Hitler's Baffling Decision

[Bazile]

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 

 

[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]

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

I didn't say it was 

[Bazile]

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

sobering thought