Attempting to invade Russia was one of them.
Invading Norway to get control of its ports was another. It didn't harm Germany but Norway was a neutral sovereign nation.
Britain was already in the process of invading Norway when they started.
Weren't the Dutch countries also "neutral" but had Allied soldiers and equipment stationed in their borders?
If Germany hadn't invaded Norway Britain would have invaded in order to cut of iron ore to Germany from Kiruna via Narvik. No iron ore, no war. The British were already planning an invasion and the Norwegians would not have fought them. The British had already mined Norwegian waters and raided German ships in Norwegian territorial waters. Read up on the Altmark incident.
Norway has always been Britains bitch, after the viking era ended. When i were in the military, we got to know that murica for instance has stashes of military equipment inside many of our mountains. Dunno how it was back then in ww2 but i am pretty sure we would let the allies use our strategic location to save the juice.
Didn't Germany invade to secure the Ports for the nature resources that Norway was shipping to the Germany ?. I read an analysis years back that laid out the points why this measure (invading) was vital for Germany's war effort and was a reason why Britain was attempting to attack German supply lines by invading Norway ( as a sovereign Nation supplying Germany) to prevent and stymy German access to it's much needed resources.
Jesuits leaked battle plans to Russians.
Russia had amassed troops up on the eastern flank of Europe preparing for an invasion. If he hadn't, Russia would have taken all of Europe. They don't teach that in history class.
Not learning from history past was a critical failure that most simply overlook. Napoleon committed the exact same error. A few hundred years prior. All that needed done was to know what happened last time, and prepare to counter that.
Unfortunately lightly equipped troops incapable of cold weather operations were sent to take over of an area that most see as unpassable in winter. It didnt hurt the russians, that stalin did the whole death thing for retreat...
Having to pull Mussolini's arse outer of the fire from his ill-timed and ill-advised incursion into Greece which delayed the jump off for Barbarossa by 6-8 weeks coupled with an earlier starting (by 3 weeks) and much much colder and harsh than usual Russian winter certainly didn't help. Although Hitler, by all accounts from unclassified wartime documents, was responding and pre-empting a Russian/ Stalin betrayal of Russia already massing troops on their border to invade into Germany. Potato potatoe.
Stalling Germany forces and Allowing the BEF to evacuate from Dunkirk and leaving the entirety of the Afrika Korps and equipment in North Africa. Imo the slow response to D Day was more important and ultimately detrimental.
To kill the Soviets? Honestly USSR was basically Germanies main enemy, it was effectively the jewish juggernaut. They were the right target but it happened at the wrong time.
fair enough
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