Battle of Dunkirk

battle_name=Battle of Dunkirk

What if?

The battle of Dunkirk contains one of the great "what-ifs" of World War II, that has attracted speculation from many military historians. If Hitler had not ordered the German panzer divisions to halt (from 24 May to 26 May and again on 29 May, but instead ordered an all-out attack on Dunkirk, then it is possible that the retreating Allies could have been cut off from the sea and destroyed. And if the whole of the British Expeditionary Force had been captured or killed at Dunkirk, then it is possible that morale in Britain could have sunk so low as to have toppled the government and replaced it with one more disposed to making an accommodation with Nazi Germany, like the Vichy regime in France. And without the need to oppose the British in the Atlantic and North Africa — or even with the assistance of a Quisling government in Britain — perhaps the troops and resources thus freed would have been enough to wholly defeat the Soviet Union in 1941 and led to German conquest of the whole of Europe and Asia.

Related Topics:
Hitler - 24 May - 26 May - 29 May - Nazi Germany - Vichy - Quisling - Soviet Union

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On the other hand, the panzer divisions were stopped for repairs, resupply and to allow the rest of the army to catch up. Had they pushed forward recklessly, they could have outrun their supply lines and become vulnerable to being cut off themselves. And even if the British Expeditionary Force had been cut off and destroyed, few in Britain wanted to collaborate with the Nazis — Churchill had become Prime Minister after the fall of the Chamberlain government on 10 May 1940 precisely because his uncompromising belligerence reflected the mood of the nation.

Related Topics:
Chamberlain - 10 May - 1940

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