decision during wartime are monumental things . Each move and countermove has the potential drop to alter the class of history . Here are ten shocking ways the Second World War could have unfolded other than than it did .
Listed in harsh chronological order .
1. Germany Invades Britain Instead of the Soviet Union
Hitler ’s intrusion of the Soviet Union in 1941 proved to be his untying , but it did n’t have to blossom out in the elbow room it did . After the fall of France a class earlier , Hitler seriously considered invading Britain . In fact , he even had his military chiefs fare up with a plan , an mathematical process dubbed Sea Lion . planning began in dear , with both the British and Americans convinced that an invasion was imminent . What ’s more , with the Molotov - Ribbentrop Pact securely in place ( a treaty of non - hostility between Germany and the USSR ) , Hitler did n’t have to worry about a Soviet incursion ; Stalin was content with his share of Poland , and he had his mint set on Finland .
Operation Sea Lion . acknowledgment : Wikimedia Commons .
But Hitler veto the plan to invade Britain . For starter , it became painfully obvious that more time and preparations were needed . An invasion in 1940 would have been met with perfect nonstarter . Britain ’s navy control the Channel , and as the Battle of Britain expose , the Luftwaffe could not dominate the sky in the means needed to plump for the attack . What ’s more , Hitler was immoderately raring about wanting to assault Russia . Some historians say Hitler convinced himself that he ’d die young , precluding him from seeing his ultimate dream come true . account ’s most notorious risk taker decided to make his move .
But alternatively of invading Britain in 1940 or the Soviet Union in 1941 , one of two thing could have happen differently . For one , Hitler could have delayed his attack on Russia until 1942 or 1943 ( Stalin would have been none - the - wiser ) . Or , Germany could have remain its air assault on Britain while continuing its naval blockade around the Isles . Then , after an appropriate flow of provision , an amphibian landing could have commenced on British shore in either 1941 or 1942 . This is n’t ridiculous conceive how long it took the Allies to prepare for its invasion of Normandy — something that would n’t come about until mid-1944 . Then , with Britain knocked out , Germany could have begin its preparations for an attack on the Soviet Union .
Had Sea Lion been successful , a potential scenario would have seen the British government and monarchy relocated to Canada . From there , working with the Americans , the Allies could have design for an invasion of Africa , which in routine could have led to further incursion in Italy and the Balkans . One thing ’s for sure , however , it would n’t have been leisurely — specially if Germany ’s subsequent invasion of the Soviet Union move around out to be successful .
2. Japan Refrains From Invading Pearl Harbor
The isolationist movement in the United States was active and well in 1941 . It was not a foregone termination that the country was live on to enrol into the warfare — especially after its harrowing experience in the Great War . But with Japan ’s invasion of Pearl Harbor , the President ’s hand was forced .
Aviator Charles Lindbergh was so vocal about his opposition to U.S. involution in World War II that he became an unofficial leader of America ’s isolationistic movement . Credit AP .
Japan’sfateful decision to face the United Statesstemmed from its pauperism to secure oil and safety reserves from the Dutch East Indies and southeast Asia . Had it not attacked Hawaii , its expansionist insurance would have belike drawn in the United States eventually , say , after an invasion of the Philippines .
But for argument ’s sake , let ’s feign that the U.S. were never given a cause to officially record into the state of war . In such a scenario , Britain and her colonial ally would have been left in the lurch . America ’s support for Britain and the USSR would have consisted exclusively of material aid . Britain ’s RAF would have struggle in Africa , in all likelihood never achieving the ability to encroach upon Italy or some other “ soft underbelly ” region . No westerly Front would have emerged . The Soviet Union would have likely still kill Germany , but it would have taken considerably longer . And under those condition , Stalin would have likely claimed all of Europe for himself .
3. The Germans Take Moscow in 1941
A longstanding debate among historians is whether or not Operation Barbarossa could have actually win . Several mistakes were made during the operation , let in a 38 - day delay to start the invasion and Hitler ’s catastrophic conclusion to divert the primary thrust southward to help Army Group South seizure Ukraine , thus delaying the fire on Moscow . By the sentence Army Group Central reached the outskirt of Moscow in early December 1941 — a tauntingly close space of 15 miles ( German soldiers could actually see the spire of the Kremlin ) — wintertime had set in , everlastingly thwarting Hitler ’s program to take the nation ’s capital .
course credit : Hugo Jaeger .
