hitler

[randy-andy]

what two factors were the most important in hitler losing ww2

[WoWo]

He used petrol tanks when he invaded Russia, but the Russians used Diesel.

[gary baldy]

There are huge books written on this so to narrow it down to two factors is impossible.
If i was to pushed i would say - fighting a war on two fronts and over stretching of the supply lines.

[heelmamapie]

1. Invading Russia during Autumn, and not bring winter clothes. It gets very cold!

2 . America butting into European (well and Asian)affaires!

[Whickerman]

1) Having a frankly dodgy moustache

2)Being on the German side, as they were the losers.

[NapoleonSolo]

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.

[bernardo]

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.

[Peter Pedant]

The consensus is that the two main factors were

takinng on Russian (and losing)

taking on America - and losing the war

[Big Al1st]

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.

[sire]

1. I would have thought that losing control of the skies to the RAF had something to do with it.

2. Not being able to take Stalingrad with an ill equiped army during the Russian winter.

[patc7641]

Yes, he under achieved didnt he.

[henneth]

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

[gary baldy]

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'.

[dilf]

getting married and then killing himself

[mike b]

German Army in Russia were supposed to have got mittens, but they hadn't...

[henneth]

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.

[Johnmof]

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.

[madein1978]

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!

[Poppy]

1) Because his feet were small- every time he did the goose step his shoes would fly off thus losing the respect of his people.

[coprinus00]

Hitler kept making decisions against his generals advice.

The only factor.

[mindimplode]

1. Generally offending/attacking/massacaring anybody nearby that didnt have blue eyes and blond hair.

2. He was a shortie.