If the Axis had Logical Thinking

An alternate timeline by Althistorian 2005.

What if the Axis Powers had actually considered their actions in 1941 logically?

1940's

1941: Instead of attacking the Soviet Union and starting a two-front war (which he also wanted to avoid in OTL), Hitler decides to focus all German war efforts on Britain. On December 7, Japanese planes bomb the ships at Pearl Harbor, but they also bomb the repair depots, fuel storage, and other facilities. A few days later, the US carrier fleet is also targeted out on the open ocean, truly crippling the US Pacific Fleet and enabling Japan to eventually take control of most of the Pacific Ocean virtually unopposed. Emperor Hirohito then somehow assures Hitler that Japan can single-handedly defeat the US, persuading Hitler to not declare war on the US. Then, whatever remains of the US Navy is slowly but steadily rebuilt along the West Coast. Meanwhile, a pro-Nazi coup is launched in Iraq in April. The new pro-Nazi regime led by Rashid Ali al-Gaylani joins the Axis and invades the British Mandate of Palestine and Transjordan, and subsequently British Egypt with Axis support.

1942: Without American military assistance in the form of the US Atlantic Fleet against Germany, British imports suffer horribly in the Battle of the Atlantic, thus enabling Operation Sealion to be remotely feasible. As time goes on, the feasibility of Operation Sealion increases, paving the way for the final battle between the Kriegsmarine and the Royal Navy. Meanwhile, British forces in Africa suffer major defeats, especially after Spain joins the war by attacking Portugal and providing much-needed support for Italian forces in Africa. Egypt is mostly overrun, but the job isn't finished yet. Also, Japanese forces land in Hawaii, mostly securing Japanese control of the Pacific and enabling Japanese attacks on the American West Coast, especially California, where the US Pacific Fleet is desperately trying to rebuild.

1943: Finally, after being postponed indefinitely and even cancelled, Operation Sealion begins. With the RAF and British air defenses destroyed, the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine go all-out on the Royal Navy, pounding it straight into the ocean while the Japanese launch a big attack in Asia a few weeks prior to distract British forces. The massive Japanese attack secures Japanese control of New Guinea, while Italian forces with German and Spanish support (especially Rommel's infamous Afrika Korps) chase the British all the way down Africa. The Wehrmacht soon secures beachheads in southern England during November and December.

1944: After securing numerous beachheads in southern England, the Wehrmacht destroys the British army with blitzkrieg tactics, which can now be used again as they are once again fighting on land. They then speed toward London, blocking any and all potential escape routes, whether land, air, or sea. The British government is then forced to sign a peace treaty in London, allowing Hitler to keep all his gains in Scandinavia and Western Europe, although Allied governments-in-exile are allowed to remain in British custody. Meanwhile, Italy is allowed to take most British and French colonies in Africa, but Spain gains a few small colonies and is allowed to join the Axis as a 'thank you' for joining the war, as well as Portugal and all her colonies. In the Middle East, most British and French colonies are ceded to Iraq, but Germany gains Bahrain and Qatar. In Asia, Japan is allowed to keep all her Asian conquests so far and reorganise the land however they want to, but Britain is allowed to keep Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and India as dominions. In Latin America, French and Dutch Guiana are both annexed into British Guiana, which Britain is also allowed to keep. Britain is also allowed to keep British Honduras. In the Caribbean, all British colonies remain British colonies and all other colonies become British as well. They are then combined into the British Caribbbean. Also, Northern Ireland is given a referendum on whether to join Ireland or remain in the UK. They vote to remain, but Anglo-Irish tensions continue nonetheless. Finally, Japanese troops previously stationed in the Aleutian Islands begin advancing into the rest of Alaska. Hitler then considers starting Operation Barbarossa, but his generals persuade him not to, instead suggesting an invasion of the US.

1945: After preparing supply routes and revising strategies and tactics, the Third Reich declares war on the US. This comes right after President Roosevelt's death, which has proved to be demoralizing against the near-constant Japanese bombardments on the West Coast. He is succeeded by Harry S. Truman. Now that Britain has sued for peace, America will have to fight a two-front war against two military giants. However, fortunately for the US, the American people are willing to produce military equipment 24/7 while Hitler allows the German people to only work 9-to-5, although some decide to work extra hard for their Führer. Also, the Manhattan Project is then successfully tested in August and the US Atlantic Fleet is still intact.

