The War To End All Wars

The war to end all wars is based off of a alternate history timeline made many years ago called "Hitler's Mediterranean Strategy", the difference being in this timeline Moscow is encircled and falls.
== Original Alternate Timeline before POD ==
In the late spring of 1941, many people in Germany and elsewhere thought that Hitler (after having conquered Yugoslavia, Greece and Crete and with Rommel advancing in Egypt) would try to further proceed in this area, i.e. conquering Malta (no problem - unless Mussolini would insist that *his* soldiers must be the ones who take the island, then it could take longer), Cyprus (the Royal Navy suffered much from the fights around Greece and couldn't have prevented it - at least I read that), and Egypt; after that, he could decide whether to attack through the Nile valley (Sudan; Ethiopia, where some Italian troops were still fighting; Somalia; Uganda, Kenya?) or Palestine, Syria (where de Gaulle's Free French troops fought against Vichy; forgot when they won) and Iraq (remember the rebellion there). Not to forget the oil of Persia and Saudi Arabia... Even worse, since the Brits and Free French don't have the strongest army on Earth, the chances of the Germans seem to be pretty good. And without the Suez canal, Britain would be in trouble defending India (or Arabia, or East Africa).
Of course, there's the big question: What would Russia do? Though they had acquired a lot of territory in the two years before (Eastern Poland, Baltic states, Bessarabia, parts of Karelia), Stalin had even more demands which included making Bulgaria a Soviet satellite (and that would've meant that they'd have Romania and its oil in a pinch). Hitler knew about that. If he wanted to spend a year in the Med, he would've to stop Stalin somehow. (He had proposed Stalin to form an anti-British alliance, planning to give Persia and India to Russia, but Stalin had other demands.) I don't think that Stalin would've attacked Germany in 1941 since the Red Army still suffered from the purges (I know some people claim he would, but too many of these people only want to make up an excuse for Hitler, so I'm careful). The relations between Germany and Russia could become worse, though.
It's July 1941. Hitler has just defeated Yugoslavia and Greece. Crete is in German hands (but they lost a lot of good paratroopers there). Tobruq is besieged, Rommel is standing at Sidi Barrani. Now Hitler makes the important decision: Barbarossa is delayed until 1942, he'll attack in the Med first.
Since the troops are already in the right place (in the Balcans), they only have to transport them to the other side of the Med. At the same time, the attacks against Malta become stronger. Everywhere in the Eastern Med, the Luftwaffe attacks RN ships.
In August, the Axis troops in North Africa are strong enough to attack and take Tobruq. Now the way from Tripolis to the front is free. Rommel who's impatient attacks the Brits even before all of his troops have arrived. Still successful, the Brits are driven back to El Alamein.
In September, Rommel is ready for the final attack. He know has 10 divisions ready, plus some Italians, against 7+ (I guess Churchill would send them some, too, after they can guess what the Germans are up to) of the Empire, plus a few others. Numerical superiority and Rommel's strategic talent are too much, before the battle becomes hopeless, they start to retreat. At the banks of the Nile, they are ready for the next stand. Fighting in the fertile river valleys and big cities is a completely new situation for Rommel (so I had to make things up). However, after a big battle end of September, Alexandria is taken. The Brits destroy the bridges, but that's nothing that can't be repaired. Middle of October, Cairo and all of the Nile delta are in Axis hands. A few days later, the remaining British troops are behind the Suez canal.
Rommel's victory in the Nile delta made the situation for the empire difficult. Their troops in Africa and the Middle East now are disconnected from each other, the Germans control the important harbor of Alexandria, and without the Suez canal, the most important connection from Britain to India is cut. They managed to bring some support troops from India, but at the same time, since they control Egypt's biggest cities, the Nazis start to recruit Arabs willing to fight against the Brits. There's even unrest in Churchill's war cabinet. Some ministers and MPs around Halifax point out that Britain can't fight this war alone forever. Churchill resists: "It's not over yet!"
Hitler now has to make a decision: Attack in the South, through the Nile valley, aiming for Sudan and Ethiopia, or East? Since he wants the gulf oil, he quickly decides for the East. Rommel crosses the Suez canal and conquers the Sinai peninsula. The Italians and Arabs attack in the South, but are stopped at the height of El Faiyum and Beni Suef. At the end of October, the Germans stand near the little city of Gaza.
Now, Churchill exchanges several messages with Jewish leaders like Ben Gurion. The Jews now may officially form an army to fight against the Germans. Since he mustn't anger the Arabs too much, he makes Ben Gurion promise that Arabs have to keep full rights in case a state of Israel should be founded after the war. As fast as possible, the Jews raise troops. They don't exactly have the best arms, but are eager to fight against the Nazis. Southern Palestine (the Negev desert) is conquered by Germany, but then the Brits and Jews manage to stop them somehow, often simply by bluffing (did you know that empty gas canisters pulled over the ground sound much like moving tanks? I'm not kidding, the Israelis invented that trick during their war of independence). News spread fast: Though Roosevelt doesn't declare war on Germany, he supports the Jewish brigades where it's possible. Many Jews in America (emigrates and natives) volunteer to fight in Palestine, others collect more money than ever to buy arms and transport them. Even non-Jews join their rows (many of them are veterans of the Spanish civil war or other socialists).
Middle of November, Hitler is getting furious since Rommel didn't break the lines yet. He demands a victory, or else. Rommel manages to find a way: Instead of attacking Palestine directly, he lets his troops march into Transjordania. One week later, Amman is conquered. It's easy to see what Rommel is up to: He wants to enclose the Jews and Brits in a pocket and forces them to fight on two fronts. They still manage to hold the line along the Jordan and the heights of Golan. End of November, Rommel wins a battle against Free French troops and approaches Damascus. About that time, anti-British rebellions start in Iraq (again). Hitler thinks that the time has come and orders to take Cyprus.
