Six years of fighting, more than 50 million dead, spanning three continents and two of the world’s largest oceans, and up to 70 nations involved – World War II was the biggest and bloodiest conflict the world has ever seen. We all know how things turned out in the end, but have you ever stopped to think about what might have been if key battles, decisions or events had taken a different course? In this special World War II edition of What if… Book of Alternative History we speak to experts to try to uncover how events may have unfolded if some of these key moments had turned out differently. Covering everything from the run-up to the war to key battles, strategic decisions and the post-war fallout, read on to find out how the world would have looked if the Allies had lost or Stalin had continued west after Berlin, what would have become of Hitler had he not committed suicide, and how a Japanese victory at Midway would have impacted the war in the Pacific. We also explore what might have happened if Churchill’s Operation Unthinkable had become a reality, the impact an Allied failure on D-Day might have had on the outcome of the war and what might have been for Great Britain had Hitler gone ahead with his invasion plans, as well as what might have happened if the Allies hadn’t cracked the Enigma code or the Nazis had developed the atomic bomb first. Turn the page to explore these fascinating and frightening WWII alt-history scenarios and many more.
Welcome to What if… Book of Alternative History: WWII
What if… THE ALLIES HAD LOST THE WAR? • Imagine if Hitler succeeded with his dream of turning Europe into a single Nazi superpower…
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THE POSSIBILITY
What if… THE NAZIS HAD NEVER GAINED POWER? • During the interwar years, Germany faced numerous crises but it was defined by progressive leadership and Hitler’s rise was not guaranteed
HOW WOULD IT BE DIFFERENT?
What if… LORD HALIFAX BECAME PRIME MINISTER? • Often named as one of the ‘architects of appeasement’, what could his premiership have meant for Britain’s role in World War II?
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THE POSSIBILITY
What if… HITLER HAD NOT BEEN APPEASED BY THE ALLIES? • The possibilities if Britain and France had dismissed Hitler’s promises and stood united against his plans
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THE POSSIBILITY
What if… BRITAIN AND FRANCE HAD NOT DECLARED WAR ON GERMANY? • Could a decision to remain on the sidelines have given Hitler free rein to ravage Europe for the Fatherland?
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THE POSSIBILITY
What if… MUSSOLINI HAD JOINED THE ALLIES? • Driven by ambition, Italy’s participation in the Axis war effort led to the collapse of its empire, the fall of the Fascist Party and Mussolini’s death
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THE POSSIBILITY
What if… CHARLES LINDBERGH HAD RUN FOR PRESIDENT? • Could a fascist really have run for the presidency of the United States in 1940 and won?
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THE POSSIBILITY
What if… THE DUNKIRK EVACUATION HAD FAILED? • In 1940 a vast rescue operation miraculously saved the majority of Britain’s army, but what would failure have meant in the war against the Nazis?
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THE POSSIBILITY
What if… GERMANY HAD INVADED BRITAIN? • Following Dunkirk, Hitler has a window of opportunity to deal a humiliated Britain a devastating blow
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THE POSSIBILITY
What if… BRITAIN SURRENDERED IN 1940? • Nazi victory over Britain would have had a profound impact on the course of World War II
THE PAST
THE POSSIBILITY
What if… FRANCO HAD JOINED THE AXIS? • A Spain allied with the Axis would have ruined the Allied campaign in the Middle East, but doomed the Francoist state to an earlier collapse
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