1946: The American defense proves effective in repelling Axis attacks, and soon the US Pacific Fleet returns to action, successfully defeating the Japanese Navy in a few battles. The Kriegsmarine is also repelled by coastal fortifications and the US Atlantic Fleet while the mighty Wehrmacht is repelled by the fledgling US Army. The US also tries to get Britain back in the war, but the British military is still trying to recover.

1947: In the years since Pearl Harbor, the US has managed to rebuild a few aircraft carriers and they are now recommissioned with all-new crews, pilots, and aircraft. Many atomic bombs have also been built since the first ever successful testing of the atomic bomb in 1945, and the new aircraft carriers are now equipped with them. Armed with this new atomic arsenal, the US Navy sets out to obliterate the Japanese. Meanwhile, the Soviet Union tests its first atomic weapon.

1948: Due to the successful American resistance on the East Coast and in the Atlantic, plus recent successes gained by anti-fascist partisans in Eastern Europe and Africa, Hitler reluctantly agrees to open peace negotiations. He visits the American Southwest and discovers the extreme segregation taking place there, giving him some hope for a future German-American alliance. Meanwhile in the Pacific, three atomic bombs are dropped on the Japanese navy, stunning them and paving the way for Japanese-American peace negotiations, but also complicating the German-American peace negotiations.

1949: A white peace is signed between the Axis and the US, ending World War 2, but it is clear that the Nazi atomic program must step up its efforts to beat the successes of the Manhattan Project and the Soviet atomic program. US troops move back into Hawaii and Alaska and efforts are made to make them states, while the Nazi-Soviet Pact is renewed to give the German military time to rest and train for the inevitable World War 3. The ensuing rivalry between Nazi Germany and the USA is soon termed the Cold War.

1950's

1950: Following the end of World War 2, the League of Nations is disbanded without a replacement.

1953: Joseph Stalin dies and is eventually replaced by Nikita Khrushchev, who then releases information about the Great Purge, tarnishing Stalin and invalidating decades of dogmatic pro-Stalinist propaganda.

1954: The Muslim regions of India gain independence as Pakistan, comprised of East and West Pakistan. They then frequently go to war over a region named Kashmir.

1955: After an African-American woman by the name of Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a public bus, the Montgomery Bus Boycott begins in December, gaining the support of the Soviet Union while the Nazis begin funding the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), a Nazi-like organisation and an outspoken advocate of white supremacy. America becomes extremely politically divided between liberal civil rights supporters, supported by the American government and the Soviet Union, and conservative segregationists, backed and funded by the Third Reich. The government seems powerless to stop police brutality, but Dwight D. Eisenhower, a massively popular WW2 general-turned POTUS becomes a unifying American symbol while also advocating civil rights.

1956: A Nazi atomic bomb is successfully tested, sending the Cold War to new heights.

1957-8: Khrushchev is almost deposed and decides to consolidate his position and then introduces more reforms.

1959: Alaska and Hawaii finally gain statehood while a communist revolution occurs in the American puppet state ally of Cuba. The new Cuban government, led by Fidel Castro, agrees to tone down on the anti-American message as Khrushchev urges him to wait until the Third Reich is destroyed before opposing the US, since they are an indispensable ally against Hitler. Then, the Nazi-Soviet Pact is no longer renewed, but despite the frosty anything-can-start-a-war relations between the two countries, neither side attempts to start a war due to the threat of MAND (Mutually Assured Nuclear Destruction).

1960's

1960: John F. Kennedy takes office as POTUS, taking a strong stance against "the fascist segregationists".

1961: Khrushchev and Kennedy sign the Treaty of Washington, creating the Anti-Axis, an alliance committed to defeating the Axis Powers and preserving the post-war peace. Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand swiftly join the new alliance.

1962: Mexico joins the Anti-Axis.

1963: The March on Washington paves the way for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which is helped by Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson's expertise at handling Congress on President Kennedy's behalf (President Kennedy is not assassinated in this timeline).

1964: JFK wins a second term. Meanwhile, another attempt is made to remove Khrushchev, which succeeds due to Khrushchev's passivity. Leonid Brezhnev becomes the new leader of the Soviet Union and clamps down on Khrushchev's reforms, sparking fears that he might scrap the Anti-Axis. However, he assures Kennedy that the Nazis are still a common enemy which they will continue working together to defeat.