In the first week of December, things look bleak for Britain. Half of Cyprus and most of Syria are in German hands. On December 6th, they reach the coast of Lebanon. Palestine is cut off, while the Germans in Syria approach the rebels in Iraq. Again, Churchill exchanges messages with Ben Gurion, asking whether he wants to evacuate his troops from Palestine. Ben Gurion answers: "We're ready to die for Israel!" Churchill tells him: "I hope you know that we can't support you forever." Ben Gurion: "As long as our volunteers will run the German lines, we'll stand and fight."
What they don't know: Hitler just ordered Rommel not to attack the Palestine pocket but only to clean up Syria and Mesopotamia. "We've got the harbors of Syria, now we need the oil!" he commands. He also orders that some Luftwaffe divisions are to be stationed in the North of Syria and Iraq - for an attack against the oil fields of Baku.
End of 1941 the Italians in Ethiopia capitulate, not much later than OTL. Now Churchill finally has a victory, which does a lot for British morale.
Then, everything changes with Pearl Harbor happening...
Here's what Stalin was doing all the time:
While Rommel conquers Egypt, Stalin repeatedly bugs Hitler with new demands. He wants Romania to give up land at the Danube mouth and the Bukovina; he wants a military pact with Bulgaria; he wants Japan to give up its rights for coal and oil in North Sachalin; and he points out that the Soviet Union also needs more influence in Turkey.
Behind the stage, Hitler tries to get more time. He knows he can't attack Russia before May 1942 - and that he can't wait another year, it's now or never. But he neither wants to anger his allies nor he wants a Russia that's too strong. He tries to stall Stalin. He doesn't want to give in again, after Russia already got half of Poland, Bessarabia and the Baltic states. He also points out that he's got no influence on Japan's inner affairs. He tries again to offer Stalin Persia, Afghanistan and India for an anti-British alliance. But that's not really what Stalin wants now.
But since he doesn't want to make Stalin suddenly suspicious, he slowly agrees, piece for piece. In the fall of 1941, the Romanian border again is "corrected" a bit in Russia's favor. After Pearl Harbor, Hitler gives Stalin free hand in North Sachalin. Stalin who's sure that the Japanese will be to afraid to attack Russia after the border clash of 1939, puts his hand on the mines in Sachalin. Hitler asks the Japanese whether they would join a war against Russia under the new circumstances, but the answer is No - Japan doesn't need Siberian territory, they want SE Asia. The relationship between Germany and Japan cools down. Hitler decides not to join their war against the US - at least, not yet.
In the first six months, the war in the Pacific is pretty much as OTL - Japan conquers Hong Kong, Malaya, the Philippines, Burma, most of Indonesia and many Pacific islands. Singapur also falls in this TL. American resistance is somewhat stronger, since they don't have troops sent to North Africa, OTOH Burma is conquered faster since Britain has less troops available.
Churchill is under heavy pressure again - several people want him to make peace with Germany to be able to defend the Empire against Japan. But he resists since he's sure that the Allies will win with America's help, and the public of Britain believes him. Still, the situation is hard. During December, the Germans have won in Cyprus, swept Syria and are attacking in Mesopotamia. When the new year begins, they control Bagdad. In February, they have reached the gulf at Basra. The oil fields they conquered, however, are unusable after the Brits destroyed them. Now Hitler contacts the king of Saudi Arabia for an alliance. The king is unsure; not allying with Germany might mean a German occupation, but it's not too sure that Germany will win at the end, so he says neither yes or no. Rommel concludes his victories by conquering Kuwait. Since Saudi Arabia doesn't want German troops on its soil/sand, they can't attack the remaining British oilfields in Bahrain and Qatar directly, so they have to attack with the Luftwaffe only. But after a few weeks, the Saudi king feels too impressed by the German strength (and the pro-German faction on his court is pressing him too), so he allows German troops to cross his territory.
Meanwhile, Stalin against asks friend Adolf for a pact with Bulgaria. Finally exhausted, Hitler agrees to let him have some bases there, if Russia agrees to respect Bulgaria's sovereignity in every other way - planning to kick them out when it's time with official Bulgarian help. Stalin gives his OK and now wants to know about Turkey. Hitler lets Ribbentrop ask secretly whether Turkey would join the Axis' cause and promises them that Georgia and Armenia could become Turkish again. The Turks disagree, the new Turkey is supposed to be a national state but not an empire. Still, they don't wish for Russian troops at the Bosporus. To confuse Stalin, Hitler asks what Stalin would think about dividing the Turkey between Italy and Russia and occupying the Bosporus together. Meanwhile, Churchill wonders what the hell Hitler is up to.
In March 1942, a lucky Israeli diversion attack drives the Germans a few kilometers back; the Jews now control all of the important heights of Golan. Once again Hitler bites a carpet and threats to attack the Palestine pocket with chemical weapons. Churchill OTOH tells him that in this case he'd throw all of Britain's chemical weapons on German cities, so Hitler scraps the plan.
In other ways, the spring of 1942 around the Med is pretty quiet - except for the perpetual bombing against the remaining British oilfields and a few fights in the Nile valley. But now, the Germans have made the Suez canal usable...
During all the time before Barbarossa (June '41 - May '42) the Germans used the opportunity to destroy the resistance throughout Europe. Yugoslavia and Greece are pacified, and the French resistance also suffers greatly. Among the killed partisans also is a Croatian Communist named Josip "Tito" Broz.
Operation Barbarossa starts!
During the last year, Germany had a lot of time to produce new weapons and train new soldiers to replace the ~20 divisions fighting in Africa and the Middle East. (Their work in Germany now is being done by KZ prisoners, POWs and other foreigners forced to work for Germany.) The Russian production of weapons has increased even faster, though.
