What would happen if Britain was defeated in 1940 ?

A pretty huge and interesting 'what if'. So interesting in fact, that I think it deserves a thread of its own.



So, what would happen if Britain was defeated in 1940 ?

 

Depends on how it is defeated.
Does it recognise Germany as the winnner and makes peace?
Is it conquered by Germany?

 

Obviously it wouldn't be a huge base for the Western Allies, so whatever America would have wanted to do about Nazi Germany, they hardly could. In this scenario it all depends on whether the Soviets could have won it on their own. We already determined, in another topic, that it probably couldn't.

 

Tough question, I agree with the previous post which pointed out the difficult task facing the US without the bases in England. Beyond that, it all depends on the fate of the Royal navy. If they are turned over to the Germans, look out. However, I would imagine the proud Royal navy to refuse surrendering and carry on the fight under the command of some exiled leader. In that case, the US navy and the remnant of the British warships can still make the liberation of England and mainland Europe a remote possibility.
Also, with American support, it's highly doubtful that the British troops in Africa will surrender to the Africa Corps, nor Malta for that matter. Also, the US would never have allowed British colonies in the far east to be turned over to the Germans or Japanese either. Thus realistically the only territory the Germans will occupied will be the British main Island. Although it will be much more challenging, the US could still use the British bases in N Africa or mediterranean to launch assaults on Sicily, Italy, but a long-distance landing on the French coast would probably be out of the question.

 

There is a rather silly computer game (I forget the name, but it revolves around highly fictional aerial warfare after WW2) in which Germany has conquered the British Isles, and the Royal Navy (along with the British Colonies) joined forces with the Japanese (remember Japan did not 'join' the war against Britain until 1941 - so this is not impossible).

Silly, but an interesting idea.

 

Hitler wanted the Empire not to be conquered by the axis powers but rather put king Edward back on the throne and hope the Empire would listen to him rather than the king in exile in Canada.

 

Would they have listened to Edward, though? George VI was a popular ruler, from all that I've read about him.

 

Well for one thing the Royal family and Churchill, and High Command, with the Royal navy would have been evacuated to Canada. The plan did exsist, because of the very real possibility of German victory in Europe.

 

Well, then, they would have just had to drag ol' Eddie to Canada with them, wouldn't they? At gunpoint, if necessary. You just do not leave an asset like that behind for the enemy to use.

 

George may well have been a popular king but he didn't want the crown, It was forced upon him. The reason given was because of the love for Wallace Simson. Maybe the abdication was because of his closeness to the Germanic side of the Royal family.

 

I'm quite sure we wouldn't have had The Beatles or Def Leppard!

 

Yes you would but it would have all been in German.

While i was in Saudi one of my colleagues bought a Beatles tape, on the journey home he played it, the first song was....

Sie lieb mich, ja, ja, ja.
Sie lieb mich, ja, ja, ja.

Well it was funny at the time.

 

Wir leben alle in einen gelben U-Boot...

Like it, like it.

 

Oh, good grief... :roll:

 

Ja,ja!

 

Fluency in different languages fails to impress anyone. In a forum that primarily speaks English, it can be considered an insult to ones inelegance to carry on 'secret' conversations. We have the instant message system for that.

 

You are unfamiliar with Beatles songs?

"Sie lieb mich, ja, ja, ja.
Sie lieb mich, ja, ja, ja. "
Which they actually released in German, as here (a version of 'she loves you')

"Wir leben alle in einen gelben U-Boot..."
"We all live in a yellow submarine"

Agreed, except they are not. They are poking fun at what popular music would sound like if Britain spoke German, by putting simple, recognisable Beatles lyrics into German. Oh, and SturmTiger 'secretly' said 'yes, yes'. Please forgive him that sin.

:roll:

 

Since we already have moved into the outer limits of this topic; Do any of you remember those sketches Monty Python did for German television ? I haven´t seen them in a while, but they were re-recorded classics in which Cleese & co. spoke German as far as I can recall ( I don´t think they were dubbed ). Maybe these can be used as a pointer towards how British culture would survive under German rule ?

 

(dragging this back on topic - ish) Well, being as 'British culture' post-war was (mostly) a reaction to the severity of war-time living, I doubt it would be remotely similar under the Germans.
For a start, the Goons (Spike, Neddy, Peter) would not even have met.
The very name of their show was considered a bit 'risqe' by the Beeb, as 'goon' in wartime slang had meant 'German POW-camp guard' (It was originally called the Go-on show! ).
This is but one example of many.
Would the 'baby boom' have happened in the UK if WW2 had ended for us in 1940/41?
Being as Jazz was abhorrant to the Nazis, would Rock & Roll (and any similar forms of music) have faired any better?
The rise of teenage culture, long hair, fashion trends, consumer society, etc etc.

IMHO, post-war Nazi Britain would have been a very different place...

 

Was that the sketch of the Lumberjack song, with men in Lederhosen instead of mounties? :lol: