Hitler's Baffling Decision

Bazile | 19:36 Wed 09th Oct 2024 | History

24 Answers

Hitler had the British forces trapped and surrounded at Dunkirk .

Yet he didn't, (to the fury of his generals )give the order to ' take them out ' ( thank god )

This decision has baffled historians ever since , who consider that his decision caused him to lose WW2

One theory is that the British upper class was sympathetic with the nazi ideology and Hitler was keen to broker a deal to leave Britain alone - hence Rudolph Hess trip to Scotland .

What sort of world would we be living in now , if he had made the alternative decision

With The Current Middle East Situation.......

George H W Bush

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sandyRoe

Whatever happened at Dunkirk the Americans would have got involved eventually.

They couldn't have afforded to let the Nazis build an empire stretching half way across the world.

Buenchico

A far more baffling decision, in my opinion, was for Germany to declare war on the USA.

Roosevelt was desperate to keep the USA out of the war in Europe, which was clearly greatly to Germany's advantage. When the USA declared war on Japan after the bombing of Pearl Harbour, things would appear to have been going even more in favour of Hitler because, with their forces already involved in a different war, the USA would be even less likely to want to join the conflict in Europe. So Hitler's decision to declare war on the USA, dragging US forces into fighting against his own troops, seemed to be totally illogical.

(Yes, I know that Germany had a pact with Japan but Hitler was perfectly happy to ignore international treaties elsewhere in the world).

>>> "What sort of world would we be living in now , if he had made the alternative decision "

I have little doubt that Europe would be a much better place now if Germany had won WWII.

jourdain2

Well, that is an interesting topic for debate, Buenchico. Not sure that I'm up to it at the moment - I'll give it some thought.

Canary42

Careful Chris, TTT will be accusing you next of hating your country.

Clone

If TTT had said it you would be calling him a Nazi sympathiser

Strange how it depends on who says it and not what is said.

douglas9401

Oooh, a grenade. It's been a while.

david small

I agree with Chris. Obvious really.

Hopkirk

Hitler invading Russia was a bit mad too

10ClarionSt

Despite losing the war and being totally wrecked, Germany went on to dominate Europe post war. One military adviser at the formation of NATO was Von Manstein, a leading Nazi general in the Russian campaign. Hitlers financial plans were also the basis of the Common Market.

People on here jokingly refer to the EU as the EUSSR, but I prefer the EUREICH, because it ended up with Germany dominating Europe financially and industrially.

Old_Geezer

They must be losing control then when their government has issues with what their EU imposes on them.

Khandro

It was Churchill who said, 'Take them out' not Hitler.

davebro3

Germany lost the war but won the peace.

Hitler was an idiot strategically - if he had left the conduct of the war to his generals the might well have "won" but I doubt if Germany would have been better off this 80 years later.

Bazile

Question Author

//it was Churchill who said, 'Take them out' not Hitler //

I didn't say it was

Bazile

Question Author

''if World War III is fought with nuclear weapons, then World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones''

sobering thought

ynnafymmi

Hitler invaded Russia telling his generals that it would be all over within six weeks....err,no.Putin invaded Ukraine telling his generals that it would be all over within six weeks...err,no.When will these fascist bastrads ever learn?