On May 1st, while the Russians celebrate their Labor Day, the attack begins. From the Baltic the the Black Sea, the Wehrmacht crosses the Russian border. Russian cities as far as Sevastopol are bombarded by the Luftwaffe. More than 2000 Russian planes are destroyed on the ground. Stalin is shocked and can't believe Hitler has traited him. Two things are different, though: 1. The Russian bases in Bulgaria are overwhelmed by the Bulgarian army. Bulgaria and Russia are officially at war, other than OTL. 2. Before the attack in Europe begins, German bombers start from their bases in northern Syria and Iraq. They aim for Baku. Though they are discovered before the bombing begins, Stalin forbids shooting down the Germans - he still believes it's nothing but a provocation. When he knows he's wrong, the oilfields of Baku are nothing more but a sea of fire. At the same day, German-Arab troops cross the Persian border, aiming for the oilfields in SW Persia and Azerbaijan. Persia starts to mobilize its army, which makes somehow a counterweight for the Arabs fighting on German side.
During the first week, Soviet defense is confused. The mass of the troops that were concentrated too near the border are encircled and defeated. Germany and its Allies proceed much as OTL.
After the few first days, Stalin is finally ready to defend his country against the Nazis. Defense is organized, inept generals are slowly exchanged, and he talks with Churchill and Roosevelt. British troops (from India) and Russians (from Turkestan) march into Persia to help defending it against Germany. They all know: If Hitler should manage to get the oilfields of Baku, he's almost unstoppable. The Russians are still better armed than in 1941 OTL, but they suffer from lacking oil after the bombing of Baku. Roosevelt promises to help.
The first month of the war is still promising for Hitler. The Baltic states are conquered, so are Minsk, the former Polish territories and Bessarabia. Some hundred thousands Red Armists are captured. Still, where they have fuel for their tanks, the Soviets manage to fight the Germans back in some places. But their reserves are running out fast.
In June, the Germans have reached the Dnepr. Some generals propose to stop at this point to preserve the German gains. Hitler declines, he wants the total victory over Russia and is sure that Russia has to break down. He isn't completely wrong: Russia already lacks oil, though they are repairing the oil rigs in Baku (now defended by as many planes as possible), building up new wells in the "second Baku" east of the Ural and start to receive lots of oil from the US via Vladivostok. (The Lend-Lease program is officially extended to the Soviet Union, so Russia can concentrate on producing arms and almost nothing else.)
The next month is going to become the toughest for Russia, though. In this situation, Churchill and Stalin agree for a special joint operation: Some Russian divisions are sent up to the North, to Murmansk, where general Dietl is attacking from Narvik. At the same time, the RN and RAF start attacks around Norway. On July 2nd, they land around Narvik. The German operations in the North are disturbed, and the route from Britain to Murmansk is secure. Hitler is furious, again.
In other places, however, Germany is still winning. SW Persia is in their hands, and only all available powers of Russia and Persia can prevent them from crossing the border in the south. They conquered Kiev and Smolensk, cut Leningrad off and made millions of POWs so far. The "Stalin line" is broken. Hitler thinks that there's enough time and makes the same strategic mistake as OTL: He orders to attack in the South, the Ukraine. However, meanwhile Russia organized enough fuel to make its T-34s running and manages to make the Germans slower. They still proceed in the Eastern Ukraine and the Krim, but time is running away. At the end of August, they finally reach the Donez. Hitler is satisfied and now orders to attack Moscow itself.
This time, the Germans are not hampered by the weather, but by the stronger Red Army. Though they still proceed, they are getting even slower. They break the first defense line from Kaluga to Kalinin, 100 kilometers before Moscow. But again, they have to see that they only come frustratingly close to Moscow without conquering it. The city of Tula with its machine factories south of Moscow is conquered, but the factories aren't usable anymore - they've been brought to somewhere east of the Ural. And now, the raining period is beginning, which is helping the Russians even more.
A few weeks later, however, the temperature is falling, and the Russian mud is freezing. This is the last chance for Hitler to win the war. Everything is thrown against Moscow. The second defense line is broken, the Germans reach the outskirts of the city. There's panic in Moscow. Even Stalin wonders whether he can hold the capital. But for now, he puts down the panic and stays in Moscow. Since he knows that Japan won't attack, Siberian troops are defending the West. Hitler doesn't dare to storm the city, so he orders to besiege it. The Wehrmacht now has reached the borders of the city in the South and the West, but they can't break through. Finally, the beginning winter makes them unable to attack anyway. Only in the South, they make some gains. Sevastopol is besieged, Rostov and the Kuban peninsula are conquered, Voronesh is reached. Then, the attack stops. The Wehrmacht is better equipped for the winter this time, but far from being as good as the Red Army. Things are going to be difficult...
So far we have the Germans conquered more territory than OTL, but still not won, but being stuck around Moscow and in Persia. But now let's take a look on what Japan has done so far.
In May 1942, the Japanese can't win the battle of the Coral sea, as in OTL. For the first time, their advance is stopped. After the Americans deciphered their code, their situation starts to get worse. Though they still advance in Burma and China and even took two Aleutian islands, they also lose at Midway and can't win at Guadalcanal.
In August, they try (desperate times...) a new strategy. Since the Germans are standing in Persia and Britain is in a more difficult situation than OTL, they try a strike against "the soft underbelly of the Allies", i.e. India. All available infantry troops are relocated to Burma.
In September, the new offensive begins. The Japanese army crosses OTL India-Burma border and invades Bengal. Their advance starts slowly, but when they leave the mountains, it gets faster. Churchill is very concerned. If India should fall, the British Empire will be reduced to a shadow of its former self, and the Germans could unite with the Japanese. Roosevelt understands the situation. After having talked with the generals, he decides to send troops to India to support Britain. Since Germany and the US aren't at war, there are many troops available. After the planning has been done, US troops are shipped to India, mostly Calcutta.
In October, there's another critical moment. Japanese troops manage to land on badly defended Ceylon, advancing slowly though. US navy presence in Indian Ocean strengthened. In November, Japanese advance in Ceylon and Bengal is stopped. Now, Operation Torch (not the same as OTL) begins. The united British-American troops attack the Japanese before Calcutta, driving them back. While Guadalcanal isn't decided yet, the Indian theater looks promising. During the winter 1942/43, Bengal and Ceylon are reconquered. Danger of the Axis powers uniting is averted, for now and forever.
