![]() ![]() Instead, he he started the war 43 and had just 57 when Britain joined. Raeder had limited respect for submarines and Hitler, at the start of the war, had even less.ĭonitz wanted to take the war to the British fleet and sink 600,000 tons per month. Raeder firmly focused on surface fleets, creating Plan Zebra to expand Germany's navy, largely through constructing aircraft carriers, new battleships, and cruisers. But Britain, alongside France immediately joined the conflict as Germany invaded Poland.Īnd Donitz wasn't the lead admiral speaking in Hitler's ear. He wanted to push west, punish France for its victory in World War I, conquer territory, and keep Great Britain from joining the war before turning east. Hitler's initial plans for Europe were ambitious and evil but rational. ![]() If he had just signed off on the one, admittedly very large, purchase order of U-boats from Admiral Karl Donitz, he might've won. But I have an impactful and easily overlooked alternative: A failure to properly fund his U-boat fleet, the actual wonder weapon that worked, had a good record, and could have knocked Britain and its empire out of the war. The use of amphetamines and encouraging its use by his troops? The fascination with wonder weapons?Īll solid, defendable choices. Taking on Italian failures in North Africa and committing needed resources there is also solid. ![]() If you had to decide what the stupidest thing Hitler did was, what would you pick? Besides, you know, being a racist fascist? The invasion of the Soviet Union is a good option, as is the subsequent abandonment of Moscow to split his forces against Stalingrad and the oil fields. Dönitz observing the arrival of U-94 at St Nazaire in France in June 1941. ![]()
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