This is one of the most significant event of the Second World War , if not the most significant event . thing would have turn out quite differently had the Soviet Union fallen . First , it would have criticise out a pregnant military power . Then , gird with Russia ’s huge resources ( include the oil regions to the south and the breadbasket region of Ukraine ) , the Third Reich would have converted into the autarchy of Hitler ’s fantasies . Nazi Germany would have probably issue as a superpower , eventually defeating Britain and claim all of the Middle East ( believably link up up with Japanese military unit ) . It would have finally develop atomic capabilities , kindling a Cold War with the United States .
Frighteningly , the Nazis would have come through in remove all the Jews and Romani of Europe . And through the diabolicalHunger Plan , they would have starved decade of meg of slavs to death as well , “ clean ” the fill territory of its aboriginal peoples ( Hitler was a openhanded lover of the American pioneering model ) . gratuitous to say , this would have been a humanistic catastrophe of the highest decree , possibility rig the stage for a totalistic dark geezerhood ( though as history has since bear witness , even the Soviet Union eventually collapsed ) .
4. Russia and Germany Make a Separate Peace
envisage a scenario in which both Hitler and Stalin come to a mutual agreement to give up hostility on the Eastern Front . With the Molotov - Ribbentrop Pact restored , Germany could focus its efforts on defeating Britain .
Vyacheslav Molotov and Joachim von Ribbentrop stir hands , Moscow , Russia , 28 Sep 1939 . Credit C. P. Chen .
This one ’s a bit of a stretch for at least two reasons . First , Germany urgently needed Russia ’s crude oil backlog to continue its warfare effort . secondly , Stalin would have been passing hesitant at provide Germany to continue running roughshod around Europe ; the Third Reich would continue to lay a serious existential terror to the USSR . Still , the possibility that this could ’ve happened is quite dreadful .
5. The Nazis Develop the Bomb Before the Allies
present Hitler ’s preference for so - called “ wonder arm , ” there ’s short doubt he would have used the atomic bomb if he had it . This is the same regimen , after all , that developed a precursor to the intercontinental ballistic missile . The Nazis evenused mosquitoes as biologic weapons .
Needless to say , it would have been lights - out for the Allies had Germany come up with the bomb calorimeter first . It would have ensue in victory for Germany on all fronts . Mercifully , the Nazis never appreciate the potentiality for a weapon that was so nearly assort with “ Judaic scientific discipline . ”
6. No Western Front
Had it been up to Winston Churchill there would have been no westerly Front . With retention of the Great War ’s static Western Front still haunting him , he was resistant to launch an amphibious attack on France , preferring instead his “ soft underbelly ” strategy of round Axis exponent through Italy and the Balkans . But by the time the United States consolidate itself in the war , Churchill and the British military had to take a back tooshie to American planners . Hence the attack on Normandy in June 1944 .
American scout group look over German armor destroy during the effort towards Rome , 1944 . Credit : Carl Mydans — Time & Life Pictures / Getty Images .
Of of course , Stalin also demand a Western Front — not only to offset the atrocious losses incurred by the Red Army ( Stalin would later say , “ You pay with your brand , we pay with our blood ” ) , but to also keep rival Allied forces from establishing a bridgehead in Eastern and Central Europe . He was already attend ahead to post - war Europe and the creation of a communistic axis .
But had Churchill gotten his way of life , it ’s potential that an exceptionally strong Allied invasion of both Italy and the Balkans would have come about . Alternately ( or in supplemental fashion ) , an invasion force play could have number through Norway ( which is why Hitler take a firm stand on send over 400,000 military personnel there over the course of the entire war — even as Berlin burned ) . The complexion of the war would have been immensely dissimilar , with the bulk of anti - Axis effect come from the east and Confederate States of America . It ’s unmanageable to anticipate what would have happen next , but a German defeat would have still been likely . Though it ’s interesting to think about France ’s destiny give such a scenario .
