What always puzzled me a bit is why did Hitler launch the battle of the Bulge instead of throwing his strongest remaining Forces against the Soviets around Christmas 1944. The impact of a Russian invasion was widely (and rightfully as the events in East Prussia did show at the same time) seen as the much more horrible threat to the German people. Was he more afraid of loosing the Ruhr area than loosing Berlin?
How would the war have ended if there would have been a battle of Breslau (for example) instead of the battle of the Bulge? Would the Western Allies have been at Berlin, Vienna and Prague first? I think there was a very high chance for that, at least as Berlin is concerned, and it would have been much better for the history of Eastern Europe after WWII.
Battle of Breslau instead of Battle of the Bulge
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Frankfurter
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maltesefalcon
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Re: Battle of Breslau instead of Battle of the Bulge
Well for one thing the bulk of the Wehrmacht had been commited to the Ostfront for over three years with little show for it by the close of 1944. As it was, Operation Bagration in the summer had shown the Germans that the Soviets were gaining strength as the Germans weakened. In any case the front was so large that a victory in one sector would be unlikely to destabilize the overall Soviet advantages.
The western invasion was a more recent occurence with fewer troops to contend with, at least temporarily. Germany was desperately short of fuel by now. There was not sufficient resources to attack in both East and West. The West front was shorter, with less distance to travel to the objectives.
Hitler gambled that a stunning counteroffensive would push the Western leaders to the bargaining table. Germany's only hope was a seperate peace with them so they could push East, even draw the West into an anti-Bolshevik crusade.
The western invasion was a more recent occurence with fewer troops to contend with, at least temporarily. Germany was desperately short of fuel by now. There was not sufficient resources to attack in both East and West. The West front was shorter, with less distance to travel to the objectives.
Hitler gambled that a stunning counteroffensive would push the Western leaders to the bargaining table. Germany's only hope was a seperate peace with them so they could push East, even draw the West into an anti-Bolshevik crusade.