>>The BIGGEST mistake Hitler made was declaring war on the US after Pearl Harbor. Without the US Navy involved, it is unlikely that the Royal Navy, on it’s own, could have broken the U-boat strangle hold on the Atlantic. It was a close run thing as it was. The moment he declared war on the US, he had lost the war. After that, it was only a matter of knowing how many people would die. The ending was written in stone.<<
Perhaps, but Pearl Harbor was bombed on Dec 7, 1941, 6 months after Hitler abandoned his planned invasion of Britain and began his invasion of Russia. If he had not attacked England after conquering France, and focused on invading Russia in the early spring of 1941, it is doubtful Rosevelt’s lend-lease would have passed in March, 1941, rendering the U.S. less threatening. It is also likely that Germany would have defeated Russia that year, before the U.S. declared war on Japan.
Alternately, if Germany had focused on Britain’s war industry and airfields until an invasion was practical, before considering an invasion of Russia, the U.S. would not have been a factor.
In both scenarios, Mussolini’s recklessness, and Hitler’s loyalty to him, would be a factor, but much more so in the way history actually played out.
Mr. Kalamata
Without Hitler declaring war on the US, they would have only received the tiniest fraction of that from Britain before Britain went under.
What allowed Britain to hold on as long as it did was Hitler invading Norway. That was another colossal blunder. Norway handed over about 1600 ships from its merchant marine to the British when they extracted the Norwegian royal family.
Other than that, I agree with you.
SpyNavy
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)