Luftwaffe Planning Document

Artie Bob

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Here is a challenge for what-ifs based on real luftwaffe plans from primary sources. Attached is a
document that was passed to me a while back. It got covered up by a number of other items and
only recently came to light while filing. It is apparently a copy of luftwaffe material captured by the
allies, and in addition to translating, they may also have changed the format. What interests me
most is the planning for a two war scenario, it may be I am not well informed on that possibility, but
I cannot remember seeing any history that presents a two war plan in this level of detail and with
such a specific timeline.
1. Is this a document that has "new" information or have I just not been aware of previous
attention?
2. What might have been the long term consequences if Germany had quit fight ing in late1940 or
early 1941 and focused for 4 or 5 years on consolidating its hold on western europe and fully
utilizing those resources to prepare for the final state of war lasting 3 or 4 years?

Please comment.

Artie Bob
 

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Artie Bob,

The Germans were planning to fight beyond May, 1945. But as 'thousand bomber' raids began, war planning shifted. There is some fiction mixed in with fact here regarding German aviation research and development . Too many advanced aircraft were making it into the prototype stage and the Americans had to increase what the Germans called 'terror bombing.' It was that or face further losses to more advanced aircraft. The prospect of Germany winning, realistic or not, drove further fighting on the ground and continued development and construction in the aviation industry till the end. Please note that during the war, any country, regardless of the odds, was ready to continue fighting, even at the last minute.
 
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2. What might have been the long term consequences if Germany had quit fight ing in late1940 or
early 1941 and focused for 4 or 5 years on consolidating its hold on western europe and fully
utilizing those resources to prepare for the final state of war lasting 3 or 4 years?

Europe is much longer under the Nazi boot.
 
Ed,
I think you have missed the point of this document. It reflects thinking from a major component of German Military probably in late 1939 or early 1940 that the current fighting effort should end soon and that the nation would then grow its military forces and ultimately mobilize for a much larger and longer effort. What this plan probably represents is the longer term planning and thinking of the professional military leadership as opposed to the impatient nature of the political leader. Remember, until June 1940, the USSR was an ally of Germany and right up to Barbarossa was supplying it with a wide variety of raw materials. Under these conditions , the British had few solid allies until Germany declared war on the USA. That might not have happened with the 2 war scenario.
Artie Bob
 
I take the following perspective:

"It is necessary to deprive the German command of all initiative, forestall the adversary, and to attack the German army when it is still in the deployment stage and has no time to organise the distribution of forces at the front,” wrote the Soviet commanders to Joseph Stalin. The day on which they did so is by far the most surprising part of the document: 15 May 1941, one month and one week before Hitler attacked the USSR. In the spring of 1941, the Soviets considered attacking the Germans first, writes Sean McMeekin in his latest book, Stalin’s War.
 
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