1964-8: The Civil Rights Act and several other related bills are passed into law, significantly reducing the KKK's influence and angering their Nazi backers.

1965: Hitler dies due to medical complications and appoints new leaders in his will. Hideki Tojo also dies, beginning a liberalisation of Japanese politics, with Emperor Hirohito appointing a new prime minister and a new cabinet. The new prime minister decides to begin distancing Japan from the other members of the Axis.

1966: Brazil and Argentina join the Anti-Axis, although Argentina does it in return for the Falkland Islands.

1967: The anti-fascist partisans are finally defeated after more than two decades of fighting. Celebrations are held all across Axis-controlled Europe and Africa, but silent dissent remains in the shadows.

1968: Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson succeeds President Kennedy as the Democrat candidate, winning the presidential elections partly due to JFK's continued popularity.

1969: The British Caribbean gains independence as the Caribbean Federation, or Caribbea, a member of the Anti-Axis. British Honduras also gains independence as Belize, a member of the Anti-Axis.

1970's

1971: Benito Mussolini dies of old age while Paraguay, Uruguay, and Chile join the Anti-Axis.

1972: LBJ wins a second term.

1974: East Pakistan gains independence as Bangladesh, then West Pakistan is renamed Pakistan.

1975: Bolivia joins the Anti-Axis in return for some land in northern Chile to gain sea access.

1976: Without the Watergate Scandal, there is no demand for outsider candidates, thus earning Hubert Humphrey the Democratic nomination. However, Ronald Reagan, a popular actor-turned Governor of California, wins the Republican nomination and soars to victory against the relatively unknown Humphrey. Meanwhile, Francisco Franco, the fascist leader of Spain, dies. The new Spanish government appointed by Franco to succeed him decides to leave the Axis, free all Spanish colonies, and declare themselves neutral in the Cold War. The Nazis publicly denounce these events, but recognise the risks of starting a war over this.

1977: Peru and Ecuador join the Anti-Axis.

1979: The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan takes place, souring the international climate. Meanwhile, a revolution occurs in Iran, deposing the pro-American Shah and creating a new government led by Ayatollah Khomeini, who begins preaching an anti-fascist, anti-communist, and anti-capitalist Islamist message.

1980's

1980: Reagan wins a second term.

1981: Colombia, Venezuela, and Panama join the Anti-Axis. British Guiana also gains independence as a member of the Anti-Axis.

1982: Brezhnev dies from a heart attack, paving the way for Yuri Andropov to take leadership.

1984: Andropov dies after just 15 months in office and is succeeded by Konstantin Chernenko while Reagan's Vice President, George H W Bush, succeeds him as the Republican candidate, winning the election.

1985: Chernenko dies after just 13 months in office and is succeeded by Mikhail Gorbachev. Gorbachev immediately begins drastic reforms, plus the policies of glasnost and perestroika, meant to strengthen the alliance with the Americans. Then, seeing the success of the Soviet reforms, civilians in the Axis begin mass riots all over Europe and Africa. The Japanese take the 1985 riots as an excuse to leave, reducing the Axis to Italy, Germany, and Iraq. The Nazis fail to respond to this, and their public support drops significantly, hastening the eventual Axis collapse.

1986: With the encouragement of President Bush, Gorbachev pulls out of the Soviet-Afghan War, causing Afghanistan even more political instability while the Axis starts collapsing with the Italians discussing leaving it while the Nazi Party is weakened by internal power struggles. Various countries declare independence, ignoring the borders of Nazi puppet states. Most of the governors of these puppet states betray their Fatherland, with a few even emerging as rebel leaders, although most of them just surrender and live out their lives in obscurity.

1987: The fascist government of Italy, along with the weak compliant monarchy, is finally deposed in a bloody revolution, establishing the Republic of Italy. All Italian colonies are freed as the African Federation, which the former Spanish colonies swiftly join, while Italy leaves the Axis. It becomes a matter of time before the German government collapses as the Nazi Party loses members day after day. Meanwhile, Cuba and various other Caribbean countries join the Anti-Axis.

