What went wrong most for Germany?

[plan_D]

Hitler was a good political leader, not military leader. Guderian was accepted by quite a few German General Staff officers by 1939. Hitler was only amazed by his work because it was new and technical.

Hitler into Stalin? A raving Communist that purged his Generals and threw men in pieces at the enemy with no tactics? The war made Hitler a fantasist and Stalin a realist.

Replaced the Blitzkrieg with Maginot Line tactics? What are you going on about? Maginot was not a tactic. And if you're refering to Hitler wanting static warfare, then that's wrong also. The lines of defence in Germany were much more intelligent. They relied on counter-attacks, mobile reserves and block defence rather than a static line.

Goering was a high Nazi official and a friend of Hitler. That's why he didn't bother him. Guderian requested that Goering be replaced in 1944 but Hitler explained the situation while admitting he knew that Goering was incompetant.

He'd have been better off with Russia but North Africa was a loss. Royal Navy supremacy secured his defeat.

And it's already been discussed about the Maus. It was a pointless and wasteful design. With no tactical or operational use.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I agree with everything that you said there. I think it is ironic though how Hitler would not replace him until 1945 right before he committed suicide because he disobeyed his orders. I believe he fired Himmler at the same time also.

[schwarzpanzer]

No he never sacked Himmler, or even Goering I think?

He stopped Goering being executed though at one point.

Both said they had "urgent business", Himmler was really going to secret talks with the Jewish council-somethingorother, Goering was just crapping himself IIRC?

[plan_D]

You mean right at the end? Goering reported to Hitler that he had taken over as Fuhrer...but then Doenitz became Reich-Fuhrer and Goering...waddled away. Himmler was too busy killing himself to care what people were doing.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

No on April 29, 1945 Hitler dictated his personal will and his political testamen. Hitler expelled Goering and Himmler from the Nazi party because of there disloyalty to his last minute commands. He then appointed Karl Doenitz President of the Reich and Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces. He then concluded "I myself and my wife - in order to escape the shame of overthrow or capitulation - choose death." Hitler then had his dog poisoned and poison was distributed to his secretaries. (most if not all did not take the poison though). At 3:15 PM of April 30th Eva Braun (whom he married on the 29th) took poison. At 3:30 PM Hitler blew a bullet through his mouth (so the story goes).

From my understanding the disloyalty that Goering and Himmler committed was sending SS General Karl Wolff to Northern Italy and Switzerland to try and make a peace with the Allies through Allen Dulles the head of O.S.S operations for Europe. One of the people he tried to work with Lyman Lemnitzer who became the U.S. Joint Chief of Staff and later the NATO Commander.

[plan_D]

I heard that Goering sent some message to Hitler saying he had taken over but...it obviously didn't last long. I knew that Hitler had expelled Goering from the Nazi party. I did not know about Himmler...however, we do know the fate of both men. Death by suicide. Goering at the Nuremburg trials.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Yep and Goebbels too. Except that he killed all of his children too.

[trackend]

I think Hindenburg was Germany's biggest problem he allowed Adolf in and failed to assist his people at all post 1918 he could have improved the nations lot immensely but was too weak to act against the reparations that where destroying the German nation.
Hitler showed that Germany could recover but went way too far the other way which resulted in the nation being destroyed for a second time in side 35 years.

[syscom3]

I think one of the reasons was many in the German Staff didnt understand the economic potential of the US. They saw a country still wracked in depression and having a 4th rate military. I dont think it occured to them what would happen if the factories started to mass produce weapons for war and not razor blades.

Theres a book "Why the Allies Won", which makes a point that the best generals in Germany commanded the field units, and the engineers and logisticians got the rest. In the US, it was the opposite. It explains why the Germans seemed to do so well in battle, but then have to withdraw from lack of support.

In the end, they lost more to attrition than anything else. Hitler had his role in it, but the mind set of the whole army also played a part.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Yes but that mindset of the Army was brouht on because Hitlers Cronies were in command of the Army.

