"The Black Monk" wrote in message
om...
"John Mullen" wrote in message
...


Yep, there still wasnt any oil in Siberia and that was the limiting
factor
for Japan.

Accepted. I still think it's an interesting thought experiment to
imagine
what happens if Germany and Japan get their act together and do some
proper
joint planning either before or even during the war. The Panama Canal
comes
to mind.

John

I think that Germany would only have had a chance if it had done what
Spengler envisioned it should do - become the leader of Europe. Had
Germany attacked the USSR with the motive of liberating its captive
peoples - through establishing friendly semi-puppet republics as was
done following Russia's collapse during World War I - it is likely
that Moscow would have fallen. And if I recall correctly, Stalin
would have been ready to offer terms had Moscow been taken.
Intelligent, not fanatic, leadership would have accepted such terms,

However intelligent leaders would not have embarked on such
a war in the first place. The lessons of history are clear enough
on the wisdom of invading Russia and frankly the possible gains
were never going to be worth the cost.


which would have meant the gain of the Baltics, Ukraine, and probably
the Caucuses.

The Caucasian oil fields were never really achievable. Even had the
German forces got across the mountains the Soviets had ample
time to blow up the facilities.

Keith