Adolph Hitler's Biggest Mistake

[J. J.]

Hitler's racial hatred could also make the list as his insane policies robbed the Third Reich of hundreds of thousands of potential soldiers and other supporters.  Many of whom were brilliant. But I just listed the big three. 

I think this is the key, even including the greatest error, the invasion of the Soviet Union.

He had the idea that the slaves were so inferior that the couldn't fight the Wehrmacht.

Interestingly, had he goaded the Soviets into attacking, he may have one.  From what I understand, the Soviets were in an offensive posture on June 21, 1941.

[J. J.]

One of the larger missed opportunities in my mind that generally goes unnoticed (although it ties in with what J.J. and others are saying)...is that he messed up the political message of the invasion of the Soviet Union entirely, mainly due to his racial policies.  There was a lot of discontent in the Soviet Union, especially amongst ethnic minorities, and he might have done better had he played into that.  Even despite Germany's rhetoric, there was still a fair deal of support for the Germans--in the Baltic States for example.

He probably could have gotten the bulk of Ukraine on his side; Ukraine was initially willing to colaborate.  The Baltic republics, ditto.

The Holocaust drained Nazi resources after 1942, that could have been used in the USSR.  Had  Hitler decided to win the war before the mass murder of the Jews, history might have changed.

Likewise, had Germany never descended lower that the Nuremberg Laws, the might have had a willing Jewish population to help them.

[J. J.]

Even without the Balkans, I doubt if Hitler Soviet invasion would have been successful.

Sea Lion wasn't blocked by Dunkirk, but by:

1.  The lack of a solid German naval force.

2.  The inability to gain air supremacy.

Also, let's assume that the Nazis would have tried to prevent the British from escaping.  After a several week battle, the manage to kill or capture most of the BEF.  The still have these other problems and have more casualties.

The only way for Sea Lion to work is to build up the Luftwaffe, train new pilots, and launch a more massive attack.  I doubt if that could have been done until the late Spring of 1941.  Even then, it still would be unlikely that Sea Lion would have worked.  At best, the Nazis could have taken parts of southern England at a cost possibly greater than the the Russia Front.

And Hitler would still have to guard against Stalin.

[J. J.]

The main effect of destroying the BEF would be the psychological and political effects it would have had on Britain.  Churchill had barely been in office for three weeks by that point--three weeks of essentially unmitigated disaster had the BEF been trapped. 

I think Churchill was the one who saw Dunkirk as a defeat.

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So long as the Nazis were in control of Flanders, Britain would not reach a settlement.  Keeping the launching point of an invasion ouit of the hands any major power has been English, then British, policy for at least 300 years.

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I'm assuming that the Nazis never get air supremacy, but even if they did, by October, 1940, Sea Lion would still be difficult, if not ultimately unsuccessful.

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They'd have a real chance of no supplies in winter, when weather would be a factor.

In 1940, the Japanese were no yet fighting the British, and it's very possible that Australian, New Zealand, and Indian troops could have been brought in; there would also be probability that Egypt would be quieter, bringing in troops from what ultimately was Montgomery's command.

I looked at Sea Lion Plans and it was basically to get to the 52th parallel and stop, and England would surrender.  I think even that was unrealistic.

The Nazis would lucky to capture the Isle of Wight.

[J. J.]

One possibility would be to wait until the Nazis were engaged in England and attack then.

[J. J.]

One of the larger missed opportunities in my mind that generally goes unnoticed (although it ties in with what J.J. and others are saying)...is that he messed up the political message of the invasion of the Soviet Union entirely, mainly due to his racial policies.  There was a lot of discontent in the Soviet Union, especially amongst ethnic minorities, and he might have done better had he played into that.  Even despite Germany's rhetoric, there was still a fair deal of support for the Germans--in the Baltic States for example.

He probably could have gotten the bulk of Ukraine on his side; Ukraine was initially willing to colaborate.  The Baltic republics, ditto.

The Holocaust drained Nazi resources after 1942, that could have been used in the USSR.  Had  Hitler decided to win the war before the mass murder of the Jews, history might have changed.

Likewise, had Germany never descended lower that the Nuremberg Laws, the might have had a willing Jewish population to help them.

Well, with Ukraine, all hopes died I think when the Ukranians saw how players of Dynamo Kiev, Ukraine's most popular soccer (football) team, were executed by a team made up of military soccer players I guess. Then, they wanted nothing to do with the Nazis. When the Nazis declared war on us, it was constitutional and we did the right thing. An attack on home soil equals war when Congress officially declares war. WWII was one of the last declared wars people, that's why the country was united so much. The Nazis had to be destroyed after what they did to millions of people. And they, the Japanese and Italians messed with the sleeping giant at that time. Hitler wanted to control the world in time.

I don't think there too much argument against fighting the Nazis.