Any reason Hitler needs to invade Poland in the first place? His
alliance with Italy and the Japanese shows that he had no difficulty
allying with "subhumans" when it fit his agenda. Invading Poland,
he'd have to fight France any rate, and it puts his border up with the
Soviet Union.
Why not conquer France, on the grounds that France has for too long
denied Germany its rightful place in the sun? French has much greater
industrial capacity than Poland any rate. Annex the northern part
citing Neustrasia and the possibly Germanic-speaking Belgae as
evidence of the Aryan history of the region. Impose a ridiculously
easy test to determine if Frenchmen are "Aryan," require inhabitants
of the Neustrasian provinces learn German, and establish a puppet
state in the south (an Occitan speaking state with a ban on the French
language is even better). Annex Wallonia under similar
circumstances, maybe Flanders and Holland, or else set up a Dutch
puppet state. Fortify the coast and ignore the British. It's best you
can get Italy to remain officially neutral (promise them Corsica and
Provence at a later date), they can evade British blockades for you.
Now that France is out of the way, central Europe lacks their
protector, and is easily bullied. Offer them protection from the
Soviets, and promise he won't hurt them--he only invaded France
because France is always causing trouble for the Germany. Yeah, Poland
probably won't take it, but that's unnecessary. If he can get any of
the Baltic States, and Romania especially, he's good to go. Once
you're ready to take on the Soviets, sign a secret treaty partitioning
Central Europe into spheres of influence. When the Soviets move in,
invoke the treaty of mutual defense, and deny Soviet claims of a
secret treaty. Whether or not the Soviets invade Poland (having the
Soviets invade is better, of course), now he can shove on through
there and never leave, the way Stalin did OTL. |
