler opened up the second front he did it in the knowledge, at that time, that Britain was ripe for picking whenever he wanted.
Secondly, as someone pointed out, he went to Russia ill equipped and at the wrong time of year. He also under-estimated the Russians, who the Nazis considered to be an inferior race and who put up a tremendous fight.
Thirdly Japan hitting Pearl Harbour caused the Yanks to enter the war. It is generally considered that if it was not for Pearl Harbour then the Americans would not have entered the war. Indeed some of the America's finest were hoping for a German victory so that Ireland could negotiate with Germany reference the joining of North and South Ireland.
Finally my Mother was not religeous but she did say many a time, if there is a God then he was on our side during that period because we were at Hitler's mercy for a long time.
BigAl1st,
The very fact Britain WASN'T 'ripe for the picking' was the reason Hitler called off his planned invasion in May 1941 and turned his attention towards the east (Operation Barbarossa) the following month. The Battle of Britain was won by the RAF (and allies) and Hitler failed to get air superiority so opened up the Russian front instead. Britain stood alone, and was victorious.
Therefore the two factors are:-
The Spitfire
Wearing the wrong underpants in Stalingrad
Nice idea henneth but a bit whimsical.
Hitler led an idealogical war and had no great beef with Britain. Air superiority or not the invasion of Britian would have been difficult but not impossible. We wouldnt have stood a chance. Hitlers big beef was with the Soviets - the taking of Europe was an almost unexpected bonus.
Germany would have gladly given up the western front but victory in the east was to be achieved 'at all costs'.
Hitler led an idealogical war and had no great beef with Britain. Air superiority or not the invasion of Britian would have been difficult but not impossible. We wouldnt have stood a chance. Hitlers big beef was with the Soviets - the taking of Europe was an almost unexpected bonus.
Germany would have gladly given up the western front but victory in the east was to be achieved 'at all costs'.
So Hitler's up in his Austrian summer house saying "I'll just bomb the living daylights out of London, Glasgow, Liverpool and Coventry but I've 'no great beef with England' .However I agree, Gary, that Russia was paramount to the Nazi war machine but the very fact that it was idealogical war on the west front and the Nazis blitzed the cities more than the airfields, resulting in Britain just about keep enough Spitfires flying to beat off Germany meant the Allies had a perfect springboard to launch the D-Day counter offensive in 1944.
Hitler may or may not have invaded. The fact is he didn't and Britain had the chance to resupply with help from her allies and head over the channel to Normandy to liberate France. Bad move on Adolf's part.
I'd also like to nominate Alan Turing and all those at Bletchley Park (Station X) as an important element in Hitler losing the war, however not one of the main two factors, but close enough.
Most of the contributing factors have been covered, but something else worth mentioning is Hitler's insistence in commanding the armies personally. On a few occasions this worked to the armies benefit as he put some backbone into some of his weaker generals. However, there are too many examples of where his interfering cost the army dearly. His insistence on a policy of no retreat on the Eastern front prevented his generals from conducting strategic withdrawals to stabilise the line, resulting in entire army groups being encircled and cut off, Stalingrad being an obvious example.
He lost because, 1. He shot himself and 2. He underestimated us Brits, his austrian/german arrogance got the better of him and he thought Germany was invincible, how wrong he was! Probably though something that put a big hole in Germanys defences was that we managed to crack the Enigma machine so being able to counteract anything!
