Danzig or War

[enigma]

Playing HOI2 as Germany and its that time ... the final mommet where war can be avoided - The polish corridor - Danzig.


Which made me think, if 1 of 2 things had of happened,

A - Poland handed Danzig over to Germany or
B - Germany backed down

What would have happened? It has been speculated, quite fairly too that the Soviets would have attacked Germany if they had not attacked them 1st. But with Poland in the middle as a buffer state ... would have they went after Germany still?

Would have World War 2 happened at all?

Just wondering about it, so what are your thoughts?

Edit: found a map lol
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2b/Second_World_War_europe.PNG

[sid]

I don't Stalin Would've attacked Germany even though his Generals wanted him too. He still believed there could be peace even when Germany attacked, he ordered that Soviet defenders shouldn't resist the German attacks.

[enigma]

Aye but that was in '41 while there army was rebuilding, new weapons, tactics etc being introuduced into the army after its humilinating defeats and the purges.
They would have struck eventually* ... but if Poland had not have been attacked, if Germany had backed down .. would have they struck at-all?

*i mean look at there track record pior to '41

[sid]

Did Germany send most of her army into Poland? If so maybe the Soviets could have encirlced and destyoyed it, but that isn't really there style and look what happened in Finland.

[enigma]

When they where building up for Barbarossia they did, and would have sent quite a large force into Poland (iirc only a small force held the West Wall) during the 1939 invasion.

However the big What if here, is what would have happened if they had backed down over Danzig and thus not casued the war.

[sid]

I think Hitler Would've gone to war with Russia Eventually. All he set out to do was to take Russain Territory for the Reich. I think if Britain and France had stopped Germany taking the Rhineland then maybe Hitler would've backed down as I don't think Hitler ever intended to go to war with Britian and I read somewhere that he admired Britian.

[enigma]

I read somewhere that he admired Britian.
Well who can blame him :D


I know he was after Living Space in Russia ... but with Poland in the way and backing down over Danzig to avoid war with the western powers what would have happened.
Find another reason to fight Poland? do more of those pitful propaganda stunts (shooting aload of POWs and claime the poles attacked), clame the self defence card or that poland started it?

[sid]

I think if Poland had handed Danzig over Germany would still have entually invaded. I think it would just be holding off the inevitable.

[OliverMarshall]

There is also an incidentg before that in the game where as Britain you offer Poland protection and if it would like to join the Allies. At one time I was Britain sent the offer and Poland refused!:eek: :confused:

[sid]

I think that happened on one of my games, I can't remember who I was playing as, but either Britian Didn't care about Poland and didn't declaer war or Germany backed down.

[EvilHobo]

I don't Stalin Would've attacked Germany even though his Generals wanted him too. He still believed there could be peace even when Germany attacked, he ordered that Soviet defenders shouldn't resist the German attacks.

No. No. No. Stalin wanted to attack Germany; peace was only there to gain time for the build up of the Red Army to the point where it would be able to fight the Wehrmacht. Orders not to resist were due to Stalin being unable to believe that Germany would attack, likely believing that the war against the Allies would be continued and that orders to fire upon Germans may lead to war against Germany if there wasn't already one (to him). Paranoid man, that Stalin.

[sid]

I knew it was something like that:p .

[enigma]

If Poland had still exisited at this point would have Stalin just marched right on through?