  basically, the incorporation of French war material, the whole-scale looting of the French economy, and the end of one major front was what allowed Battle of Britain/Barbarossa to happen.  prior to that, the German military and economy were essentially only good for one major operation at a time. Germany prior to the defeat of France was very much a war economy, badly dependent on looting to prevent an economic collapse.  there's a lot of interesting what-ifs here-- for instance, the attack over the Ardennes only came up because the initial German war plans were presumed captured by the French after a plane with the plans crash-landed in Belgium. prior to that it was pretty much an unimaginative replay of the Schlieffen Plan.  There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "My ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."- Isaac Asimov  basically, the incorporation of French war material, the whole-scale looting of the French economy, and the end of one major front was what allowed Battle of Britain/Barbarossa to happen.  prior to that, the German military and economy were essentially only good for one major operation at a time. Germany prior to the defeat of France was very much a war economy, badly dependent on looting to prevent an economic collapse.  there's a lot of interesting what-ifs here-- for instance, the attack over the Ardennes only came up because the initial German war plans were presumed captured by the French after a plane with the plans crash-landed in Belgium. prior to that it was pretty much an unimaginative replay of the Schlieffen Plan.  There was no maginot line in 0000.....Plus the French were not allied to the Russians in 0000 as they were in 0000. The scheifflen plan was designed to knock the French out before the Russians had mobilised. Saving the Germans from a two front war.....it didn't work! But Adolfs European tour in 00 did as he'd just signed a pact with Stalin...  