[Panzermacher]

Ok....No changes says the Swede. I have to differ. Rommel only had about 5 German divs in Africa...and a smattering of Italian Divs. of differing quality. He turned Defeat into victory against the Allies til his supplies petered out. Now My theory in Russia, with 175 German divs at the outset and Scores of Foreign Divs added to that number....and Hitler's Ear......I think that by September of 41, he may have reached Moscow. I don't think Rommel would have suffered the supply troubles Guderian and the others suffered (HE was Hitler's Favorite, and Hitler at the time, would have done what ever he asked, I firmly believe) Rommel's only trouble, at this time...was he made some bigtime enemies in the Party. Martin Borman absolutely loathed him. And he was a bugbear to Himmler and the SS crowd. This May have had some detrimental effects on the campaign, but not enough to at least get to Moscow before winter.

Rommel's tactics were along a differing line than Guderian's. Rommel learned fast how to adapt to new terrain. Rommel knew where to put his panzer's for the knockout punches. He was a wizard at deception. (The "Steppe Fox"??) I think Rommel would have been savvy enough to use Stalin's enemies (Those from within HIS OWN country) to a better advantage, rather than rounding em up and shipping em back to Germany as slaves. (He did have Hitler's ear, and he didn't like the party, or what it was doing) This is all conjecture here on my part....but I have studied many books on Rommel's life to have a grasp of the man. He was a gentleman from a time past. He treated his prisoners as such, men who could not fight or resist any longer and have Honorably gave themselves up. He wasn't wild about shooting prisoners or into the "Final Solution" I feel this would have played into his conduct in Russia. And using Stalin's own Countrymen against him as a manpower source would have been a great asset. (Note: I say this according to many books I have read on the subject of Stalin's regime, and those who disliked it. Many Russian, Ukrainians, Byeloruses,etc had a beef against what the Communist party had done to them....ie creation of State Farms....Food Rationing.. Forced Conscription during the "Winter War"..Party promises that never came through....and the list goes on. Some DID take up arms against the State, before the German Invasion. They paid with their lives, or went into the Gulag system to wither and die. But many more said in their own words, had they been given the opportunity by the Axis, they would have fought the Stalinites.)
Due to Rommel's experiances in the Carpathian Mountains during WW1, I think he would have had a handle on the Winter situation in Russia. He would have some inkling as to what was to come and would have known about the trials of Winter combat, adn prepared for it before the fact. HE also would have known that to win the Ostfront, Moscow would have HAD to be taken before winter fell in full fury. Moscow's loss, may not have knocked the Soviets out of the war, but it sure would have had an effect on WORLD moral at the time...( Imagine a New York Times Headline....on Sept. 21st 1941, "Moscow Falls Into German Hands! Soviet Leadership forced to flee the Capital!")
Now holding that Capital would have been another story, I am sure some brutal Soviet Attacks would be forthcoming as soon as it was Winter. But I think our old "Steppe Fox" would have been a little more prepared. As the Victories Tallied up, and now he hands a Megalomaniac like Hitler the Golden Apple of Moscow.......I think our "Steppe Fox" would be in a prime position to get the most and the best of what he asked for...ponder it....


I agree the Total Outcome of the whole campaign may have ended in the same way....Soviet Eventual victory. (A Country of 80 million people or so, can NOT take on the whole of the World without pulling off something absolutely brilliant. Hitler was not that brilliant or things like Tiger IIs and Me 262s would have already been in action by 42.)

My contention is....How would the front have been different. Would Rommel have pulled off a Daring Run to Moscow? Would Stalingrad, Cherkassy, Kursk, and many other Major German Losses been allowed? Sure every Army loses....Rommel lost at Tobruk, and El Alamein. But how....would things have been different?