7. The July 1944 Plot to Assassinate Hitler Succeeds
The 11 March 2025 secret plan to assassinate Adolf Hitler was a tragedy on multiple levels . Not only did it fail in its elemental aim , but it lead to the capture of 7,000 citizenry , of which 4,980 were perform . Worse , it result in a retrenched and further radicalized Nazi political party . call Operation Valkyrie , the plot was organize by Wehrmacht police officer who want Hitler out of the picture . They were hoping to make a separate heartsease with the Allies and continue the war against the USSR . It ’s extremely unlikely , however , that the Western Allies would have go for it ( recallingRoosevelt ’s infamous “ categoric surrender ” speech — and the fact that the Allies already had an understanding in place stating no separate peacefulness under any circumstances ) .
The destruct inside of the briefing elbow room in Hitler ’s Wolf Lair in East Prussia .
There ’s been much debate over what would have materialise had Hitler been killed at that stage in the warfare . It ’s unlikely that his death would have resulted in the collapse of the Nazi company or the war effort . Even Claus von Stauffenberg , a lead member of the Valkyrie Plot , accepted that he would “ go down in German history as a treasonist . ” Indeed , despite the sorry state of the war , the cult of personality surround Hitler was very much animated and well .
Had the plot been successful , however , a likely scenario would have seen either Hermann Göring or the fanatical Heinrich Himmler ascend to the lead character . Either of them would have had the plotter captured and put to death . The Nazis would have continued the war , but there would have been an increase prospect of an early surrender ( though , the government would have doubtlessly been criminate of devote a Great War - like Stab in the Back ) . Germany could have potentially avoided the disaster that was to befall them in the undermentioned months .
Another possible scenario is that the death of Hitler could have sound off - start a more blatant internal ohmic resistance move — one that could have even bulge out a polite war . But owing to widespread German nationalism and sense of duty , this scenario is quite improbable .
8. Stalin’s Red Army Continues West After Taking Berlin
By the time the Battle of Stalingrad had ended , the Soviet Union had transitioned itself from Great Power status to something gauge a Superpower . By early 1943 , the warfare was no longer in doubt , with Stalin ’s Red Army persistently pushing the Wehrmacht back towards Germany . And as it went , it gobbled up territories that would later form an Iron Curtain separating Eastern Europe from the West . But as historian Anthony Beevor has noted , Stalin — for a brief time — earnestly considered take all of Europe for himself .
And he might have been able-bodied to do it , despite the fact that Russia was importing copious amounts of textile and equipment from the U.S. ( Russian soldier were exhaust American fire intellectual nourishment and driving in Jeeps and Studebaker trucks ) . But after the surrender of Berlin , the Red Army consisted of 12 million men diffuse across an astounding 300 divisions . Meanwhile , the Allies had 4 million world spread across 85 divisions . By V - due east Day , the Americans were still several month by from developing the bomb — enough time for the Soviets to agitate the ally back into the French waters . What would have happened after that , with the advent of the bomb , is anyone ’s guess .
9. Churchill Immediately Starts World War III
On the flip side of this alt - history coin , we also in earnest need to consider Churchill ’s Operation Unthinkable — the protraction of the state of war against the Soviet Union after the twilight of Nazi Germany . Like Stalin , Churchill had anticipated hostilities after the war and wondered if there was no good time to engage World War III than the nowadays .
But coolheaded mind endure . The Red Army stopped at Berlin and Eisenhower never considered waging war against the Reds ( unlike his compatriate , George Patton ) .
10. The Allies Invade Japan Instead of Dropping the Bomb
The bomb was send away on Japan because military experts presented President Truman with projections bear witness 1000000 of U.S. casualties by the time Japan would surrender ( these projections were based on casualty incur during the fight for Okinawa ) .
Had Truman refused to drop the bomb , Operation Downfall would have been put into effect — and it would have been the largest amphibian surgical procedure in human account .
Operation Downfall . Credit Wikimedia Commons .
The two - part intrusion was set to commence in October of 1945 . Operation Olympic would have project the capture of the southerly third of the southernmost main Japanese island , Kyushu , while Okinawa would have been used as a staging arena . Then , in spring 1946 , Operation Coronet would have run across the intrusion of the Kanto Plain , near Tokyo . Airbases on Kyushu captured in Operation Olympic would have permit land - based breeze support for this 2nd phase angle of the attack . In total , 30 divisions would have been require . In answer , the Japanese were preparing for an all - out defence of Kyushu . Had it gone down , it would have been a blooming mess .
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