Italian Alpine Corps

[MrTom]

I doubt the Soviet state apparatus would fare well once disconnected - people of Caucasus region were dominated by some of the most restless of minorty groups in the Soviet Union.

Precisely. I even remember reading in Germany and the Second World War that the Germans were already making plans to that effect.

There's a bunch of intriguing issues in this scenario, the attitude of Turkey for instance. I don't know if Georgians would feel some specific allegiance to Stalin, him being Georgian and all? What would be the overall effect of cutting the Iran route for lend lease supplies?

Is there any speculative/alt. history work on this that anyone's aware of? I'd love to read it...

[princeliberty10311517]

Turkey would love to see Russia ceasing to be a neighbor.

And the Caucasus minorties included many Turkish people.

[Lars]

The three Italian Alpini divisions in the Caucasus should make it possible for the Axis to take even Batumi. So no more Soviet Black Sea Fleet, the Axis can put pressure on the Turks, and the Black Sea becomes an Axis lake.

Baku is the more interesting question though.

[AnchorSteam]

The three Italian Alpini divisions in the Caucasus should make it possible for the Axis to take even Batumi. So no more Soviet Black Sea Fleet, the Axis can put pressure on the Turks, and the Black Sea becomes an Axis lake.

Baku is the more interesting question though.

Agreed.
There were still Russians within sight of Novorossik but that whole stretch of coastline should have been very vulnerable. The Germans had made it all the way to Mt. Elbruz so the Russians must have been wondering what was going on.... the Turks, too.

A few light and agile Alpine units should have been able to get around the defended passes and opened the door to one port after another.
Down to Tuapse would have been easy, Sichi and Adler would have been more challenging, and Sokhumi would have been a real feat.
But I don't think they could have reached Poti or Batumi. That would have required the kind of Naval support the aXis just didn't have in the Black Sea.

So, wiping out the Red Fleet was not going to happen just because the Alpini were involved. I don't THINK so, anyway, but a dramatic shortening of the front that Fall could have been a big help to anyone that needed reinforcements elsewhere. For that alone, it would have been worthwhile.

Did the Italians themselves demand that all their Divisions be grouped together or something like that?