In November, Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin (represented by Molotov and occasionally telephoning with him - he's got to stay in Moscow and show his people that he won't give up the city) meet at the conference of Caracas (neutral ground) to form a strategy to stop the Nazis and Japanese.
Roosevelt knows that he can't declare war on Germany as long as he's busy fighting Japan. That's why this strategy is implemented:
Britain (including Canada, India and South Africa) concentrates all its strength on the fronts in Northern Norway (where they're thrown out by the Germans during the winter, though), Egypt and Persia. Their troops fighting against the Japanese are gradually replaced by American troops.
In Russia, the fronts don't move much during the winter. At the moment, Soviet power only's good enough for pinpricks against the Wehrmacht (compared to OTL). When the full oil supply from America arrives, things slowly start to change, however. At the moment, Hitler boasts that "this enemy is already beaten and will never rise again!"
Having arrived in India, the GIs attack the over-extended Japanese, who slowly have to leave Bengal and retreat to mountainous Burma. Before they leave, however, they declare an independent Bengal republic in Dakka (early 1943).
During the winter, lots of Lend-Lease material is brought to Russia. The situation is urgent - not everyone knows it, but Russia is close to state bankruptcy - in fact, later in history people will find out that breakdown was as close as a few weeks, hadn't there been Lend-Lease.
Until June, American troops have brought all of Bengal under their control. Unfortunately, now the monsoon begins and stops all operations on this front. This means unfortunately that China is cut off from Allied help. Meanwhile, however, the GIs fight together with Australians and New Zealanders to island-hop in the Pacific. Until the end of the year, they conquer New Guinea, the Salomon Islands incl. Guadalcanal, New Britain, Gilbert Islands, Admirality Islands and Eniwetok back.
When the monsoon is over in October, US troops start an offensive in Burma. Since they're not at war with Germany, the Allies have more troops on every front in the Pacific theater. While America supplies the Chinese via the hump, the Ledo Road in North Burma is built, after an offensive let those areas in the GIs' hands.
(This part of the TL was the hardest to write. If you're dealing with a Hitler in your stories, you can be happy if there are at least some millions of dead less than OTL.)
The fate of the Jews
TTL had no Wannsee conference in 1942. Things were going well for the nazi regime, even though the Italians in Ethiopia had been defeated and the Japanese already were driven back in Bengal and the Pacific. Still, the nazis wanted to solve a "problem": What to do with the Jews.
Old plans, like deporting them all to Palestine, Angola or Madagascar had been scrapped. There was a need for another solution. Until then, the nazis "restrained" themselves to making the laws for Jews harsher and harsher and sending those of them whom they found most suspicious into KZs.
Unexpectedly, things changed. This had to do with the Germans advancing through the Arabian lands, going as far as Trucial Oman in the first half of 1942.
Still, the Arab rulers demanded something in exchange for their oil. This was a difficult situation for Germany: They hadn't exactly a lot of money left, and Hitler didn't want to risk Arab revolts. The solution was found in January 1942, after Himmler had met the Great mufti of Jerusalem, who shared the nazis' antisemitism. During their meeting, they talked about the evil British empire, western decadence (the west excluding Germany, of course), the "Jewish danger", the great history of the Arabs and also about the time after the war. And thus, the solution was found. Two birds with one stone.
It sounded crazy, but it certainly had an appeal for the nazis. During early 1942, nazi officials had some talks with Arab leaders who were nazi sympathizers, and when Barbarossa started, they had found an agreement.
They had agreed that slavery was to be reintroduced in the lands in Africa and Asia conquered by the nazis (in fact, in many places it never had died out first); and they had further decided that the nazis would provide the Arabs with slaves - Jewish slaves, to be exact. In fact, many Arabs were interested in well-educated slaves. In return, the Arabs would give the Germans the needed oil and also other goods - Egyptian cotton, oranges, and some other luxuries for the women of the nazis.
And thus, in 1942 the nazis started shipping Jews from Odessa through the Bosporus to the harbors of Aleppo and Beirut, where they were sold to Arab leaders collaborating with the nazis, who later would sell those slaved Jews to other Arabs, making a good profit. There even were talks about expanding the slave business after the war, when Germany expected to own colonies in sub-saharan Africa, selling the Arabs black slaves then. During 1942, 800,000 Jews went that way. Mostly they came from the Ukraine and Poland - the nazis expected the least resistance against the "Endlösung" here, and the way was shortest. The Jews came on freighters full of several hundred people, under conditions similar to the train passages IOTL.
The year 1943 has begun, it's the fourth year of the war.
After being replaced by the Americans, British troops (including many Indians) have been redeployed to the Persian front. The mountainous terrain makes the reconquest difficult, though, despite the fact that the Brits have gained numerical advantage against Generalfeldmarschall Rommel.
Churchill decides it's time for a strategical diversion. The right place is found soon: Trucial Oman (today known as the United Arab Emirates) with its rich oil resources.
In March 43, the British army starts to attack from Oman, with support from the sea side. The offensive starts with a success: The relatively weak German troops have to retreat, the fortress Masqat that was besieged for several months is free again.
Hitler, of course, is furious and demands from Rommel to regain the territory, no matter what. Rommel is in trouble, but does his best. Switching to pure defensive in Persia, he relocates all available troops to the South and attacks. A few weeks later, the Brits are driven back again to Oman, and the situation is basically the same as a few months before.
With one difference, however. Now that most of the Wehrmacht has to fight in Russia, Rommel can't get as many troops as he demands as he did in 1941. In fact, now the Wehrmacht is pretty strained on all fronts and can only hope that noone has the idea to attack them at an untimely moment.
Since the Allies have Alan Turing and other scientists working on deciphering the German codes, they can't hope for that. Knowing the situation as good as one can wish, the British decide that it's time for a real counterstrike. Without control over the Suez canal, it's been relatively difficult, but now they have moved enough troops to Upper Egypt, including the troops that defeated the Italians in Ethiopia, many South Africans and a few Free French and Free Belgians from the Congo.
