Russia would have had a fair shot if history repeated identically until the instant before d-day. Germany had had its supply lines crumble and their men were approaching child soldier levels of experience. Not to mention Hitler going partway down the path of the god complex and fully down the path of the meth addict after cancer ravaged his system. Not a historian but Russia would have had a fair shot if they were alone. Coin flip or better.
There’s a reason Stalin demanded a western front be opened, and it wasn’t because he wanted to share credit for the victory over Nazi Germany with the Western Allies. Without D-Day or a similar opening of a western front, the Soviet advance would have been much slower, much bloodier, and the final outcome of their offensives much more dubious.
Italy was in a civil war from 43 on so there was already a foothold for Allies into mainland Europe.
But D-Day was a part of the Tehran agreements that also had USSR joining the war versus Japan after a German defeat. So the failures and victories of the Soviets and Allies cannot really be severed or separated… (credibly).
While you’re correct the advance would have been slower, bloodier, and with a more dubious outcome, we CAN surmise that the Allies failing to secure more of mainland Europe would have easily meant more area for the Soviets to have occupied in the vacuum inevitably left by the collapse of Nazi Germany.
Might’ve had a North and South France instead of an East and West Germany.
Russia would have had a fair shot if history repeated identically until the instant before d-day. Germany had had its supply lines crumble and their men were approaching child soldier levels of experience. Not to mention Hitler going partway down the path of the god complex and fully down the path of the meth addict after cancer ravaged his system. Not a historian but Russia would have had a fair shot if they were alone. Coin flip or better.
There’s a reason Stalin demanded a western front be opened, and it wasn’t because he wanted to share credit for the victory over Nazi Germany with the Western Allies. Without D-Day or a similar opening of a western front, the Soviet advance would have been much slower, much bloodier, and the final outcome of their offensives much more dubious.
Italy was in a civil war from 43 on so there was already a foothold for Allies into mainland Europe.
But D-Day was a part of the Tehran agreements that also had USSR joining the war versus Japan after a German defeat. So the failures and victories of the Soviets and Allies cannot really be severed or separated… (credibly).
While you’re correct the advance would have been slower, bloodier, and with a more dubious outcome, we CAN surmise that the Allies failing to secure more of mainland Europe would have easily meant more area for the Soviets to have occupied in the vacuum inevitably left by the collapse of Nazi Germany.
Might’ve had a North and South France instead of an East and West Germany.