I dunno, maybe Austria refuses to become part of Germany?

The Russian revolution dosent happen?

Im out of ideas.

__________________
"The perfect Aryan is as tall as Goebbels, as fit as Goering, as blond as Hitler, as handsome as Himmler and has a name such as Rosenberg."
"

Thinking about one single event that would have a wide reaching effect on World War II... one comes to mind. The Allied cracking of the Enigma code that led to ULTRA. I am fairly sure that if this wasn't cracked, probably the Germans might have performed better in some battles than they did historically. However, I am fairly sure that even without ULTRA, the Allies would have found some other way to adapt.

The Germans did have one very faulty machine called HITLER...

__________________

Hmmm... I was reviewing a book on Guadalcanal and I realized that some of the events there could fit Otto's thread.
First event: The landing of Marines and withdrawal of the Navy.
First off, the Navy had lost several ships and Australia a cruiser so the admiral decided to withdraw without completely landing the Marine division's equipment and supplies. The single event here was fortunately, the Marines were able to use the captured Japanese engineering equipment. If the Marines weren't able to, Henderson Field wouldn't be operational in time to receive the planes that were instrumental in helping ward the Japanese off.
Second event: The Japanese understanding of the Marine landing in Guadalcanal. They thought it was just a raid and that there were at most 2,000 Marines on the island. This underestimation of US strength there led to many miscalculations and resulted in piecemeal attacks. Had the Japanese properly estimated the US strength, it is within the realm of possibility that they could have reacted with enough force before US strength peaked. That period would've been when Henderson Field wasn't fully operational and the Marines were subsisting on the little supplies they had been able to get onshore besides the captured Japanese supplies.

Two events that I think could have altered the outcome of the second World War are:

1) Einstein's letter to FDR - Had FDR not acted on the concerns and cautions of Einstein perhaps the fighting in the Pacific might have lasted several more years with many more fatalities in Operation Olympic (Japan invasion). Here's a link to the letter:
Einstein's letter to Roosevelt, August 2, 1939

2) Hitler's Decision to use the Me262 as a fighter-bomber - Had Hitler allowed Goering to use the Me-262 as a pure fighter and devoted more resources to it production (probably preventing further development and manufacturing of the V-2 and follow ons) the US bombing campaign might have been seriously extended.
HowStuffWorks "Messerschmitt Me 262"

__________________
__________________________________________

“The first lesson is that you can't lose a war if you have command of the air,
and you can't win a war if you haven't.” - General Jimmy Doolittle

WWII ever starting! then again if there was no world war 2 i wouldnt have found this enjoyable intresting site!

This has been discussed at length here (and on many other boards). The answer is always the same: It would have had no significant impact on the war. Read for yourself.

What if the Me-262 was created earlier?

Exactly It always amazes me that some think that the introduction of one weapon would have that much effect on the war. The only one that would have and did would have been the Atom bomb.

__________________


For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman.

1937 Stalin is 'Purged' along with the NKVD. The RKKA Marshalls do not actually take over but ensure no one remaining party man can make himself a dictator, thus heading the Communist Party towards a the sort of democracy the Soviet constitution outlined.

1938-1939 ...that leads to the USSR forming a alliance with France, despite the British leaders fears and reluctance, and when the moment comes a Soviet declaration of war in conjuction with the French.

__________________
I forgot my password, can I use yours?

one thing just one thing? ok, Hitler calls off operation Barbarossa.

__________________

:d ead:
K I L L H I T L E R

__________________

Trotsky being in front of the Soviets instead of Stalin.



Cheers...

In fact, the Bismarck was hit with a one in a million shot that permanently disabled it's rudder, but...

What if that shot had missed and the Bismarck made it to Brest to join up with Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, and Prinz Eugen?

May 1941-Bismarck makes it to Brest.

August 1941-just as repairs are completing, British heavy bombers hit the port. The ships are damaged and need further repairs.

December 1941-As America enters the war, the battle force leaves Brest and wreaks havoc on the convoy system. American press forces Washington to commit substantial naval forces, setting up a gigantic, multiple nation, sea battle.

__________________
Fighter pilots make movies. Bomber pilots make history.

I'd seriously take the Holocaust out of World War II. I've been reading 'The Apparatus of Death' and it is so hard to imagine their are people who would do these horrible monstrous things to people who hadnt done a thing to deserve it. Men, women, children, they cared not and it disgusts me.

Bill

In a story that twenty five years later beame a movie, writer Chris Claremont wrote:"Were it not for the depths of grief, we wouldn't know the heights of joy and happiness."