In June, the operation begins. The attack of the Allies breaks through the Axis' lines, throws them back to Cairo (which they can't take at the moment due to lacking powers, since the nazis have organised a lot of Arabs willing to fight against the Brits - at least their propaganda says so), and is continued North-East, targeted at the Suez canal. This is the worst hit that Hitler got so far in the war, but he can't do anything now. Having control over the Red Sea, the Brits manage to land some troops at the Sinai, attacking the canal from two sides. Hitler has to defend the connection between his troops in Egypt and the Middle East respectively and orders some troops from the Palestine front (where the Jewish freedom fighters still defend their pocket on the Med) down South, calculating that the Jews are too worn out for an attack. When they break through the German lines between Jerusalem and Gaza and meet the Brits in the Negev, he learns that he was wrong.
When the Americans return from their summer holidays, strange news wait for them: All US radio and TV stations report from the Middle East, where the biggest story since long has happened: At first unable to believe it, but then getting more and more angry, the Americans listen to the stories about British officers telling live about the nazi slave trade with Jews, some Western European Jews who tell stories of their month-long suffering, like Mr. Blau serving as a secretary for some illiterate Arab slave trader, or Mrs. Grün forced to become the third wife of some emir. Some nazi sympathizers in the world try to play it down, speaking of propaganda, but generally people agree that Hitler has gone too far.
Now there's the big question: Will the USA declare war on Germany or not? They're already helping Britain and Russia in every other way, so declaration of war is the only thing left to do. Will the Americans follow FDR who certainly would like to, or will there be too much resistance? Many Americans don't want another war, let's not even talk about those who were pro-German (there aren't many Americans with Japanese origins, but many with German or Italian ancestors), antisemites or rabid anti-Communists. It's early 1943, next elections will be end of 1944.
But first back to the Russian theater; it's early 1943.
Thanks to their great human reserves, they Soviets have been able to stop the Wehrmacht. Still lacking oil, and because their railway center Moscow is being shot at by the German artillery, they couldn't throw them back very far.
During the spring, when mud makes any offensive impossible, both sides are planning what to do next. Hitler wants to take the cities of Moscow (under constant attack), Leningrad and Sevastopol. After that, he hopes, Russia will be demoralized enough and give up. Afterwards, he plans to take everything west of the Volga - other than in OTL, he wants to take the center first, to be able to bombard the Russian factories in the Urals. Stalingrad and the Caucasus are considered less important, since the oil rigs of Baku are mostly destroyed.
But meanwhile the Americans have supplied the Soviets with some million barrels of the needed oil. During the mud period, the T-34s have been made ready. And when the mud has dried up, the attacking German troops are surprised by an unexpected Russian counteroffensive...
The Russian counter-offensive breaks through the German lines around Moscow, completely unexpected. The German armies have to cancel the planned attack, regroup, stop the Russian attack, eventually retreating - the Nazi propaganda, of course, calling it "shortening the front lines".
Only some weeks later, they can stop along the line of Kaluga-Kalinin, using the improvised Soviet fortifications (stormed last year) for defense. Fortunately for them, the Red Army isn't at full strength yet. Thus, Hitler can still hope that his dream of crushing Russia may become true.
In June 43, it seems that the opportunity has come. Finally Sevastopol has fallen (after being besieged about one year), and German troops (several divisions) are relocated to the North. Besides, the Wehrmacht has started since winter to recruit troops among captured Soviet soldiers - only non-Russians, though. This gives Hitler several new divisions to fight with.
On 1st August, the big German offensive against Moscow starts. Tula which was meanwhile reconquered by the Red Army falls again. Same thing happens to many little cities before Moscow. A few weeks after the offensive has started, German troops sit on the outskirts of Moscow, from the NW to the S. Hitler doesn't dare to take the city with a direct attack, though, so he tries to cut it off. The next attack goes from Tula to Kolomna, cutting of the railway Moscow-Ryazan. Now the Germans cross the Moskva river, aiming North. Hitler commands to conquer all of the area between upper Volga and Oka, for a better defense. By this way, he wants to hunger out Moscow.
Stalin has spent most of the time in his bunker - during the first time when the Germans approached Moscow, and now again. The stress is eating his nerves, too, though he tries to stay firm as steel. He knows that the Russians will lose hope if their capital would be lost. If only those Americans would declare war upon Germany...
But for the moment, they don't. The Brits had some local successes down there in the Middle East, but that was all. Hitler doesn't really care for it - he only wants Moscow, maybe more fanatical than he ever wanted something. It could still happen... his tanks now go North, take the little city of Vladimir, east of Moscow, and cut off the railroad to Nishny Novgorod. Only the rail to the North connects Moscow with the big rest of the country.
Everyone in Germany is looking at Moscow, but there's one event that nobody there could ignore - whatever people might think about it.
Having found out about Hitler's dirty slave deals - and not any kind of slavery, but with whites slaved -, the US congress has voted for a declaration of war. Even the Republicans joined FDR. Yes, even anti-Communists had to admit that Stalin being replaced by Hitler wouldn't really be a gain for the world. Nobody wants to think about what'd be possible then.
Hitler stays surprisingly calm when he hears about it. The Nazi propaganda machine is started again, to tell everybody that the Atlantikwall will stop every possible American invasion. The Atlantikwall is no Maginot line (and we know that this doesn't mean that much), but FDR knows too that this war can't be won that fast. For the moment, Stalin needs urgent help, or Moscow may be lost.
And the time is running. The US sends Stalin several hundred Sherman tanks for the battle for Moscow, this time guarded by destroyers to prevent the German wolfpacks attacking them. Those tanks have to be brought to Moscow. Because meanwhile, the Wehrmacht is close to cut off the rail to Yaroslavl, Moscow's last link to Russia. The Russians still fight, being motivated by the news that the nazis have already begun to sell people as slaves - although they don't love Stalin, they see that there are fates even worse. And the people in Moscow have heard the one or other tale about what the Germans have done in the areas they conquered back in the winter. So they continue to fight a desperate fight.