[RAGMAN]

The biggest blunder is when Hitler declared war on the US when the US was going to concentrate on Japan only and not Germany. If Japan had shown the same loyalty and declared war on the Russia during the fall of 1941, Russia would have had to leave the troops near the japanese area and Moscow would have been open to attack.Or at the very least, Germany would not have been beaten so badly during the winter of 1941/42. A second mistake was when Hitler ordered the army into the Caucasus? leaving a huge salient that was a juicy target of attack for encirclement.(especially when the wing was guarded by other axis forces of dubious value)

[P38 Pilot]

Originally Posted by RAGMAN

The biggest blunder is when Hitler declared war on the US when the US was going to concentrate on Japan only and not Germany. If Japan had shown the same loyalty and declared war on the Russia during the fall of 1941, Russia would have had to leave the troops near the japanese area and Moscow would have been open to attack.Or at the very least, Germany would not have been beaten so badly during the winter of 1941/42. A second mistake was when Hitler ordered the army into the Caucasus? leaving a huge salient that was a juicy target of attack for encirclement.(especially when the wing was guarded by other axis forces of dubious value)

Exactly. Now guys heres something. Hitler hated communism. Russia was the largest country with communist. If Hitler had been smart, he would have allowed Russia to show itself and the true meaning of Communism to the allies. That way if Hitler had invaded Russia, he could of had the support of the other countries into doing this. There would have been a strong chance of Germany defeating the USSR.

Think about it. The Korean war or maybe even Vietnam would nver have happened. Why? Because USSR gave full support to Korea and China. Then later China and Russia gave guns, bombs, ammo and supplies to the North Vietnamese.

Hitler also could have handled the Jewish issue better. Instead of being evil and ordering their deaths, he could of had sent some out of the country. Thats it.

If Hitler had done this, he could have prevented 2 more wars that America would later fight. Also ridding the world of Communism and preventing the Cold War. We may have still fought with China, but we would have weakended them so badly Communism would have been destroyed.

Germany probably could have become a powerful country next to USA or UK. Hitler would have gone down as the leader who destroyed Communism and left it at that by not invading other countries beside Russia and recieving support from other nations. Germany would have been a leading power today. Almost as strong as the US. Germany would have been our allied when it came down to liberating countries.

The world would have been better if Hitler did this instead of invading Poland on September 1st, 1939.

Fascism, i dont think it would have lated but it would have changed too democracy very peacfully.

[Nonskimmer]

You are joking...aren't you? P-38, have you ever heard of a book called Mein Kampf? It's not an easy book to read, but I'd suggest that you give it a look sometime.

[evangilder]

I was wondering the same thing, NS...

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Originally Posted by P38 Pilot

Exactly. Now guys heres something. Hitler hated communism. Russia was the largest country with communist. If Hitler had been smart, he would have allowed Russia to show itself and the true meaning of Communism to the allies. That way if Hitler had invaded Russia, he could of had the support of the other countries into doing this. There would have been a strong chance of Germany defeating the USSR.

Think about it. The Korean war or maybe even Vietnam would nver have happened. Why? Because USSR gave full support to Korea and China. Then later China and Russia gave guns, bombs, ammo and supplies to the North Vietnamese.

Hitler also could have handled the Jewish issue better. Instead of being evil and ordering their deaths, he could of had sent some out of the country. Thats it.

If Hitler had done this, he could have prevented 2 more wars that America would later fight. Also ridding the world of Communism and preventing the Cold War. We may have still fought with China, but we would have weakended them so badly Communism would have been destroyed.

Germany probably could have become a powerful country next to USA or UK. Hitler would have gone down as the leader who destroyed Communism and left it at that by not invading other countries beside Russia and recieving support from other nations. Germany would have been a leading power today. Almost as strong as the US. Germany would have been our allied when it came down to liberating countries.

The world would have been better if Hitler did this instead of invading Poland on September 1st, 1939.

Fascism, i dont think it would have lated but it would have changed too democracy very peacfully.

Where do you come up with this?

Lets see the allies and the Soviet Union were fighting the same enemy so the US and England would not have just let Germany roam through Russia.

As for the Jewish Situation just like NS said read "Mein Kampf". An Evil Book but will give you an insight of what was going through Hitlers mind. Even if WW2 had not happened he probably would have doen the Holocaust anyhow.

Attack Russia instead of Poland? How would he do this? Please look at a map and see where Russia lies and where Germany lies. Poland is smack dap right between them. Hitler had to invade other countries in order to get to Russia and therefore the Allies would fight against Germany.

Read some History Books and not the ones that biased based off of one Countries exploits.