Because of what the nazis did 60-70 years ago, we know that there is absolute evil in this world. We know that there are inherent dangers in isolationism. Prior to WW2, most people in the U.S. were deadset against getting involved in yet another european conflict. They felt that the blood of too many young American boys had been shed, and enough was enough. But, as Americans learned that their reluctance to get involved may have cost the lives of millions of innocent people, there was guilt that backed up the need for a prolonged occupation of both Japan and Germany. There was no question about whether or not we should be there. Here, 63 years later, we are still there.

Because history is so very poorly taught in this country, most people don't understand the need for a prolonged US presence in Iraq-where genocide also occured.

__________________
Fighter pilots make movies. Bomber pilots make history.

Calais is OVERLORD: Just as Hitler anticipated; Calais is being attacked by the main Allied force with a much smaller force is attempting a distraction in Normandy. The Allies send a lager amount of Boats to Calais in hope of overrunning the (hopefully) Infantry divisions while the Panzers high tail it for Normandy but that is not so. But weather comes in too effect and the recon flights dont get a good look at the volume of Panzers present and the Paratroops run into heavy Flak fire from the city and the region and the jumps are largely unsuccesfull. The Naval Bombardment is of some success but as the Super-Fleet is in a smaller area (By that I mean a Closer area to the Continent) U-Boats can cause a significant amount of Casualties on Supply ships and Attack ships. The Luftwaffe in France can attack attack the Ships that leave the Herd to find the U-Boats and the Allies can be in Dissaray. Meanwhile the landings are going on while Panzers have a chance at shooting some Landing craft while for sure they destroy a large amount of the Allied soldiers. The Allies, believing that they can crack open Calais( Regarding Weather playing a factor with watching the battle) send more waves while only; unknown to them, The beaches become heavily littered with Bodies. In frustration the Allies pull back to England somewhat tattered and Very badly weakened in morale. Allied soldiers in Normandy are Captured and Killed with the battlegroup from there retreating.

END RESULT: Allied morale has dropped low and it will be quite awhile until they can build up again. German morale increases and Hitler and his staff Boast around Europe the superiority of Germans. The Holocaust is continuing until possibly all Jews in Europe are gone. The Soviets dont have their "Second front" and the War drags on for months or even Years. The Me-262 production is moderated resulting in enough fuel for the planes to be flown which would lead too more Allied Bombers to be shot down and the German Industry can recover somewhat. The War will continue for an unknown amount of time.




Casualties: Allies 200-300 ships,400 aircraft downed, 250 DDs destroyed, 10,000 dead 5,000 missing or captured.
Axis: 70 U-Boats sunk, 200 aircraft downed, 50 Tanks destroyed and 4000 dead.

Feel free to question my theory or Post your own version.

-Totenkopf

__________________
"The perfect Aryan is as tall as Goebbels, as fit as Goering, as blond as Hitler, as handsome as Himmler and has a name such as Rosenberg."
"

Lias Co Pilot:

Honestly I believe that since we are there we will get the job done.(In Iraq) If it was the UN I'd be really worried(Please read: Shake Hands with the Devil, by Lt. General Romeo Dallaire) It's an awful, awful event to take place. If the holocaust or any other form of genocide doesnt make your blood boil, what will.


Bill

My top complaint is man's inhumanity to man. I came of age in the 70's, and was a young adult in the 80's. I remember seeing that many of the movies I liked had nudity in them, but suddenly, the public became squeamish about nudity, and thirsted for entertainment that had blood, torture, and gore.

In recent days, I've read of teens doing atrocious acts, like microwaving a cat, or dismembering a woman so that her daughter and her boyfriend wouldn't have to live by rules. I fear that too many have been influenced by a violence soaked media, which in turns coarsens society, and creates people desensitized to violence....and it's after affects.

It's the after affects that people don't consider, or think about. I was horrifically abused as a child, then I joined the Marine Corps and went into spec ops. Needless to say, I have PTSD. I've had nearly a decade of counseling and therapy, but parts of it will never ever go away.

I am easily startled and I nearly decked a janitor who snuck into my office the other night. Lia knows to wake me a certain way, and she gives me space when I need it. She doesn't take it personally and she doesn't push me. Now that guys are coming back from Iraq going through the same crap I went through, I sympathize and wish them a quick recovery. I know that violence soaked entertainment doesn't help them. A graphic violence scene in a movie will cost me at least two weeks of nightmares. I wish people weren't so selfish and consider that others are going to have serious trouble with what they consider entertainment.

__________________
Fighter pilots make movies. Bomber pilots make history.

__________________

Those who kept silent yesterday will remain silent tomorrow"
~Elie Wiesel~

__________________
If you gave one person an order, he might not obey; but If you gave it to a group of people , they would all obey.