![]() Sweden helped Finland during Winter War and Finns fought against SU because of harsh peace treaty after Winter War. The German conquest of Sweden would upset Finns. That would have been ironic indeed.Īnother issue is how Finland react. What if Swedes decide to destroy their iron ore mines? Germans could conquer Sweden but they can´t use Swedish resources to help their industry. At that time, Germany needed Swedish iron ore. That would have been hard and time consuming. Another issue would be to pacify large country like Sweden. That was possible if they would have had such a large force. Certainly, Germany could deploy these forces to conquer Sweden but what would have been the price elsewhere? It would have made easier for Allies to gain air superiority and to defeat German ground forces. At that time, Germany needed all available forces to fight against Allies. They could have took those forces from France, Eastern Front or from reinforcements.Īnyway, executing that plan would most likely decrease German military strength elsewere. It was possible to do it but Germany´s resources were limited. They needed at least one or two thousand planes and the bulk of their navy. If Germany wanted to execute that plan in 1942 or 1943, they would have needed some 500k men to do it. I think that was mostly a plan on the paper. ![]() They may be wrong, but clearly they do not think so.I have heard that plan as well. That the Germans should have placed at least a hundred of their divisions, which means the best of their Army, upon the enormous Russian frontiers shows their complete confidence that they will be able to fight the Russian campaign undisturbed on other European fronts. ![]() Soviet Russian policy towards Germany has been almost unbelievably stupid, but there was never trust in the German Government. The political propaganda campaign preceding Germany’s aggression had, after all, lasted for nearly twenty years, and even in the past two years the Germans had not stopped reading Mein Kampf in the purely imperial aspects the anti-Russian ideas in that work were an ancient German heritage.īut it seems inconceivable that the Russians were not militarily fully on guard. No demands or negotiations preceded this German attack for the simple reason that the Russians were to be completely surprised by the tearing up of the German-Russian Non-aggression Treaty overnight. The Germans will devote stupendous effort to try in Russia as elsewhere to obtain a quick decision. There is no doubt that the German attack upon Soviet Russia was long and carefully planned by the German General Staff. Rome radio said Italy now considered herself at war with Russia. The Moscow radio, heard in Stockholm last night, said that an alliance between Russia, Britain, and the United States was now under consideration. He predicted that Hitler would meet the same fate as Napoleon. To this Mr Molotoff, the Soviet Vice-Premier, replied with a broadcast statement in which he said that all responsibility for this “robber attack” fell on Hitler and his “bloodthirsty clique” of oppressors. Some Moscow reports speak of a revolt in Estonia.Ī proclamation by Hitler announcing that the German armies were on the march accused Russia of “working with Britain for the same ends,” condemned the Russian occupation of the Baltic states as “directed only against Germany,” and declared, “Bolshevism is opposed to National Socialism in deadly enmity.” Ribbentrop, in a note handed to the Soviet Ambassador in Berlin, alleged that Sir Stafford Cripps had been negotiating in Moscow for “still closer collaboration” between Britain and Russia. There is little news of the land fighting and none from the Russian side, but the Germans have bombed Russian towns and the Russians places in Finland.
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