August has already passed, September's come... the Sherman tanks have been loaded off in Archangelsk and now are transported to Moscow. Time has almost run up: The Germans had severe losses too, but they've almost reached the railway line. If they succeed, Moscow can get support only by truck, and failing that, only by air. Simply impossible for a city where still several millions of people are (you can't call it living).
On the morning of 9th September, German artillery shells hit the railway line, damaging it. It's only a minor damage per se, that could be easily repaired, but if the Germans can't be stopped, they will own the line. The Sherman tanks are in Yaroslavl now, but they can't be sent to Moscow. So, all available trained Red Army men man the tanks and start going to the battle. Hitler declares that the fight has to be won before the Americans can disturb the Germans (like last time) and order his men to push with all they've got.
The Wehrmacht officers who can already see their objective are surprised when suddenly hastily recruited Red Army soldiers in Sherman tanks appear, getting at them from behind. Battle ensues, being fought fiercely on both sides. It takes as long until the night has fallen, and only in the morning the survivors can see who has won now.
=== POD ===
Sadly for all the Russians in Moscow by noon of the 10th September Germany has won the battle and has secured the ring around Moscow; even with the fresh Sherman tanks surprising them and attacking them from the rear the Germans held strong, being within site of their objective and knowing they were so close to victory, they made one final desperate push in the early morning hours, breaking through the Soviet lines towards the railroad and secured it, and eventually by sunrise had also completed the ring around Moscow.
==== Continued Timeline ====
The moral in the red army gets a gut punch as they must retreat and regroup, leaving Moscow to be slowly constricted and starved by the Germans until the inner city falls. Stalin is hastily flown out of the city in the early afternoon hours of September 10th within a small squadron of planes around his to act as easier targets for the German anti aircraft guns below. Stalin is flown to Gorky, where he lands an hour and a half after he took off from Moscow; Stalin will continue the fight against the Germans from there. The Soviet Union is on the razer's edge of collapse with Moscow being sieged, only American lend-lease and news of Stalin's safe arrival save it from immediately doing so.
Well the news of Moscow being encircled is seen making Hitler delighted for the first time in months, the smile doesn't last long as reports about the North African theatre is less promising.
After the USA declared war on Nazi Germany, Churchill is feeling more secure again. But he needs another success - the Brits are becoming tired from holding out all the time, while Hitler is still strong. At the moment, it's not even sure whether Russia can break Germany's encirclement and save Moscow.
During autumn 1943, Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel, with a freshly trained hodgepodge force of German, Iraqi, Saudi, Egyptian and Syrian soldiers, has a series of massive and miraculous victories in the Middle East and Egypt, punching the Allies back into Sudan, out of Egypt, and crushing the Jews' Palestine pocket once and for all, just in time to save the only marginally pro Axis Egypt from switching sides. The Jews from Palestine are doomed to the same Arab ruled slavery as their Eastern European counterparts.
In the spring of 1944, plans are made for an American-British invasion in North Africa - codenamed Operation Torch. Since there's no Dieppe ITTL, they're ready at the beginning of September 1944. Barely defended Morocco and western Algeria fall within a day as the operation commences on 9th September and Allied troops and armor race across the Sahara, swiftly crushing any small resistance forces they do meet.
Then there's the Vichy Regime. Hitler wants them to send troops (they don't have that much, only 100,000 men all in all, but for Hitler it's better than nothing) to North Africa to fight against the Allies. If they don't, he'll occupy Vichy France. Similar as OTL again - but this time, Hitler's troops are standing stronger in Russia and the Middle East, and Moscow has been all but completely captured. Under the pressure, and wanting to see some semblance of French culture survive, Petain relents, and Vichy France actively joins the North African theatre of the war, implementing harsh conscription laws making all males over 18 and under 60 join either the French divisions of the Waffen SS fighting in the East, or the new French Corps d'Afrique serving as a division under the Afrika Krops. With this law being implemented the French begin sending their full eligible male population to join the Waffen SS in the East and the exhausted Afrika Korps to the south, as per Hitler's demands. In exchange for their cooperation Vichy France gets the rest of Southern France stretching to the Atlantic.
On 11th September Hitler also begins another round of negotiations with Franco and the Spanish, again in Hendaye, France (now under Petain's Vichy regime), lasting from 11th September to 13th September, once again offering Gibraltar, the return of Morocco as a Spanish colony and this time, finally and most importantly to Franco, the forgiving of Spanish debt from the German Aid in their civil war, in exchange for joining the war. On 13th September, after settlements are made to also include a joint Spanish-French occupation of Western Algeria, Franco accepts the agreement and finally Spain joins the war on the side of the Axis, sending vital troops to the now growing Afrika Korps, as the Spanish volunteer "Blue Division" already has enough men (47,000 personnel) in the East along with newly acquired French personnel, and Germany needs men in Africa much more desperately to counter Operation Torch, using their own counter operation, named simply Operation Afrika, which begins on 14th September as fresh Spanish troops arrive in the North Africa theater. The Allies evacuate the Mediterranean for now to regroup on the west Moroccan coast, unwilling to let their navies get stuck in the middle of an Axis encirclement.
During said operation, Tunesia has been occupied directly by Germany, to defend against the approaching Americans. The situation in the North African-Middle East theater had become more and more difficult for the Axis; Allied ships and planes made it almost impossible to support the troops with what they need; this all changes now with Spanish entry into the war, as Allied ships desperately flee through the straight of Gibraltar well it's still in Allied hands, the Axis now dominate the Mediterranean and now have unhindered access to the Gulf oil at least.
