With 100% hindsight there is an argument that offering a negotiated
peace in 1943 would have saved a lot of lives but what would have been
acceptable then?
The A-Bomb is 2 years away and may never work.
The Soviet Union and the Western Allies were both afraid of the other
agreeing to a seperate peace.
What kind of Germany would be left, a Hitler-less Nazi regieme who had
accepted they could not conquer the Soviet Union, would still expect to
keep Austria, Czechoslovakia and some at least of Poland.
Rest of Eastern Europe, in the end either Germany would refuse to
withdraw or Soviet Union would move in. The idea that Stalin would
allow a truly independant Poland to be re-setablished is naieve and if
so on what borders?
So where are we in 1950-55 by which time Germany has the best missile
technology in Europe (V2 + 10 years development) and has the bomb, (not
sure how close they got but is it realistic an undefeated Reich could
not have got there by '55).
Holecaust, the politicians were aware by 1943 but the public was not,
so politicians could look the otherway in return for withdrawl from
Western Europe and the Balkans and non-enforceable promises to be nice.
The later the discussions take place the less the Allies have to gain
as it becomes obvious total victory is within their grasp.
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