[kabar]

The Germans who stayed in Europe were weak, timid, and easily led.

Weak? Timid? Tell that to the Russians, British, French, Poles, et. al. The German soldier may have been the best ever fielded by any country. They were fighting against much greater forces and still almost succeeded. If they had obtained a nuclear weapon first, it would have been a much different story.

[MuttTheHoople]

Compared to our Germans, they were. They spent years getting for war, while our guys learned on the fly. And we kicked their ass.

[Cronos]

I don't think the German "soldier" was better or braver on average. What he was, was well equipped and with good planning on his side -- very good planning, strategy, tactics and supply chain.

In the battle against Poland, the Germans had far superior weaponry and were able to attack at will (Poland being basically defenseless at that time due to its bulge to the east that had no natural barriers unlike now with the Oder-Neisse)

IN the battle against France, the Germans had inferior weaponry (French tanks and guns and artillery at that time were superior), but had superior tactics and far greater mobility.

Against the Soviet union they had the initial advantage of modern equipment but couldn't compete with Russian land advantage. If they had had better tactics and had consolidated, then things would have been different. Instead they targetted Moscow during winter -- insanity