Chamberlain didn't give Sudetenland to Hitler.

The whole pint about the Home Fleet is to defend Britain whatever the cost, IMHO they where probably willing to sacrifice a few Battleships to destroy the German invasion fleet. On the subject of the German fleet, most barges where flat bottomed river barges, wholly unsuited for rough seas. English Channel = rough seas. Not to turn this into a Sealion-Bashing bout, but even with the Luftwaffe ruling the skies, Germany could not have occupied the British Isles in any way.

So do I.

Hitler and Stalin where mortal enemies, both sides viewed the pact as buying each other some time, both sides knew they would fight at some point, though to Stalin it came quicker than expected.

At least this thread isn't discussing "Battle Tanks"....*cough*Tomcat*Cough*!

 

Don´t forget the Oster plan, cancelled at the final moment due to Hitler´s bloodless victory:

Review | The Oster Conspiracy of 1938 by Terry Parssinen

Halder was the key figure to lose his nerve at the final moment.

 

I'm not so sure.

Hitler was way out on a limb over Czechoslavakia. By the end of September the French, who had rejected Hitler's demands for the Sudetenland, were fully mobilizing sixty divisions on her frontier with Germany, against which Hitler could barely muster a dozen divisions, half of which were reserve units. The Czechs themselves had mobilized a million men-more than Hitler had for both fronts. When Hitler's deadline to the Czechs hadpassed, He had to be persuaded to call off the attack by Mussolini, who suggested the Munich conference. All indications are that not for this Hitler would have recklessly attacked and probably been defeated-bear in mind also that the German people were not enthusiastic for war over the Sudetenland.

I believe that it's very possible that had Chamberlain shown some backbone that the Nazis could have been crushed in 1938.

 

I generally subscribe with this viewpoint. Hitler was bluffing and nobody called his bluff. Chamberlain's official policy was to avoid war as much as possible. Chamberlain sincerely believed that if the bully could be sated, then he could be persuaded to stop being a bully. Unfortunately, Chamberlain turned out to be wrong with Hitler.

 

Tristan Scott.

That was actually my first idea, but I abandoned it because I had a feeling it would be poo-pooed by others.

Honest!

 

Well, Joe, I can't imagine why anyobne would have poo-pooed the idea. It's probably a concensus opinion among historians. I know that Liddel Hart and William Shirer believe that had Chamberlain shown resolve over the Sudetenland things would have ended up much differently.

 

I can't either. It is your opinion and it's open for debat, right? I gave my opinion on your what if and war is declared on me. Big deal, loads of fun. Makes it more interesting, don't you think?
Whatever your opinion, share it.

 

Damn it, you all making me feel like some sort of bullied kid!

 

Yeah Joe feel free to voice your opionion, just be prepared for a war
That discussion was interesting though Bravo, a Good one too, I look forward to another.

 

Well, the fear of the poo-poo was enough to destroy my ideas.

I hate loosing an argument, so I thought it would be better to never have one in the first place.
Besides, I removed the statement about inevitable war in my first post so lets all shut up about it now.

An idea being poo-pooed is a very bad thing, cos it says so in Blackadder!

 

I'm looking forward to it too .

 

Hmmm... So, if I understand this correctly: Chamberlain is persuaded to follow the French lead and stand firm, Hitler orders war against the Cezchs, France mobilizes, and the German Generals launch their coup.

 

If Hitler had ordered the attack to begin the operation against Hitler would have begun and Hitler would have died mysteriously during the coup....All the men were in position only needed to say "Go!"...

 

What I wonder is why didn't they go ahead with it anyway. They surely must have foreseen what was coming.

 

After Hitler got all he "wanted" in Munich Hitler´s position as the greatest leader ever in Germany was at least considered by Halder such that no coup could be accepted by the people of the Reich.

 

Not clearly. long ago I did a bit of reading about the coup plotters & related events. The point of view & thinking of the Germans in that era might seem very strange and suprisingly different to people of other cultures seventy years later.

 

20/20 Hindsight. Aint it great?

 

Also, I think you have to realize that the plot entailed a coalition of military leaders put together under the premise that Hitler going ahead with the invasion would be disasterous for Germany. When the invasion was postponed for the Munich conference, the plot was put on hold. When Hitler's aims: the aquisition of the Sudetenland, were achieved without invasion, the coalition understandably fell apart.