Bigger DDR

[JHPier]

WI Stalin had insisted on a share of occupied Germany that reflected the number of German divisions facing the Red Army vs. those facing the Western Allies? So say he ends up with an occupation zone that includes as well Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Lower Saxony as far as Bremen, Bavaria and all of Austria.

Consequences?

 

[Nicole]

Dont know if the Western Allies will go for that- If so, Denmark probably gets Finlandized, or even Communisted.. However, weren't the OTL borders mostly chosen based off where the troops were at the time?

 

[FederationX]

I'm guessing that the Soviet Union will have to rush into Germany and beat the Western Allies at the race.

 

[Grey Wolf]

It would be interesting as possession of any of the North Sea coast, especially with a major port like Hamburg, would give the Soviets not only a naval base to play with but a major opening on world trade.

Grey Wolf

 

[Weapon M]

Or, for a bigger DDR, just don't give so much to Poland...

 

[unsunghero]

That's what I was thinking - maybe Stalin might decide that East Germany should hold onto Silesia and/or Mecklenburg. Maybe he would see it as a way to keep Poland from becoming too independent minded, as well as a strategic advantage.

 

[JHPier]

However, weren't the OTL borders mostly chosen based off where the troops were at the time?

AFAIK they were settled at Yalta.

 

[JHPier]

Or, for a bigger DDR, just don't give so much to Poland...

My idea was actually that Stalin feels that the West is getting too much of Germany for what they have put in defeating it compared to his own contribution. Making the future DDR bigger is really a by-product.

 

[Melvin Loh]

The western Allies wouldn't have gone for conceding THAT much to Stalin, would they ? Maybe if Joe announces his intention to do so, plans for Op ECLIPSE with the XVIII Airborne Corps and 6th Airborne Div to take Berlin are prioritised and actually implemented, and Patton's advance with 3rd Army is pushed forward more ?