The Axis troops in Tunisia manage to stubbornly defend it from Allied attacks for two months; after that, the Allies can't keep losing precious troops attacking them and themselves begin to regroup and take on a defensive campaign. The people in the German general staff see that this theater can be saved with some patience, but Hitler doesn't want to regroup and advises them to keep on fighting. Luckily for the Fuhrer the offensive comes at a bad time for the spread thin Allies, and In May Béchar is reconquered by the Axis forces; in June, the Allies are driven from Bouarfa in Morroco; meanwhile in the East of Africa, in July, the fight for the Egyptian delta has begun. Troops scraped from anywhere and everywhere across the British Empire attack the delta from the South. Now, unrest starts to spread among Egyptian collaborators; they know, if the Nazis lose the ever changing African front, they'll be in trouble. For now the British forces are at a standstill with primarily German and increasingly Egyptian forces a few miles south of Aswan. Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel holds the line stubbornly as the rest of his hodgepodge force from throughout the middle east arrives.
Back on the Eastern Front, between September 1943 and March 1944 the rest of Moscow proper is cautiously being taken, starved house by starved house, by the Germans, deporting nearly the entire population West to German workcamps, military training or retraining centers. In the case of undesirables and Jews, for the fortunate minority, they'll go to the Middle East as slaves, for the unfortunate majority, the Reich's secret death camps across Eastern Europe and Germany await them.
During the same timeframe, the winter of 1943, Hitler decides to also finally take Leningrad, the city has been besieged for more than a year, and he hopes that if he can take it, many German and Finn troops stuck sieging the stubborn city will be freed up to help advance against the Soviets next May. so he takes all the available troops stationed in the now quiet and desolate North Russian front and throws them against Leningrad. The Germans take Tichwin, making a support of the city via the ice of Lake Ladoga impossible. Then, the full attack by the Germans against the city that had to suffer so much already starts. But the population resists. It takes two months, from September to December 1943, but the Germans and Finns slowly clear out resistance in the city, and then start the deportation process.
As part of his massive 55th birthday celebrations on April 20th, 1944, Hitler makes his first visit to the now securely German city of Moskowien where he tours the rapidly depopulating city, personally inspecting it in preparation for his nation's Lebensraum. The Reich otherwise, alongside their allies, have only done minor test offensives across the rest of the Eastern front, gauging their enemy as they prepare for one last major offensive beginning in May, Operation Platzregen. The German spirit is the highest it's been in nearly two years awaiting the Endsieg, their final, glorious victory over Communism.
In March 1944, Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin (represented by Molotov) meet again, this time in Dakar. Stalin urges the Western Allies to open a second front in Europe. The Allies think about a landing in Narvik, but decide to scrap the plan. An invasion in Italy will be impossible with Spain sieging Gibraltar and blocking the Mediterranean, so the Allies tell Stalin that Russia will have to hold out on it's own until they can work something out. Stalin is furious, with Molotov storming out of the meeting and saying that if the Allies win Russia had better get huge gains in Eastern Europe for his people's sacrifice, which the Allies, for now, agree with, in order to appease him.
In April 1944, a Balkan offensive is the only hope for the Allies, especially Churchill, because in 1944 the Germans have started to send V-rockets (the prototypes of the so-called Wunderwaffen, later named the Heisenberg Device, which would be the self propelled carrier of Germany's first short-range Nuclear Bombs) against London and other places in Britain. The damage is not that high, but no trifle either. And since a landing in France isn't possible and the Allies need a victory, getting through the Gibraltar straight and landing in the Balkans may be their only option, as they are very lightly defended, having nearly all of their armies sent East. Meanwhile in North Africa, a stalemate has developed, with Algeria securely back under Axis control, well Morocco remains dominated by Allied forces.
The allies launch "Operation Rock" on 1st May 1944, desperate to get access to the vital Mediterranean sea once again, in order to invade the Balkans. The British shell the Spanish invaded Gibraltar from the Moroccan port of Tangier, focusing on it's ports and destroying a small Spanish fleet. Meanwhile Italy, which has the ever increasingly massive Regia Marina, scrambles it's navy into defensive positions, docking in Vichy France (which also donates it's miniscule navy consisting of a couple of small destroyers as support to the Regia Marina) before moving to the Straight of Gibraltar. The battle for the Mediterranean has begun.
In the week that followed the commencement of Operation Rock the largest naval engagement in history featured the Allies take on combined Spanish, Vichy and Italian navies, alongside Hitler's scrambled (due to the focus on the commencement of Operation Platzregen) donation of old German ships armed by new recruits from the Kriegsmarine, too inexperienced for the North Atlantic. The Axis navies managed to coordinate with each other and manage to hold the Gibraltar straight and overwhelm Allied attempts to break into the Mediterranean. Operation Rock is a failure, the Allies retreat again to the west coast of Morocco, however now they're trapped there; as the North Sea has been controlled by Germany for months and the North Atlantic is increasingly controlled by Germany as well as their "wolfpacks" increasingly succeed due to the Allied focus on the Mediterranean, the war situation is beyond desperate for the Allies; and it's about to become hopeless.
The Germans begin Operation Platzregen on May 1st, aiming to take the last two major Russian holdouts of Gorki and Stalingrad. This Operation commenced just as the Allied Operation Rock commenced, which was planned by the Allies who hoped the Axis would be too distracted in the East to respond. Unlike the fate of Operation Rock however, Operation Platzregen finds immediate success; the Russians are beyond scraping the barrel, throwing untrained men, women and even children of both genders as young as 12 at the oncoming Germans. These untrained and uncoordinated militias are easily swept away by the German steamroller. The Germans make the most progress in central Russia and approach Gorki by the start of June, and take the city on June 7th, 1944 without much resistance compared to previous cities; it seems the Russian will is finally broken (Stalin is flown out of the city earlier this time for some preservation of his secretly deteriorating health, heading to the "Fortress of Stalingrad"). One big problem does exist for the Germans, though: Before the Russians capitulate, they set fire to many oilfields - it will take many months to put them out and even longer to restore everything, and the year of 1945 will be significantly colder.
Throughout the remaining summer of 1944 the Germans would secure all major Russian cities West of the Ural mountains, and begin drafting up plans for a Reichskommissariat Moskowien. Now they're only obstacle to total Russian defeat was Stalingrad, the most fortified city in the world. 
