Table of Contents

Foreword William R. Forstchen xi

Introduction Harold C. Deutsch xiii

1 Dress Rehearsal Crisis 1938 Harold C. Deutsch

A What if the Western Powers had forsworn appeasement sufficiently to permit German military conspirators to strike at Hitler? 1

B war had come in September 1938 instead of a year later? 7

C one of the foreign military attaché plots to assassinate Hitler in the early spring of 1939 had been carried out successfully? 13

2 August-September 1939 John K. Munholland

A What if Stalin had signed with the West? 20

B Hitler had recognized that the Western Powers would fight? 25

C the French had launched an all-out attack to help the Poles? 27

3 Phony and Hot War 1939-1940 Dennis E. Showalter

A What if the Germans had not invaded Scandinavia? 34

B the Germans had launched their main attack through Belgium instead of the Ardennes? 37

C the Germans had pushed the attack on Dunkirk? 41

D France had continued the war? 45

E Britain had sued for peace in 1940? 48

4 Hider's Attack on Russia

A What if the Germans had delayed Barbarossa until after dealing with Great Britain in 1942 or 1943? David M. Glantz 52

B Stalin had heeded clear warnings of the impending German attack and launched a preemptive attack as proposed by Zhukov? David M. Glantz 53

C Stalin had adopted the supposed Shaposhnikov proposal for concentrating defenses along the Stalin line (pre-1939 borders)? David M. Glantz 597

D Hitler had striven to make allies of the Soviet people? Samuel L Newland 59

5 Germany versus the Soviet Union David M. Glantz

German Intelligence and Soviet Realities 66

A What if German Army Group Center had continued its advance on Moscow rather than participating in the Kiev operation? 71

B the German 1942 summer offensive had been focused on Moscow or a single southern objective such as Stalingrad? 75

C the Japanese had joined the German attack prior to December 1941? 75

6 Pearl Harbor and its Consequences

A What if the Japanese Navy had launched a second strike against Pearl Harbor in December 1941? Walter S. Drea 79

B What if the United States had been able to read the Japanese naval code with the message of the upcoming attack? Walter S. Drea Frederick D. Parker 89

C What if Hitler had not declared war upon the United States after Pearl Harbor? Harold C. Deutsch Dennis E. Showalter 97

7 The Pacific War D. Clayton James Anne Wells

A What if MacArthur had been left to surrender on Corregidor? 104

B MacArthur had been obliged to bypass the Philippines? 108

C the allies had invaded Amoy and South Formosa? 115

8 The Mediterranean

A What if Hitler had pursued an all-out Mediterranean strategy in continuing the war with Britain? Harold C. Deutsch 119

B the allies had invaded Sardinia and Corsica in 1943? Carlo D'Este 130

C the allies had chosen the Ljubljana Gap instead of Anvil? Thomas M. Barker 134

9 The June 1944 Invasion

A What if the invasion had been attempted in 1942? or in 1943? Walter S. Dunn 145

B the Germans had detected that Operation Fortitude was a ruse? Carlo D'Este 150

C the allies had been repulsed on D-Day? Harold C. Deutsch Dennis E. Showalter 164

10 20 July 1944 Peter Hoffmann

A What if the allies had responded more favorably to German opposition appeals? 167

B Rommel had not become incapacitated on 17 July 1944? 168

C Hitler had been killed? 170

11 The Final Stage of the War in Europe David M. Glantz

A What if the allies had driven hard for Berlin? 174

12 The Ultra Secret Harold C. Deutsch

A What if Ultra had not been available before the Battles of France and Britain? 202

B for the war in North Africa, or for the Sicilian and Italian campaigns? 204

C for the Battle of the Atlantic? 206

D for the invasion of the continent? 207

E fullest advantage had been taken of the opportunities afforded by Ultra to conclude the war in Western Europe after the summer of 1944? 208

F Ultra had not been available during the Pacific War? 210

13 Hitler's Role Gerhard L. Weinberg

A What if Hitler had not held up rocket research? 213

B Hitler had not held up the Messerschmitt 262? 215

C Hitler had left soldiering to the soldiers? 217

14 The Conclusion of the Pacific War Paul Schratz

A What if the United States had responded favorably to Japanese peace overtures from the Emperor's entourage? 230

B the United States had not bribed the Soviets to enter the war? 232

C no A-bomb had existed or none had been dropped? 235

D a Japanese surrender had been sought by demonstrating the bomb? 237

E the allies had invaded Japanese homeland? 238

15 The War at Sea Robert M. Love

A What if Britain had rearmed earlier in the 1930s or had adopted a naval strategy consistent with her fleet strength? 242

B the British had not acquired Ultra and the ability to decipher the German U-boat command traffic? 244

C the Germans had adopted a naval building strategy more consistent with their resources and political objectives? 245

D the Japanese had adopted an entirely different building policy and strategy before they opted for a suicidal war with the western naval powers in 1941? 246

E the U.S. Navy had fully rearmed in the 1930s and had been truly prepared to fight a two ocean war? 250

F the Allies had invaded France in 1943? (the naval aspect) 252

16 The Air War

A What if the British had not devoted a major part of their war effort to strategic bombing? Richard J. Overy 255

B Hitler had pushed the development of the jet fighter? Bernard C. Nalty 260

C Allied strategic bombers had attacked German electrical power rather than the oil industry? Bernard C. Nalty 262

D General Kenney had persuaded General Arnold to deploy the B-29s to the Southwest Pacific? Herman S. Wolk 264

E What if the B-29 had not become operational at all in 1944? Herman S. Wolk? 268

17 What if Hitler had won the war? Harold C. Deutsch Dennis E. Showalter 272

A What if Hitler had been able to negotiate peace with Britain in June-July 1940? 273

B What if Germany had conquered Britain, most probably by invasion, in the summer of 1940? 277

C What if the Wehrmacht had defeated the Red Army in the summer and autumn of 1941 in Operation Barbarossa? 280

D What if peace or perhaps an open-ended "truce" had been negotiated between Germany and the Soviet Union in 1942-43? 282

About the authors 285