Nuking Berlin

[Col_Kurtz_]

In an alternate history, the Germans could have last well beyond May '45
(by
- copying the T-34 and arming it with the Kwk40/42 instead of developing big cats,
- introducing the Sturmgewehr ASAP,
- blending a few % of ethanol to gasoline to get more fuel,
- bombing the fuel ships in the Caspian Sea,
- cancelling V1 and V2, etc.)

In this case the first atomic bomb would have been dropped on Berlin in August 1945 and the III. Reich must have capitulated just like Japan did.

In other words: the Axis couldn't have won the war no matter what.

Ideas?

[ljadw]

The conclusion is correct : no matter what, Germany could not win.No matter what = even without Berlin being nuked , or even without an allied landing in Normandy.

And a second conclusion : even if it won, it would survive its victory no longer than 10 years .

[victor82]

Precisely. The Germans might have employed a more elastic mobile defense in the east to give them breathing room and allow someone like Manstein more flexibility, but all that does is allow the Wallies to pursue to Wehrmacht into the German interior and the employment of the 509th Composite Group in the European Theater to force an end to the War,

[doogal]

Never would they have dropped an atomic weapon on central Europe..... For that to happen the Nazis would have had to commit the act first.... Maybe somewhere there were plans for a possible atomic option in central Europe??? does anyone know if the US POTUS JCS had any such strategic plans drawn up.......

[Hiryu-]

From day one for all Manhattan project members it was clear that the bomb was aimed at Germany.