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It was clear the USA was going to be in WW2 in 1939/40. The top US politicos knew this. When France was falling, in May 1940 Roosevelt announced the USA was to make an amazing 50,000 planes per year. This level of production was clearly not for just defence. I am not really into what ifs, but a few have always been at the back of my mind.
What if the USA declared war on Germany in June 1940. US troops could have assisted the UK in North Africa and ensured the Germans never got a foothold in Africa (although it has been said that the Brits should have done that by not diverting troops from Africa to Greece). Vichy French in Africa and Syria would be eliminated. Controlling all the southern Med coast and Middle East would have made matters very much easier an ensure a prime war zone was on the European continent. The US fleet was substantial indeed. Germany would have used U-Boats against US shipping, but in June 1940 they had few U-Boats. The USA would accelerate its anti-sub operations and make the relevant equipment
Then, would Germany have invaded the USSR? The USSR was supplying Germany who were facing the British Empire and the USA. Would they have been so cavalier to invade?
The US and UK would have made invasion plans immediately. If the Germans did invaded the USSR that was the time for an invasion while German forces are facing the Soviets.
Would Germany have made for peace? Would the USSR sided with the US and UK to force Germany?
One thing is clear is that advantage is with the allies.
Hitler wouldn't have changed his timetable for Barbarossa. By all accounts he minimized the US as a fighting force so we wouldn't have even made an impression on him.
Keep in mind that many in the German High Command thought that the invasion should be put off until the 1943 or later time frame to allow the Wehrmacht to upgrade its weapons and training.
In 1940 the war was not as important to most of the US, it was thought of similar to the European squabbles going on in eastern Europe and Ukraine today. But when Pearl Harbor happened, Roosevelt finally had an issue Americans could rally around and...the rest is history..
Hitler's troops never really thought the Americans would be in Europe again until they saw us and other countries coming ashore at Normandy...
Hitler wouldn't have changed his timetable for Barbarossa. By all accounts he minimized the US as a fighting force so we wouldn't have even made an impression on him.
This economic background partially influenced Hitler's decision to invade the USSR. The USSR had the natural resources that would enable European industry to out-produce Britain and America and face the coming air war - the USA announced in May 1940 it would produce 50,000 planes per year, on top of UK production. The coming air war, with or with US pilots, was the prompt invade the USSR in June 1941. But if the UK and US had secured the North African coast and US troops were in the UK with also a US bomber force accumulating and starting to bomb Germany with the RAF in late 1940, would Hitler have even thought of invading the USSR. The USSR was providing Germany with material resources. The Battle of Britain probably would not have happened and an invasion of the UK was clearly out. Germany having to face the RN and USN with no navy is quite daunting.
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Keep in mind that many in the German High Command thought that the invasion should be put off until the 1943 or later time frame to allow the Wehrmacht to upgrade its weapons and training.
I assume an invasion of the USSR. Hitler knew that a plane from conception to delivery takes 18 months. From May 1940 that is late 1941 and by mid 1942 waves of planes will be going Hitler's way - which happened. Hitler went for the resources of the USSR to combat the coming air war. If Roosevelt had not said that, he would not have invaded. If the US was in from May 1940 would he have done such a thing with invasion armies mustering in the UK? A two front war he did not want.
Would have Mussolini declared war if the USA was in from May 1940? Italy declared war on the UK and France on 10 June 1040. This means the RN and USN would concentrate on Germany and largely be out of the Med.
Hitler's whole reason for being was to conquer the USSR. For him everything else was ancillary. You're using that reference you used a while ago where the author makes some very strange (and incorrect) postulations aren't you?
In 1940 the war was not as important to most of the US, it was thought of similar to the European squabbles going on in eastern Europe and Ukraine today. But when Pearl Harbor happened, Roosevelt finally had an issue Americans could rally around and...the rest is history..
Hitler's troops never really thought the Americans would be in Europe again until they saw us and other countries coming ashore at Normandy...
Read the first post. It is what if. If the US was in from May 1940.
Hitler's whole reason for being was to conquer the USSR. For him everything else was ancillary. You're using that reference you used a while ago where the author makes some very strange (and incorrect) postulations aren't you?
Adam Tooze was correct. Hitler wanted the USSR as a part of a Greater Germany in the long term and then deal with the USA. But if the US was there in May 1940 would Hitler have invaded the USSR? This leaves him naked in the west with the UK and US ready to invade France.
I think the major impact would have been on the timetable for the invasion of Europe (and previous invasions). It also could have affected Japan's decision to go to war against the US, either way. Either way, WWII would have ended more quickly assuming Germany got bogged down in Russia.
I think the major impact would have been on the timetable for the invasion of Europe (and previous invasions). It also could have affected Japan's decision to go to war against the US, either way. Either way, WWII would have ended more quickly assuming Germany got bogged down in Russia.
You have to put yourself in May/June 1940. Look around and see what all have and what they were thinking. Being wise in hindsight does not help here.
So, major questions:
Would have Mussolini declared war in June 1940 with the USA in the war?
What prompted Japan to declare war on the British Empire and the USA in Dec 1941 was that they thought the USSR was about to fall - it never and they were facing the world's two largest economies - exactly what they never wanted. Would have Japan been so foolish to declare war on the UK & US if Germany was not pushing back the USSR?
Would have Germany invaded the USSR? Recall that Germany invaded the USSR in June 1941 only for its resources when the USA was not in the war. Invading the USSR mean they leaves the western flank open to invasion by the UK & USA.
Another consideration is that the US was building all those planes in 1940.. We didn't really have our infrastructure built up at that time.. We were ramping it up.. But it wasn't 'ready' at that time. "What ifs" are impossible to know for sure, however.. My feeling, entering in 1939 or 40, more than anything would have just meant more US casualties. Not a quicker end to the war.
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