alecsandros wrote:Hi RF,
Well, it depends on the initial premises of this hypothetical scenario. For example, the size and relative power the free British would retain.
I doubt the Royal Navy would be permitted to "escape", as the nazis were pretty ruthelss conquerors, and any attempt to "flee to safe havens" could be replied with mass executions/deportations. With this in mind, it's more likely the peace conditinons imposed on Britain would include the dismantling of their surface fleet.
That assumes the RN and the other British forces would wait for an armistice - I don't think so, they would go to Canada and other British posessions...
Furthermore, would a Commonwealth exist without a Crown ? Would Nigeria still fight for the "free British", when seeing the Empire's demise ? Woulnd't Australia declare independence ? Etc.
The empire would still exist with the Crown in exile. Those colonies and dominions threatened by Axis countries would certainly continue the war in their own interests, especially if the US and Russia are involved
Same case in Russia. Would the communists remain in power after losing Moscow and huge resources ? The anti-communist sentiment was very strong in many of the soviets... Many times the nazis were received as liberators, and I suspect this would increase as the threat of state-lead retaliation (via NKVD) would greatly diminish. And without the resources of the western Urals, the Caucasus, and the ones shipped by the British and Americans, I don't see how the communist state would manage to support itself. And I don't see either how or why the majoirty people leaving under communist terror would fight against the Germans... [allthough the atrocities of the SS woudl probably make them unsympathetic in some areas...].
Whatever regimes or regimes exist in Russia, communist or otherwise, the conflict is likely to continue and escalate. Remember this would be an ideological war of racial extermination, with no Geneva convention. The SS were very good at turning potential allies into determined enemies because of the nazi ideology and this more than anything would escalate the conflict.
Presuming a limitation of the German forces in the western part of the Urals, I would expect a slow collonization process, which would differ mainly from the one in western Europe by the poor development of Russia in those years. Yes, partisan movements would probably arise, and give problems to the occupiers. But this was common throughtout Europe... And the nazis weren't defeated by the partisans, but slowed down or hindered at best...
They were defeated in Serbia, which liberated itself.... this would be a dirty war like nothing preceding it. The western occupied countries would be a nirvana in comparison to the conflict in the east.
''Give me a Ping and one Ping only'' - Sean Connery.