Hitler Holds Back

In 1939 Britain and France guarantee Poland's independence as a response to the German occupation of Czechoslovakia. Adolf Hitler's military strategists predict that Germany would not win a war with Britain and France due to the likelihood of American involvement. German diplomats meet with Soviet diplomats and rediscuss the Non-Aggression Pact, in the end agreeing that the Soviet Union would still restrict its invasion to its part of the partition even though Germany had abandoned plans to invade the part of Poland it had been partitioned. Germany still makes secret plans with the Slovak Republic, a client state of Germany to invade Poland.

On September 7th, 1931 the Soviet Union goes ahead with its plans to invade Poland. The newly created German client state the Slovak Republic invaded Poland even earlier, on September 1st.

On September 10th Britain and France declared war on the Soviet Union and the Slovak Republic. Germany sends money and arms to the Slovak Republic, but does enter the war. Because Germany and Italy will not allow French and British troops to pass through either their land or water territories Britain and France establish a treaty with Sweden to allow them to pass through to Poland.

On October 28th 1940 Italy invades Greece, prompting the intervention of Britain and France. Soon Italian troops are invading France, and France needs to order more of its forces out of Poland. The French and British military stationed in Africa invade Libya, an Italian colony. British forces in Palestine and Egypt are sent to Greece to protect it from Italy. On July 23rd 1941 Greece is fully occupied.

The war in Poland lasts for three years. In October 1942 the Treaty of Warsaw is signed, and the Soviet Union not only withdraws from Poland, but concedes more land to it. At the insistence of Germany the Slovak Republic does not lose any territory, although it has to pay significant reparations.

Meanwhile Italy had not only taken control of Albania and Greece but also had invaded Yugoslavia. Hungary had been partitioned between Italy and Slovakia. An Italian puppet state, the Independent State of Croatia had been set up in part of Yugoslavia. Romania and Bulgaria had been allied with Italy. After the humiliating Treaty of Warsaw Italy sees no reason to keep its client states and its own army from invading the Soviet Union. Romania and Bulgaria invade the Soviet Union with the help of Italian troops.