1988: The German government finally collapses, freeing all its puppet states by default and essentially abolishing the Axis as Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein publicly announces its official disbandment. Meanwhile, the German monarchy is reestablished by Kaiser Louis Ferdinand while Emperor Hirohito dies from cancer the following year. The Anti-Axis is then renamed the Global Democratic Alliance (GDA).

1989: Without German economic support, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein decides to try seizing the remaining non-Iraqi oil fields within the Arabian Peninsula so that he can control oil prices while keeping the Iraqi economy stable, sparking the First Gulf War. Bahrain and Qatar, having only recently gained independence from Germany, are easily defeated, but Saudi Arabia offers stronger resistance to the immense, two-front Iraqi advance, which includes actual Iraqi troops and Nazi military equipment confiscated from former German military bases after the Nazi collapse. Meanwhile, Ayatollah Khomeini dies and is succeeded by Ali Khameini.

1990's

1990: Without the formation of the UN, the GDA is the dominant authority in international disputes. They decide to assist Saudi Arabia to get rid of the only remaining fragment of the former Axis Powers. With the decision in mind, Operation Desert Shield begins, followed by its sister operation, Operation Desert Storm.

1991: GDA troops arrive in Saudi Arabia and begin pushing Iraqi troops out of northern and southern parts of Saudi Arabia while also liberating Bahrain and Qatar. Desert Shield is soon completed, and Desert Storm can begin. GDA troops march into the Iraqi provinces of Yemen and Oman, easily occupying them since GDA battleships have cut them off from Iraq. Saudi troops then regroup alongside GDA troops to begin the second phase of Desert Storm.

1992: The second phase of Desert Storm takes place, and Iraq is soon defeated, ending the First Gulf War. Saddam Hussein is deposed, and his Iraqi empire handed over to the Saudi government to manage. Saudi Arabia then joins the GDA, worrying Iran and making the beginning of a Second Gulf War a matter of time.

1994: Israel is created as a Jewish homeland and Jerusalem becomes an internationally administered territory. Jews not killed by the Nazi Holocaust start flocking to the new country.

1995: Spain, Italy, Turkey, and the African Federation join the GDA.

1996: Germany and all former German puppet states join the GDA, despite their troubled past. Bangladesh also joins the GDA, so as to stay out of the Indo-Pakistani conflict, which has repeatedly threatened to drag them into the chaos. Nepal and Bhutan also join the GDA as protected members without active militaries.

1997: Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala join the GDA.

1999: Japan and the entire East Asian Co-prosperity Sphere join the GDA, with the Japanese government promising to encourage more economic independence from other EACS members. The GDA now encompasses nearly all of the world, with the only exceptions being India, Pakistan, and Iran.

2000's

2001: The World Trade Center Twin Towers in New York are attacked by two planes on September 11, beginning the GDA's joint military reaction in the form of resumed intervention in the Afghan Civil War.

2002: The Soviet Union is officially renamed from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) to the Union of Eurasian Democratic Republics (UEDR), or the Eurasian Union. However, the Eurasian Union is still sometimes referred to as the USSR or even as the Soviet Union.

2005: When evidence of Iranian weapons of mass destruction surfaces, the GDA votes to invade Iran, finally beginning the Second Gulf War. The Shia sect of Islam then declares a jihad against the GDA, although the declaration does nothing more than motivate the Iranian population to support the war.

2006: GDA troops storm into Iranian territory, but the high morale of the Iranians means no prisoners can be taken, because they all fight to the last man. This slows down the GDA advance, but there is no Iranian advance into GDA territory whatsoever throughout the war.

2007: Tehran and Khameini are captured, but the Iranian resistance becomes a guerrilla movement, which the GDA will have to deal with for the next few decades. Nonetheless, the Second Gulf War is considered over with the establishment of a provisional Iranian government with GDA military backing. But international attention once again turns to the Indo-Pakistani conflict, which is still threatening to burst into all-out war despite both sides already having nuclear weapons.

2010's

2011: The provisional government gives way to an elected democratic government and Iran finally becomes an active member of the GDA, but other GDA troops remain in Iran to help combat the Shia guerrillas.

2014: The GDA starts pursuing nuclear disarmament, with thousands of GDA-owned nuclear warheads being dismantled for use in nuclear power plants. Critics worry the GDA might not be able to intervene in the Indo-Pakistani conflict if nuclear weapons are completely dismantled.

2018: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland create the Nordic Union.