No, Stalin wants a large buffer zone between the West and the Soviet Union. He also wants everywhere the Tsars held back.Hm, would the Soviets allow the Western Allies to have land in Poland, in exchange for land in Germany (assuming the Western Allies bagged most or all of Germany before the Soviets could get to it)?
Depends on what Joe wantsHm, would the Soviets allow the Western Allies to have land in Poland, in exchange for land in Germany (assuming the Western Allies bagged most or all of Germany before the Soviets could get to it)?
Weren't the Germans forced to disperse their industry by the early industry bombing attempts, which made transport all the more crucial? I.E. the German reaction to the industry bombing attempt set up the level of havoc that transportation attacks could later achieve?...The failure of both the British and Americans to realise that trying to bomb industry wasn’t going to be as effective as bombing transport assets...
Which wouldn't have been built without the experience of the bombing campaign in the first four years of the war.A lot of infrastructure attacks won't come off without the Tallboy/Grand Slam bombs.
As far as I can see the only thing which can really make any impact regarding determining what happens to post-WW2 Poland is who has boots on the ground there when Germany surrenders.In this timeline, especially if invading Europe on 1943, are the Allies not in a position to dictate terms to Stalin re: Poland? In both OTL and TTL both Britain and France went to war for Poland. This certainly seems like the UK has far more cards to play to protect its ally.
Look a bit harder about just what is being sent over for Lend-Lease, in light of stymieing such a rapid Soviet advance maybe?Tie continued Lend-Lease deliveries to an independent unoccupied Poland? In exchange the USSR does get prewar Memel? After the betrayal of Molotov-Ribbentrop, the USSR should've gained absolutely nothing.
Except a lot of lend-lease is coming from the USA, remember, and Roosevelt is more than happy to ship stuff to the Russians to get the fighting over and done with in Europe at the cost of as little American blood as possible, as soon as possible, so that he can then deal with Imperial Japan.Look a bit harder about just what is being sent over for Lend-Lease, in light of stymieing such a rapid Soviet advance maybe?
As little American blood as possible? Probably best to let the USAAF top brass know about that!Except a lot of lend-lease is coming from the USA, remember, and Roosevelt is more than happy to ship stuff to the Russians to get the fighting over and done with in Europe at the cost of as little American blood as possible, as soon as possible, so that he can then deal with Imperial Japan.
Even though the casualties to the 8th Air Force and Bomber Command were very heavy as a percentage of aircrew....As little American blood as possible? Probably best to let the USAAF top brass know about that!
I really don't see them beating the soviets to Warsaw
Except that the losses in the early stages went in Germany's favour.Even though the casualties to the 8th Air Force and Bomber Command were very heavy as a percentage of aircrew....
They were much smaller numerically would have been the case for a prolonged land campaign against stronger German land and air forces.
IMHO anyway.
That's a fair point.It isn't strictly speaking impossible, but the most likely method for it to occur is for the Germans to still be holding or at least breaking slowly in the East due to sending more resources while their forces are surrendering in the West.
Then Germany as a whole surrenders to Britain and/or America but not the Soviets, allowing those two to liberate the territories in their rear before surrendering themselves.
It isn't likely, but it is theoretically possible.
The other side of that, fighting through Germany to reach Poland just isn't happening. Even if you could have the troops and the will to accept the casualties, the Germans would completely collapse in the East by the time you reached Berlin simply from them no longer getting any supplies as the places producing them are no longer under German control.
Learning curve. Also irrelevant as the comparison is to the losses that would be sustained in a premature invasion and ground campaign.Except that the losses in the early stages went in Germany's favour.
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Except that there wouldn't be that much more death, because the Allies were actually really good at bombing within the limited range of their fighter escorts. It was the unescorted raids over Germany itself which caused most of the blood.Learning curve. Also irrelevant as the comparison is to the losses that would be sustained in a premature invasion and ground campaign.