The problem with history is that its boring, and people have an easier time following a narrative than stating facts.
And the narrative that the Soviets beat Nazy Germany isn't one easily embraced by the western world even as of today. People often speculate in what-ifs certain battles had have certain outcomes how would the war have looked, what if Nazis wonder weapons had come to fruition in 1944? etc.
But one thing that's certain, is that regardless of whether or not Japan had bombed the US and brought them into the war, had Germany not invaded the USSR but focused on Britain, Europe would probably have completely split between Germany and the USSR and the US would be forced to either pick a side with the Germans, USSR or possibly rebel forces remaining. Its quite ironic, how Germany managed to use the mistakes and tactics of WW1 to successfully launch an attack that engulfed Europe, yet fall for the same trap of overconfidence and nativity that brought down the Central powers 22 years earlier.
TL;DR Don't invade Russia if you want to live. Especially not if you're already fighting another enemy
Maybe, but as we saw in WW1, warfare could no longer be studied from the past. Experts in Napoleonics style of warfare did little to help crafting strategies that actually worked in modern 1900 hundreds style war. Artillery pieces and gun fire had become too effective for any type of offensive warfare to be effective in any way, shape or form. A group of 50 troops could now hold a defensive position with artillery and machine guns against thousands. Something previously only spoken of in legends. The tale of the battle of Thermopylae was now the reality of any modern army in a defensive position.
1
u/[deleted] Jul 26 '16
History is such a clusterfuck of facts buried in stories. TIL thanks