* Stalin had consulted with his frontline commanders and senior officers of the General Staff from 12 to 15 April 1944. In the end he and the Stavka agreed that the Germans would probably target Stalingrad. Stalin believed the decision to defend would give the Germans the initiative, but Zhukov countered that the Germans would be drawn into a trap where their armoured power would be destroyed, thus creating the conditions for a major Soviet counteroffensive. They decided to meet the enemy attack by preparing defensive positions to wear out the German groupings before launching their own offensive. Preparation of defenses and fortifications began by the end of April, and continued until the German attack in early July. The two-month delay between the German decision to attack the city of Stalingrad and its implementation allowed the Red Army ample time to thoroughly prepare for their final defense.
The Voronezh Front, commanded by Nikolai Vatutin, was tasked with defending the southern face of the city. The Central Front, commanded by Konstantin Rokossovsky, defended the northern face. Waiting in reserve was the Steppe Front, commanded by Ivan Konev. In February 1944, the Central Front had been reconstructed from the "Moscow Front", which had been part of the northern pincer of Operation Uranus and had been responsible for the ambush from behind that lead to near destruction for the German 6th Army at Moscow. The Soviet STAVKA has prepared a giant trap where the German armor will be destroyed. Then the Red Army will counterattack and Christmas will be celebrated in Berlin. Both sides are actually gambling here with fearsome stakes. As the Germans begin their offensive towards Stalingrad the Soviet artillery, the most effective component of the Red army, opens up randomly, being met by a counter firing of German artillery. The battle of Stalingrad, the final chance for the Soviets to turn the tides of the war, has started. Stalin gives his last ever speech, visibly ill and weak, but still commanding his people with his now famous phrase: "No step back. You will all die on your feet as heroes, you will not allow the Nazi scum anywhere near your homes, this is your last chance comrades, hold your ground!"
Even the initial outer battle would be fierce, the fiercest yet; the Germans are stunned by the resistance being put up after the ease of taking Gorki, Stalingrad has easily twice the defiance of Moscow even. Soviet artillery fires off like fireworks, running like clockwork 24/7 for the first two days of the siege, only slowing down once ammo begins to run low. German Artillery, although marginally better supplied, does not dare to return fire at such a rate; they take breaks mainly at night, letting their ammo be slowly restocked and allowing their hastily prepared defenses handle the never ending Soviet barrage for those two days. 
Once the Soviet artillery is forced to slow down and lessen it's fire, the Germans resume their original attack. Communication vehicles relay the command, "Panzer voran". Thousands of engines start up over a 35 km front at Kalach and a 30 km front south of the city itself. The attack was supported by intense Luftwaffe bombing that reduced much of the city to rubble. Stalin rushed all available troops from the city's last reserves across the Volga river, to the east bank, to meet the Germans' southern forces on the west bank, hoping to deny the advancing German forces from coming from Kalach their helpful reinforcements. For seven hours the river gradually becomes red with blood from both sides, but the Germans have overwhelming numbers and supplies. The small Soviet force on the east bank refuses multiple offers of surrender and fights to the last man, and in doing so even gains the respect of the Germans themselves, who decided they would put up a commemorative memorial to these bravest of men after the inevitable Soviet surrender. But for now, they have a battle and a war to win. The southern forces link up with the forces from east of the city, and together they manage to push into the city itself. The battle within the city degenerated into brutal house-to-house fighting as the Germans poured reinforcements into the city and the Soviet forces slowly dwindled.
But by mid-November, the Germans, at great cost, had pushed the Soviet defenders back into narrow zones along the west bank of the Volga river. Stalin stays behind, already dying and wishing to be a hero to his men in his last days. These narrow zones are the most heavily fortified in Stalingrad, and are close enough together for the last of the trained Red Army to easily defend, and these areas manage to hold out through the winter of 1944 and into the spring of 1945, even as everywhere else in Stalingrad and, by spring, the entirety of the surrounding area including Volzhskiy, are conquered by the Germans.
Worse was yet to come for the Allies though, as on January 11th 1945, president Roosevelt died (for him, the regret of the time when Hitler conquered half of Europe and he couldn't act against him, was harder than OTL due to Hitler currently winning the war). Hitler is glad and believes that the war may finally end, just like 1762 for Frederick the Great. In one way, that's true: New president Harry S Truman is more anti-Communist than FDR. Of course, the US stay in the war. This however turned out not to be a big deal for the Germans though, as on 5th March 1945 Stalin, who was the only thing, other then American support, keeping the USSR together, dies (ITTL the stress during the years when the Germans were closing in on Moscow, and later Gorki and currently Stalingrad, was too much). 
The Soviet Union disintegrates almost instantly, the small force of remaining resistance in Stalingrad surrenders, and the Germans don't even bother with a peace treaty, as there is no longer anyone to sign it with. Being highly respected for their fearlessness and determination, the last men of the Red Army are temporarily moved to the nearest German military camp for the time it takes for them to be personally mailed, by Hitler himself, the first ever Reichskommissariat "redcards", making them each a landholder -Grundbesitzer-. These men after gaining their redcards are then returned home, to their families who are also granted landholder status, well most of the single men stay in Stalingrad, now renamed Hitlergrad, and help rebuild the city for Germany's lebensraum.
* A system for anyone living in a Reichskommissariat that is not a German by birth or ancestry but also deemed not to be a untermensch, this redcard permits a landholder to live anywhere in any of the Reichskommissariats but not in Germany itself, mainly to keep Germany's people pure and also as landholders are not actual German citizens in the first place. There are requirements for someone to keep their redcard status however, they must learn the German language, must find gainful employment, and must be willing to pay a special monthly "Redcard Tax", that is 25% of their income, that goes partially to their current Reichskommissariat and partially to the Reich itself. If any of these conditions are failed the user's redcard is federally voided through the German Federal Archive's "Redcard" department and they are no longer protected from being deported.
To Be Finished
Category:Borrowed Timeline
Category:Alternatehistory.com
Category:The War To End All Wars